Ever since it's popularity peaked in the mid to late 80s, the “New Age” genre has had a rough go. Despised by record collectors en masse, relegated to the poorest record shop real estate, and laughed off by music fans as sounds for massages or “weird moms with crystals”, the genre has been shamefully overlooked for years. But this is changing, as contemporary underground artists like Ducktails, Oneohtrix Point Never, Demdike Stare, Dolphins Into The Future, and Nosaj Thing (just to name a few) continue to embrace the aesthetics of the sound. Indeed, once again, it appears that ears are open to the sounds of the heavenly harmonious. Here, the Academy's resident new age guru, James Pants, talks about 20 standout records within the loosely-defined genre, from the past to the present...

Iasos – Inter Dimensional Music
If you’re entering the market for New Age music and need one album that pretty much sums up everything good about the genre – get this one. In fact, this album is credited as being one of the first “new-age” albums ever recorded (along with ‘Spectrum Suite’ by Steve Halpern). The cover features nice gold embossing with an image of a transcendental man holding a lightning bolt in the clouds. The music is a mixture of found sounds (like bubble baths and frogs), phased-synthesizers, flutes, and harp. And honestly, it really doesn’t get much better than that.    

Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal
Oneohtrix Point Never (pronounced ONE-oh-tricks) is the stage name for Daniel Lopatin - New York based Juno fondler, Ford & Lopatin collaborator, and new age rebel. This album is a 100% irony free mixture of icy analog synth sequences and pads conjuring up beautiful circuit scenes like that one in Tron. And the fact that it’s contemporary is even better.    

Ralph Lundsten – Shangri La
We did a feature on Mr. Lundsten a while back, and it’s hard to choose just one LP from him, as he literally has hundreds. However, I think this one fits the bill quite nicely. Soothing, drawn out chords, dissonant off-kilter electronics, and light drums underneath. And a robot trying out pickup lines on a potential girlfriend.   

Joel Fajerman - Racines Synthetiques
Technically a library record instead of a new age opus, but the mood is in the right spot. Actually, this is the perfect bastard child of a love affair between new age synthesis and cosmic disco. No wonder people pay so much for it.    

Joel Vandroogenbroeck – Digital Project
OK, another library record. This time, the album focuses on the cold hard mechanics of life in a digital age. What that translates to sound-wise are icy digital synths, drum machines, and female computer vocals. Not entirely relaxing throughout, but it sets you up nicely for the sheer bliss that comes later in the evening after bath time.  Indeed, once again, it appears that ears are open to the sounds of the heavenly harmonious.      

Brian Eno – Ambient: Music For Airports This record is the solution to Heathrow Termnial 5, and also perhaps the new-agiest of all new age albums produced in the early 80s – long before the strange ladies at the ceramic unicorn factory took control of the genre in the 90s.     

Vangelis – Blade Runner Soundtrack
No explanation necessary. A perfect balance between relaxation, digital saxophone, heartbreak, and a dystopian future. If you like the mood of this one, his album 'The City' is also a good choice.     

Eric Vann – Water World
Sorry everyone… One more library record. Take a voyage to the sunken galleons of the future life, immerse yourself in the healing waters, and find what psychic treasures are in store. If anything, this is the perfect soundtrack for myrrh scented bubble baths – if you’re into that kind of thing.     

Todd Rundgren – A Treatise On Cosmic Fire
Who knew Todd had it in him? This said “treatise” encompasses the entire B-Side of his 'Initiation' LP, and despite a tendency towards the end of the piece to lean a little heavy on flaming guitar solos, the whole thing is wicked, and has that lovable over-compressed cosmic sound so cherished by Rundgren fans.   

Lil B – Rain In England
I still don’t know what to make of this one. It’s possibly the greatest abomination of all time on the new age genre, but it’s also possibly a work of divine inspiration. Either way, the kids like it, and they are our future.

Emerald Web – Dragon Wings and Lizard Tales
I first heard this on Trish Keenan's “Mind Bending Motorway” mix, and immediately rushed out to buy an overpriced copy. This is a full-fledged fantasy record that fits nicely in both the psychedelic and new age camps.    

Elektriktus – Electronic Mind Waves
For those who like their new-age peppered with a healthy dosing of kraut, this is the record for you. Think of it as blissful electronics with break beats, long predating the Future Sound of London shtick.     

Tom Recchion – Chaotica
This record vacillates between ADD-influenced exotica and near-death-experience drone and is easily one of the most beautiful in the canon. Recchion put out several cassettes in the early 80s (including a collaboration with Jad Fair), and since has only had music available on CD. If only they weren't so hard to find...    

The Advisory Circle – Other Channels
Another contemporary classic, released on the Druid-leaning Ghost Box label. The record is a stew of haunted ambient, analog synth library, pagan folk, and found sound. Perfect for post-dinner, pre-seance music.
 

Deborah Van Dyke – Cosmos: Harmonies Of The Zodiac
OK, this one is no joke. It’s the specific new age varietal that is found on cellophane cassettes in the back of health-food stores. The concept of the record is that each Zodiac sign has a resonant chord. Each track is only one chord reverberating. I’m a Gemini and I tried it. It works.    

Global Communication – 76:14
Mark Pritchard is a wicked man. How many genres does he do? The mastermind behind Africa Hitech, Harmonic 313, and a million other groups pairs up with Tom Middleton to make this 100% heavenly exercise in relaxation. There are a few songs with drums, but just feel free to skip around.

Brainticket – Celestial Ocean
A German/Swiss/Belgian-based psych band with a heavy leaning towards the ambient. In fact, their keyboardist, Joel Vandroogenbroeck features prominently up on our list. This is the band at it’s most cosmic - a heavy mixture of zither, harps, synths, and spoken word. Check the track ‘Jardins’ if you don’t believe me.
 

James Ferraro – Clear
Another one for the youth of today. This is new age for the week-smoking, bass loving, Ariel Pink-ish, nihilist, lo-fi set. 
 

John Livengood – S/T
A cassette only release from 1980 by the Parisian Mr. Livengood with a heavy cosmic leaning. Loads of otherworldly Martian sounds prominently featured alongside drum machines, and deep bass. One of the few releases where it is truly hard to date what year it was recorded in. 

Honorable Mentions As Other Music Masters Of The New Age Realm:

Windy and Carl, Emeralds, Dolphins Into The Future, Dublab’s Tonalism Project, Clara Mondshine, Hype Williams, Wally Badarou, Steven Halpern, Jean Luc Ponty, Kraftwerk, Enya, Gong, Future Sound of London, Aphex Twin, Roberto Cacciapaglia, Demdike Stare, Luciano Dari, Rudiger Lorenz, Steve Moore, Sonotone Records, Ducktails, Sun Araw, Fuck Buttons, Hawkwind (occasionally…), Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Corviria, Richard Pinhas, Rafael Brom, R. Stevie Moore (every blue moon), Nosaj Thing, Steve Hillage, Steve Roach, Tomita, Paul Horn, Ducktails, Suzanne Ciani, Biosphere, Tetsu Inoue and Atom Heart, Klaus Schultze and Innovative Communication, M83, and about a million other heavenly souls I might have forgotten...

- James Pants, 2011