Ambient

Ambient is an electronic music subgenre focussing rather on atmosphere than musical structure or rhythm. Though sometimes there are melodic elements, ambient music mainly utilizes soundscapes and layers of acoustic or synthesized sounds, drones, textures and even natural recordings to create a calm and contemplative atmosphere which can be listened to both passively or actively.

The origins of ambient music can be traced back to 1917 when French composer Erik Satie labeled some compositions of his as furniture music (»musique d’ameublement«). Compositions which were meant to be unobtrusive, not grabbing the focus or attention of the listener but rather melt into the noises of the environment and maybe also covering street noises e.g. at a dinner. Other predecessors include Pierre Schaeffer’s musique concrète featuring tape loops of recorded and manipulated natural sounds and the minimal music of John Cage during the middle of the 20th century.

Following experimental and synthesizer-based music of the 1970s it was self-described »non-musician« Brian Eno of Roxy Music fame who can be credited as the founder of the ambient music genre – as he was giving it its name through his 1978 record »Ambient 1: Music for Airports«. Other than so-called »muzak«, elevator music or easy listening he intended to create a background which is not stimulating in a carefree manner but rather calming, soothing and leaving space for thought. It should be at the same time ignorable or interesting, just as the listener prefers/ decides it to be.