I have long considered William Basinksi’s The Disintegration Loops series (volumes I – IV) to be among the strongest examples of ‘ambient’ music. Remarkably simple analog loops, overlaid with complex, stochastic crackling (the disintegration of the actual analog tape). This article provides a detailed overview of the work and, importantly, its recording process.

Here is the live broadcast of the first orchestral performance of the electronic original at the MET on the 10th anniversary of 9/11:

To give the above context, the original track, dlp 1.1, can be streamed here, for comparison to the orchestral interpretation above.