# Numero Group (Ambient sounds releases 'Environments' now an app!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170 "2018-02-20T04:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/1 "2018-02-20T04:20:18Z")
Older folks might remember a series of albums released in 1969 and throughout the 1970’s called **Environments**. They were ambient nature sounds (gentle rain, lapping waves, crickets) that surprisingly became wildly popular. All the albums released are now in an app by [Numero Group](http://www.numerogroup.com/), a reissue record label in Chicago. They can also be bought as mp3s, but the app is much cheaper and way better. From the Numero web site: > [@](#): > > Environments is a historic catalog of long form field recordings created for the way you live. Whether you need to work, meditate, sleep, or any other use, Environments is the only ambient sound app based on extended recordings created in the 1960s and '70s on analog tape. Environments began as an unprecedented series of vinyl records, garnering widespread acclaim and selling millions of units. Now Environments steps into the mobile age as an invaluable and unique sonic tool for the way YOU live. > > • No internet connection required—all recordings are part of the app. > > • 22 fully remastered long form analog recordings, most 30 minutes or more. Not short loops, not white noise— Environments live and breathe like nature itself. > > • Simple, intuitive navigation. Unobtrusive, ad-free look and feel evokes a simpler, better time. > > • Put your favorite environment on infinite loop, or build your own playlist of favorites. > > • Blocks distractions, increases focus and mindfulness, reduces stress, helpful with tinnitus and fussy babies. > > • Sounds include ocean waves, birdsongs and dawn chorus, chimes, “be-in,” thunderstorms, gentle rain, heartbeat, wind in trees, wordless choir, summer cornfield, creaky sailboat, country stream, country meadow, blizzard, and many more. > > • Features informative biography of Environments creator Irv Teibel, along with concise informational screens on individual recordings. > > • A co-creation of Syntonic Research, Inc. [An article about the app.](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/numero-group-environments-nature-sounds-app-teibel) Environments’ > [@](#): > > [Environments (album series) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environments_(album_series)) . I wish I could say how cool this is from personal experience, but alas, right now the app is only available for the iPhone and iPad, and I have an Android. They have said on social media that they’re working on an Android version, and I will get it when it’s released. I have a big crush on Numero Group, and I listened to some of the Environments records back in the day, so I’m looking forward to this. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/2 "2018-02-20T04:26:23Z")
I was trying to edit that Wikipedia page link when I ran out of time. Because the link is screwed up. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/3 "2018-02-21T06:36:23Z")
I liked to listen to _Tintinnabulation_. But I listened to it so much I started to remember the most notable sequences. But what I’d really like is an app that generates those random bells. I never learned enough to even start coding my own app for that, let along generating the tones. Here’s a site that does that for a limited number of tones. [https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/singingBowlsDroneGenerator.php](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/singingBowlsDroneGenerator.php) There must be over 100 other presets for different sounds. The natural sounds are samples, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Egnu\_Cledge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@Egnu\_Cledge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Egnu_Cledge)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/4 "2018-02-21T07:12:31Z")
I’m a huge fan of Brian Eno’s app, [Scape](http://www.generativemusic.com/scape.html). You arrange different shapes and patterns to create ambient music (there’s a section of bell sounds, as well as drones, synth noises, piano notes, and other electronic effects). Each element varies the sound it makes depending on where you’ve placed it on the screen, what other elements are near it, which background you’re using, and other factors. The combinations are endless, and it’s nearly impossible to make something that isn’t beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/5 "2018-02-21T08:58:24Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Older folks might remember a series of albums released in 1969 and throughout the 1970’s called **Environments**. They were ambient nature sounds (gentle rain, lapping waves, crickets) that surprisingly became wildly popular. All the albums released are now in an app by [Numero Group](http://www.numerogroup.com/), a reissue record label in Chicago. They can also be bought as mp3s, but the app is much cheaper and way better. Thanks for the head-up; I had a couple of these growing up. $3 for access to ALL of them is a bargain I can’t pass up. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/6 "2018-02-23T05:10:05Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Thanks for the head-up; I had a couple of these growing up. $3 for access to ALL of them is a bargain I can’t pass up. You’re welcome. Thanks for responding (and also to rowrrbazzle and Egnu Cledge). I’ll bump this when the Android version is released. I was wondering if there were any Numero Group fans here, but I did a search and didn’t find anything. They’re very awesome. They were the ones who found this previously unreleased demo [“You and Me”](https://youtu.be/vE7ce7VuBvU) by _Penny & the Quarters_ and reissued it. It was discovered by Ryan Gosling and then used to wonderful effect in the movie **Blue Valentine** , with Gosling and Michelle Williams. It’s a great story. The song was found on a dubbed (not pre-recorded) cassette in an estate sale but no one knew who “Penny & the Quarters” were. Numero wanted to find someone involved so they could pass along the royalties earned (Numero is very conscientious about taking care of the artists). Gradually [more information was unearthed](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/16/blue-valentine-song) and they found out who the songwriter was, Jay Robinson. He was deceased though and his widow didn’t know who “Penny” was. Through a series of wild coincidences, they [finally found Penny](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/18/blue-valentine-mystery-singer-revealed), 62-year old Nannie Sharpe. The Quarters were her brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/7 "2018-02-23T05:19:47Z")
That’s a very cool story. Curiously, I recently posted a similar story in the [SDMAS thread](http://www.musicismysanctuary.com); I think you’ll enjoy the website linked at the end of the post: > [@The SDMB Music Appreciation Society](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-music-appreciation-society/679539/300): > > Okay, I gotta thank **betterlifethroughchemistry** for steering the thread away from power pop. 😃 > > I say that because my pick this time is not power pop, but this pick is gonna come with a small story and an extra link at the end of my post. > > I watch a lot of TED talks. The other day I stumbled on one about record diggers (vinyl record collectors). The guy giving the talk, Alexis Charpentier, makes a lot of good points about the immense value that these crazy nerds bring to our society by unearthing and/or preserving old records. > > He illustrated this with a specific tale about a guy in Montreal who one day found a record from 1979 that he had never heard of, on a label he had never hard of. This intrigued him, so he took it home, cleaned it up and put it on his turntable. He was instantly blown away. He did what diggers do and started researching the label and artist. The artist is a piano player from Haiti who had recorded the album in Quebec; that was a huge WTF that I could see making me want to know more too. > > Anyway, he managed to track down a guy in Belgium who knew the artist personally and from there he found the artist. The artist asked the digger to help get the record (and a subsequent recording) re-released, and thru his contacts got a label called WahWah 45 interested and they re-issued both albums. > > I’m leaving out a lot of detail, but the end result is that this artist was planning his retirement, having long ago left the music world behind, his self-released albums a failed project from his past. When they were re-released, they recieved critical acclaim and interest from the public, and he soon found himself playing concerts for the BBC, for audiences in France, Canada, the UK, Haiti, etc. > > I was equally blown away (ordered a copy immediately; got it today) and hope that y’all enjoy [Henri-Pierre Noël - Diskette](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTDUA378JyI). > > * * * > > So in a departure from our usual format, I offer a link to the TED talk: [Alexis Charpentier: How record collectors find lost music and preserve our cultural heritage](https://www.ted.com/talks/alexis_charpentier_how_record_collectors_find_lost_music_and_preserve_our_cultural_heritage#t-447901). > > And I will also offer a link to Mr. Charpentier’s site, [Music Is My Sanctuary](http://www.musicismysanctuary.com), where we can all find hundreds of hours of interesting music and information. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/8 "2018-02-24T22:20:50Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Henri-Pierre Noël - Diskette :eek: That’s fantastic! I haven’t watched the TED Talk yet but I will. I love stories like that. That YouTube link led me to this, [henri’s boogie](https://youtu.be/Y0nDhQEIdSQ), in the Related Videos. Wow. I was enthralled! I’ve always loved Ragtime and Boogie, and that guy is a real gem. I’m new to the “crate digging” world. I only recently discovered [Numero Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Numero_Group) (Wikipedia link, with discography), and they have some great releases they’ve rescued from obscurity, such as [Jackie Shane](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/searching-for-jackie-shane-rbs-lost-transgender-superstar/article35057998/) an American who had a couple of modest hits in Canada then disappeared. [“Any Other Way”](https://youtu.be/wiDVfi5dVp0) (audio only), “[Walking The Dog](https://youtu.be/yUYW2iwimBw)” (video), [“Money”](https://youtu.be/Xn6flKYmyqg) (audio only). Here’s a fun [43-second video](https://youtu.be/udym89o5jUo) showing what the Numero Jackie Shane release is like. Other “Unboxing” short videos are even more elaborate, such as the box of Husker Dü’s early works, [Savage Young Dü](https://youtu.be/KdRgfJfTOZw), or [Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound](https://youtu.be/2OnEJf80hT0), or [Bobo Yéyé: Belle Époque in Upper Volta](https://youtu.be/rD2UgDpIT-8) (which got them their 10th Grammy nomination), Ork Records: New York, New York ([LPs](https://youtu.be/422IF2TL9Yc)) and [(singles)](https://youtu.be/Ylrj398QE4g). On and on. Those booklets are insane! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/9 "2018-02-24T22:30:06Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > :eek: That’s fantastic! I haven’t watched the TED Talk yet but I will. I love stories like that. That YouTube link led me to this, [henri’s boogie](https://youtu.be/Y0nDhQEIdSQ), in the Related Videos. Wow. I was enthralled! I’ve always loved Ragtime and Boogie, and that guy is a real gem. I’m so glad you liked his work! I was really blown away by that opening staccato riff that trails into the quick two note denouement; I just was not anticipating that AT ALL. That Jackie Shane set is fantastic; I added it to my list to check out more. Thanks! And hey, as always, please consider bookmarking and participating in the [Straight Dope Music Appreciation Society](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713881) thread (also linked above). It has a great format even tho it moves slowly most of the time and there are hundreds of songs from hundreds of artists already posted there. ---
**Author:** ![Allezgatta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@Allezgatta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allezgatta)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/10 "2018-02-25T03:00:50Z")
I love the Environments series! I have a bunch of them on vinyl. My favorite is Gentle Rain in a Pine Forest, the “synthetic silence” track. The liner notes are priceless. They treat the album like a panacea for all the ills of the world. Maybe they’re right. Too bad the app isn’t available for Android or I’d snap it up. Numerous Group’s obscure soul comps are great and they get props for reissuing Unwound’s catalogue. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/11 "2018-02-25T05:39:33Z")
Sounds like a great app, but surely someone else has recorded this kind thing since then. I’d be truly surprised no one has done something equivalent to _Environments_ since the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numero-group-ambient-sounds-releases-environments-now-an-app/809170/12 "2018-02-25T07:18:32Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Sounds like a great app, but surely someone else has recorded this kind thing since then. I’d be truly surprised no one has done something equivalent to _Environments_ since the 1970s. Then go ahead and be surprised; no one has, AFAIK. The difference is in the length of the recording. Teibel’s recordings were looooooooong, not just 4 minutes looped over and over. Also, the processing he did was fantastic. I’m not sure why you’d need or want to redo what is essentially already perfect. You’re not going to invent a better spoon.