These end-of-the-year lists are usually labeled "Best Albums of the Year" - Best Ambient, Best Jazz, Best Indie, etc. I have been doing that for years. It has been pointed out that calling a list the "Best of the Year" is not only a bit snobby, it's also a little ridiculous because there is so much ambient music released every week that it's impossible to keep up. Plus this list is just my opinion, how can it possibly qualify as the "best"?
With that in mind I was moving towards labeling these as my favorite albums of the year. In this case I called it "2023 Rewind" simply because I found a cool stock photo for the cover art. Anyway, on to the mix.
These lists and mixes are tough to compile. It's so easy for even good albums to get lost in the shuffle. The ones that definitely did not get lost are my top 5 albums:
left in the desert
silent sorrow in empty boats
footsteps
A to Z ambient - n thru z
ambient A to Z
a vibration of strings
breathe in, breathe out
lost at sea
beneath the surface
Concerto for this & that
always returning
thru the field
driftage
eppur si muove(and yet it moves)
flicker & fade
cloud mapping
a canticle unfolds
the landscape listens
slo mo
Remember Tomorrow
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