Ambient
Calm, quiet electronic music made to change the mood of a room rather than to be the focus.
History
Ambient music was named and developed by the British musician Brian Eno in the middle of the 1970s s1. Eno's album 'Ambient 1: Music for Airports' (1978) opened with the track '1/1', a slow piece of piano and tape loops s1. Eno described ambient music as music that can be listened to closely or ignored, and that makes a space feel different s1. He made a second ambient album with the pianist Harold Budd, 'The Plateaux of Mirror' (1980) s1. In the late 1980s, The Orb mixed ambient with dance beats and samples s2. Ambient went on to shape ambient techno, ambient house and much later styles such as drone music s1. It is still used in art galleries, films, games and for quiet listening s2. Some of the records were made for specific places, such as airports, galleries and hospitals s1. The style is often played quietly as background music s2.
Sound
- Very slow or no rhythm
- Long, soft synthesizer or piano sounds
- Tape loops and echoing textures
- Quiet, spacious production
- A calm, reflective mood
Key figures
- Brian Eno — Musician who named and shaped ambient music
- Harold Budd — Pianist and Eno's collaborator
- The Orb — British group that mixed ambient with dance music
- Aphex Twin — Producer who made ambient electronic music
Labels
- EG Records — London , 1973
- Big Life Records — London , 1987
- Warp Records — Sheffield , 1989
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Early Electronic , Krautrock
Led to: Atmospheric Drum and Bass , Minimal Drum and Bass , Balearic , Lo-Fi House , Microhouse , Ambient Techno , Dub Techno
Sources
- Ambient music — Wikipedia
- Brian Eno profile — The Long Now Foundation