Sometimes you need one of those albums that can get you through a late night of work. Something ambient that doesn’t impede your thoughts, rather it allows them to flow freely. Ancient Future is the second collaboration between Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christopher Willits is exactly that, an experiment that blends classical piano with electronic bliss.

As a whole, Ancient Future functions as a piece about the creation, acceptance and completion of one’s fate and all of life’s experiences, following a trajectory through inner conflict, resolution and, ultimately, acceptance. The six-song cycle moves through a narrative of sorts, each piece with a story to tell and an aspect of life to explore.

This collaboration is absolutely beautiful. There’s so much detail in each track that you can only really appreciate with a good pair of headphones on. If you need something for those moments of deep thinking or something to relax to after a long day, this is it.