Ambient composer Harold Budd died last night at age 84. His dreamy minimal style, both in his own works as well as in collaborations with Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie and others, has been highly influential, touching classical, jazz, pop, dance music, film, television and beyond. There has been an outpouring of tributes to Budd on social media, including Guthrie, who wrote, “A lot to digest. Shared a lot with Harold since we were young, since he was sick, shared a lot with harold for the last 35 years, period. Feeling empty, shattered lost and unprepared for this, as do my wife Florence and girls Violette and Lucy Belle. All my best to Elise, Terrance, Hugo and all the family. His last words to me were ‘adios amigo’… They always were.. He left a very large ‘harold budd’ shaped hole whichever way we turn.”
Other artists who’ve paid tribute include William Basinski, Oneohtrix Point Never, How to Dress Well, Jah Wobble, Ryley Walker, filmmaker and musician Mark Duplass, Matmos’ Drew Daniel, Scanner, Loscil, Anton Newcombe, NYC venue Issue Project Room, and more.
Read those below.
https://www.facebook.com/robinguthrie/posts/10157258349650793
https://twitter.com/WilliamBasinski/status/1336432290478444545
“The word ‘ambient’ doesn’t ring a bell with me. It’s meant to mean something but is, in fact, meaningless. It’s not relevant for me. My style is the only thing I can do well. I don’t think about genres. I don’t think about labels, they don’t have meanings.” -Harold Budd. RIP❤️
— oneohtrix point never (@0PN) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/HowToDressWell/status/1336434088589238272
Harold’s Gone! I didn’t know . What a great human being . One of the deepest nicest people I have come across . Connecting with you H. All the best pal x https://t.co/myaVUl6WMo
— Jah Wobble (@realjahwobble) December 8, 2020
We lost the inimitable Harold Budd today. Do yourself a favor. Put one of his records in your headphones, then stare at a tree or some water or a fire or the sky and allow yourself to float away for a few moments in his honor. #ripharoldbudd
— Mark Duplass (@MarkDuplass) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/ryleywalker/status/1336424893785796609
https://twitter.com/_loscil_/status/1336408050047934466
Rest Easy Harold Budd & thank you https://t.co/5y8roaTWgn
— anton newcombe (@antonnewcombe) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/zoecello/status/1336424025195732996
Farewell to the pianist Harold Budd, whose dreamy ambient music has soundtracked my life. We were meant to play a show together in London in 2018 but it was cancelled. I recorded this as a tribute to him, now more resonant than ever.https://t.co/0w0r6Fvg1F
— Robin Rimbaud – Scanner (@robinrimbaud) December 8, 2020
RIP HAROLD BUDD Moon and the Melodies tops 4 ever #haroldbudd
— dead leaf echo (@deadleafecho) December 8, 2020
Years ago we did a tour where we used Pavilion of Dreams as our front of house music each night before the show started. The way that music would transform any space it inhabited, charging the atmosphere in that room, was unforgettable. RIP Harold Budd.
— Mr Twin Sister (@twinsistermusic) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/djfood/status/1336431843860762624
Thank you #HaroldBudd
— The Album Leaf (@thealbumleaf) December 8, 2020
His music offered solace to many, opening ears to a deeper listening experience and appreciation of music
Thoughts to his family, friends and fansRIP #haroldbudd
Thank you for the music and the Mexican lunch ❤️
— Hannah Peel (@Hanpeel) December 8, 2020
RIP Harold Budd https://t.co/KlWrY5psOq
— Young Galaxy (@younggalaxy) December 8, 2020
Sad to report that composer Harold Budd has passed. He made beautiful ambient-ish music on his own and with Brian Eno, Andy Partridge and Cocteau Twins, among others.
He left us with lots of music, including _The Pearl_, which might provide some solace in the months to come. pic.twitter.com/jdg3A3pi4k
— Michael Azerrad (@michaelazerrad) December 8, 2020
R.I.P. Harold Budd. Many happy hazy mysteries of listening to “The Pearl” and “The Moon and the Melodies” growing up.
— DREW DANIEL (@DDDrewDaniel) December 8, 2020
Harold Budd, Hiroshi Yoshimura and Satoshi Ashikawa – Roppomgi, 1983 at Harold’s Japanese premier organized by Sound Process Design – RIP pic.twitter.com/9qFaj49o16
— Visible Cloaks (@visiblecloaks) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/daisrecords/status/1336427259033350144
— JAGJAGUWAR (@jagjaguwar) December 8, 2020
Harold Budd made of the most incredibly beautiful music I've ever heard that's still incalculably influential and important to me, rest in peace https://t.co/eSKcxrc2pl
— foxes in fiction 🥀 (@foxesinfiction) December 8, 2020
Oh man. https://t.co/GyyJfLEscU
— Todd Goldstein (@toddigoldstein) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/richard_littler/status/1336426342217375748
Legendary composer Harold Budd has passed from this world at 84. He left behind an endless treasure trove of unimaginably beautiful music that enriches our lives every day and will bless generations to come. Our hearts go out to his family on this sad day. Rest in peace, Harold. pic.twitter.com/3rkbH0b9VS
— Ambient Church (@AmbientChurch) December 8, 2020
Rest In Peace to the great composer and poet Harold Budd (1936-2020) 💔 pic.twitter.com/E62MKkMTIN
— ISSUE Project Room (@issueproject) December 8, 2020
HAROLD BUDD FOREVER
RIP TO A LEGEND
Photo by Barry J Holmes pic.twitter.com/radMQ9tcfv
— Light in the Attic (@lightintheattic) December 8, 2020