This is why I made the topic because I'm not sure if you really can pinpoint what ambient music is.

I think Ambient is whatever you personally feel comfortable with and what sets your mind at ease or makes your current situation relaxing. I personally think Pink floyd Animals is Ambient-but probably only to me. When Ambient is discussed or examples given then it tends to be repetitive rhythms played on as few instruments as possible with few peaks and troughs. It is all subjective though.

i wouldn't call aphex twin ambient, he's released some great ambient records but he's not specifically an ambient 'artist' if you will.

like any other style of music you can't just build up a quick checklist and say 'yup, yup, nope, yup' and call something a style. the easiest way i can define ambient music is a very slow paced electronic music with a focus on the maximum amount of sounds produced from the least amount of notes.

This is the song that really prompted me to ask what ambient music is. This guy is notorious for dubstep, but this song I felt might be ambient.



Anyone know why the video isnt working?

Fixed. You only have to include the code after the = sign in utube tags. The rest is'nt needed.

I personally don't find that Ambient. The bass is too intusive. I'm sure you have checked out Burial? Who are indeed Ambient and have a Dubstep tag.

i wouldn't call that skream track ambient either.

do all dubstep types sample the same 6 songs? this is like the 4th version i hear of this track.

either way, it's too busy to call it ambient in my book. there's also too much dynamic distinction between the samples to draw attention away from the minimalism that provides another cornerstone to ambient music.

this is what i'd call a prime example of ambient music

This is an interesting site dedicated to Ambient.

AmbientMusicGuide.com - A Guide To Essential Ambient & Downtempo Albums

I have to enjoyed reading it but have the odd disagreement. My fav Dead Can Dance are IMO not ambient but be that as it may as Jackhammer suggested it is sometimes in the ear of the listener.

great link....

but i must add that ambient music is extremely hard to define..i posed this question to a friend of mine and the two things that came up the most was taht it should contain relaxing elemants and it must be clean i.e not alot must be happening..
now thats where the confusion occurs where different people have different views on what the relaxing elements are..i personally like to hear a wicked guita solo(with tones of flanger)ontop of only a slow acoustic riff...gets me all relaxed...but thats just me...

i'd have to assume the dead can dance entry leans more towards the downtempo aspect of the site. same as the way they list 'air' which is a great band, good and mellow, but not ambient.

actually the mention of air, dead can dance, and pink floyd in this thread makes me wonder if one of the main points of contention into what is or what is not ambient revolves around an individual's taste in regards of what they like to listen to when they want to relax.

i'd go so far as to say that 'relaxation of the listener' is another fundamental aspect of ambient music.

Agree mr dave. In a "pure" sense Ambient to me is the classical style pioneered by Eno, as an example, but when the term is used generically in even Noise rock I understand the reasoning.

Have you ever listened to Dark Ambient? I was given a file last year by a group called Inade. I was rather impressed. if you have recommendation's along that line I would be more than interested.