by Jim BrenholtsHarold Budd is the minimalist's minimalist. He was composing and creating ambient when the term was still new as related to music. He recorded Agua at the Lanzarote Music Festival in 1989. It is a set full of deep acoustic elegance with electronic hues and colors. It is also deep electronic elegance with acoustic hues and colors. That indicates that Budd is equally at home in both realms of the ambient music community. This set also strikes home as smooth and melodic neo-classical music. Budd's sound design incorporates the sophistication of the digital domain and the simplicity of symphonic synths and melodies. This is a classic CD. Budd is in the elite class of modern musicians. As such, his CDs bear comparison to those of Brian Eno, Robert Rich, Steve Roach, and Jon Hassell.