The AMBT series
Between 1993 and 1997, while at EMI Virgin Records, Simon curated a series of releases which became known collectively by their catalogue number prefix - AMBT. The series started with a one off release, A Brief History of Ambient - a compilation of electronic, prog, electro-acoustic and ambient designed, frankly, to cash in on the mid-90s post-rave ambient explosion. By the fourth in the series, the groundbreaking Isolationism, Simon had started to draft in such notable music journalists as Kevin Martin (AKA The Bug), David Toop (of Ocean of Sound fame) and Kodwo Eshun, and by the series' sixth outing, Paul Schütze's Apart, he was commissioning new work. Along with a complete AMBT listing, we've listed other albums and compilations commissioned by Simon concurrently with his work on the AMBT series.
(With thanks to Wikipedia and Discogs for filling in the memory lapses, and Paul Schütze for pack shots.)
1993
AMBT1 Various Artists A Brief History of Ambient
compiler: Simon Hopkins
1994
AMBT2 Various Artists Ambient 2: Imaginary Landscapes
compiler: Simon Hopkins
AMBT3 Various Artists Ambient 3: The Music of Changes
compiler: Simon Hopkins
AMBT4 Various Artists Ambient 4: Isolationism
compiler: Kevin Martin
1995
AMBT5 Edgar Froese Beyond the Storm
AMBT6 Paul Schütze Apart
AMBT7 Various Artists Macro Dub Infection Volume 1
compiler: Kevin Martin
AMBT8 Techno Animal Re-Entry
AMBT9 Sufi Life's Rising
1996
AMBT10 Various Artists Ocean of Sound
compiler: David Toop
AMBT11 Various Artists Monsters, Robots and Bugmen - a User's Guide to the Rock Hinterland
compiler: Simon Hopkins
AMBT12 Various Artists Jazz Satellites Volume 1: Electrification
compiler: Kevin Martin
AMBT13 Various Artists Ocean of Sound 2: Crooning On Venus
compiler: David Toop
AMBT14 Various Artists Macro Dub Infection Volume 2
compiler: Kevin Martin
AMBT15 Penguin Cafe Orchestra Preludes, Airs And Yodels
compiler: Simon Hopkins
AMBT16 Various Artists Sugar And Poison
compiler: David Toop
AMBT17 The Sidewinder Colonized
AMBT18 David Toop Pink Noir
AMBT19 Paul Schütze Abysmal Evenings
1997
AMBT20 Various Artists Ocean of Sound 3: Booming on Pluto
compiler: David Toop
AMBT21 Phantom City Shiva Recoil: Live Unlive
AMBT22 David Toop Spirit World
AMBT23 Paul Schütze Second Site
AMBT24 Various Artists Ocean of Sound 4: Guitars On Mars
compiler: David Toop
Related Releases
1992
God Possession
1993
Captain Beefheart A Carrot is as Close as a Rabbit Gets to a Diamond
compiler: Simon Hopkins
1995
Various Artists Routes from the Jungle
compiler: Kodwo Eshun
1996
Various Artists Tokyo Invasion Volume 1, Cosmic Kurushi Monsters
compiler: Tony Herrington
Various Artists Unknown Deutschland Volume 1
compiler: Trevor Manwaring
Various Artists Unknown Deutschland Volume 1
compiler: Trevor Manwaring
Various Artists Unknown Deutschland Volume 3
compiler: Trevor Manwaring
1997
Jack Arel Gravure Universelle
compiler: House of Bamboo
Various Artists 15 Years in an Open "Boat"
compiler: On-U-Sound
Various Artists Future - A Journey Through the Electronic Underground
compiler: Gillian Anderson & Simon Hopkins