Ben Frost: Ambient Soundscape Explorer

Ben Frost, post-minimalist composer and ambient prodigy has spread his tendrils through numerous genres and projects, dwelling in the shadows and borders of intersecting "musical worlds." Though Frost's 2007 hard-core ambient masterpiece Theory of Machines, which can be found here: Ben Frost- "Theory of Machines" bandcamp, introduced him to the electronic spotlight, his early compositions align more with the post-rock genre. Performances of Frost's solo work were delivered by his live band "School of Emotional Engineering" from 2002-2005.
Ben Frost's "Theory of Machines"-

 School of Emotional Engineering- "She Dreams In Car Crashes"-

Frost's early connection with post-rock's wide spaces of tonal harmonies informs his ambient work where pastures of white noise collide to reveal uncharacteristic components of the ambient genre. Drums beat mercilessly through pulsing soundscapes resembling Trent Reznor pillaging through the pre-industrial wilderness. Frost's 2009 release By The Throat tears through typical ambient predispositions. This is not relaxing. You can not sleep to this music without turning over at least once. Instead, the listener has entered an aural geography that is inhospitable, cold, trembling with animal howls. By The Throat is "red in tooth and claw." It is no surprise that Ben Frost created this album while living in Iceland. The music bleeds the landscape it was formed in. The song "The Carpathians" couldn't be a better exposition of the influence Ben Frost's environment has had on his music.

Here is a link where Frost describes Iceland's effect on his musical thrust: Ben Frost and The Icelandic Allure

World-renowned pillar of ambient, post-minimalist, and electronic music, Brian Eno hand-selected Ben Frost as his protege for 2010-2011's mentor for The Rolex Mentor and Protege Initiative. The program funds the mentor and protege to collaborate and guide one another in their artistic endeavors. Frost's performance at New York's Unsound Festival in April 2011 was paired with Eno's film projections based on the 1972 movie Solaris.  With recent 2011 collaborations alongside Colin Stetson and Tim Hecker, Frost's further explorations may prove to us yet again, that the ambient earth is far from flat.