Guide to ambient music

Post Reply New Topic

Hello, I would like to give a guide to help people new to the genre navigate ambient music and its various styles. I will try to do this in chronological order and give artists for different styles/eras to help people leap right into them.

So first off, ambient music definitely existed before it was called ambient music. First off there was La Monte Young's droning minimalism which was definitely a precursor. The whole NYC minimalism scene was instrumental in helping ambient become a thing. (La Monte Young, Phillip Glass, Tony Conrad)

Then there was the 70s krautrock in Germany; wildly experimental stuff. Specifically, the Berlin school of electronic music came from this. Inspired by both Stockhausen and NY minimalism, groups like Tangerine Dream and Cluster began making music that was undeniably ambient. In fact, Cluster and Tangerine Dream's early works could have even been called Dark Ambient especially Zeit by TD and Cluster 71. Krautrock (Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Gottsching) was essential to ambient becoming a thing because it directly inspired Brian Eno to go in that direction.

Eno liked Cluster so much that he worked with them on the album Cluster and Eno. Additionally he made his Ambient series and did collaborations with Robert Fripp of King Crimson. This was classic stuff.

Then came industrial ambient aka Dark Ambient. It definitely took notes from early Cluster. Key artists were Lustmord, Sephiroth, Beyond Sensory Experience, and Atrium Carceri. The first big label was Cold Meat Industry. After it shut down, Simon Heath of Atrium Carceri created Cryo Chamber records which I'd say is my personal favorite place to go for Dark Ambient. (Ugasanie, Dronny Darko, In Quantum)

Another key development in the 90s for ambient was ambient techno such as Aphex Twin's SAW, Biosphere's early work, The Orb, Gas, and KFL's Chill Out. Two other key artists were Autechre and Boards Of Canada. Those two along with Aphex Twin helped kickstart experimental electronic music by mixing ambient, glitch, house, dnb, hip hop, and more with ambient in many combinations. The ripples of this genre continues to this day in artists like Balam Acab, Flying Lotus, Squarepusher, Shlomo, Clams Casino, Oneohtrix Point Never, and many more. It's a huge umbrella sometimes called downtempo, IDM, and trip hop. Much of this has ambient elements to it.

Another newer form of ambient worth mentioning is Vaporwave Ambient. Artists like T E L E P A T H, 2814, and more make up this nostalgic often Cyberpunk influenced ambient scene. Definitely check out 2814s Birth Of A New Day.

I mentioned Biosphere earlier, and I consider him significant to a style of ambient I personally enjoy the most. Biosphere grew up in the arctic circle and his album Substratta had very cold, glacial elements to its soundscape. I believe the Arctic compliments ambient very much. It's empty, sometimes ominous, but beautiful. Artists like Northaunt, Thomas Köner, Ugasanie, Sleep Research Facility, Llyn Y Cwn, Tim Hecker, and more comprise this very desolate yet beautiful subgenre of ambient.

Now that I've listed some styles and examples it's up to you to dive in. Don't just use my guide use many. You'll find ambient is as vast as its soundscapes.
In fact, it's such a unique genre that I've been kind of obsessed with it. So many styles and moods in it for many occasions. Enjoy!

I've touched on some of that stuff, actually find myself enjoying Vangelis when I check in on his work.

Also for the 2010's era I'd say don't forget ASC (James Clements) - guy's a master of deep/intense soundscapes, does sound scoring for movies these days I believe.