Although it seemed to arrive out of nowhere in the early '90s, ambient music actually has a long and varied history, leading back to
Brian Eno and
Kraftwerk's electronic experiments in the 1970s, right up to
Aphex Twin's textural techno soundscapes. As an introduction and history lesson, the two-disc
A Brief History of Ambient Music can't be beat; it shows that the ambient-techno trend has roots that most fans wouldn't even realize existed.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi