Contrary to what the title would have you assume, Ambient isn't an album of ambient soundscapes or progressions without defined beats. Rather, it is an album of many solid, and a couple of excellent, ambient techno/house cuts that exemplify Moby's jack-of-all-trades nature as a producer. Far from the beat-driven compositions of his self-titled or the Early Underground comp, his sophomore record is much more based around atmospherics and minimalism, although every song does have a defined beat to it. As far as must-hear tracks go, the evocative "J Breas" is surely one to hear, and the opener "My Beautiful Blue Sky" is also quite great, with its tribal beat and soothing tones. Although they're nothing to write home about besides those two tracks, the rest of the tracks here are decent enough to hold their own and make Ambient a worthwhile listen. Moby, of course, would hone these newfound skills on later releases, so it's definitely a valid point that this record was a necessary step in his development.
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