Ambient

Putting The Science Into Music

Ambient music developed from twentieth-century experiments with atmosphere, space, repetition and the relationship between sound and its surroundings. Early foundations trace back to Erik Satie's concept of "furniture music," alongside later work in minimalism, electronic composition, Musique concrète and tape-based recording.

British musician and producer Brian Eno established ambient as a recognised genre during the 1970s. His 1975 album "Discreet Music" explored slow electronic processes, while "Ambient 1: Music for Airports," released in 1978, introduced music designed to work equally as background sound and as a subject for focused listening.

Ambient compositions often place texture, tone and gradual development ahead of conventional song structures. Synthesisers, tape loops, field recordings, acoustic instruments and studio effects are frequently used to build spacious pieces with limited percussion or no fixed rhythm at all.

During the 1980s and 1990s, ambient became linked with new age music, experimental electronics, chill-out rooms and the growth of electronic dance culture. Artists including The Orb, Aphex Twin, Biosphere and The KLF brought dub, techno, sampling and environmental sound into the genre.

Ambient later branched into forms including dark ambient, ambient techno, drone, space music and isolationist ambient. Its production methods have also shaped film scores, video-game music, sound installations and electronic music made for relaxation, concentration or quiet listening.

At Scientific Sound Asia, ambient occasionally surfaces within Roots and Basement Soul.