Even within this ambient list, I’m covering a lot of ground. Some of the records below contain purely electronic sounds, others were made with acoustic instruments. Most fall somewhere in between, typically adding some field recordings into the mix. What they all have in common is that they’re mostly instrumental (some do have a bit of wordless vocals, voice samples etc.), and while not all are completely beatless, they focus less on rhythmic elements and more on creating a soundscape.

Please note the list is not ranked; the albums appear in random order – except for that special one that I’ve crowned my Ambient Album Of The Year.

Oh, and by the way, don’t get me wrong: “The best”, in this context, absolutely means “my personal favorite”. As grown and independent readers, you do understand that basically all music criticism is totally subjective, right?

Dig into these albums over the next days and weeks. Let some of them soundtrack those hopefully calm and restful days at the end of the year. May they provide an island of peaceful serenity for you in this time of mindless consumerism and constant masking at family celebrations.