The Very Best Ambient Music For All Occasions: A blog explaining the best ambient music and why they work.
I have been a fan of ambient music since I first heard Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports” back in 1990. Since then, I have been buying ambient albums as fast as I can. I play them while I write, while I code and while I relax.
I also make my own ambient music, you can hear some of it on Bandcamp.
I would like to share with you the very best ambient albums that I own and explain what works about them.
Every week, we give away free music tracks from new and up-and-coming artists. We only ask that you share the music with your friends and family, so they can listen as well.
I find ambient music works great while I’m studying or programming, but it can be hard to find good ambient music. Most of the time I just go with the same few artists I’ve been listening to for years (Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, etc), but occasionally it’s fun to discover something new.
If there are any new ambient musicians out there looking for some exposure, feel free to send me a link to your work!
“Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.” – Brian Eno, Oblique Strategies
This blog is dedicated to my favorite genre of music: Ambient music. Ambient music has been an important part of my life for the last 10 years and I have always had trouble explaining exactly what ambient music is to people who haven’t listened to it before. I hope this blog will serve as a guide for those unfamiliar with ambient music.
Ambient is a genre that has many forms and contains many sub-genres. That being said, the purpose of this blog is to give you my personal recommendations of the albums and songs that I think are among the best examples of ambient music.
I will update this blog fairly regularly, so if you like the content please check back often! Enjoy!
Electronic background music is a very popular form of ambient music. It tends to be fairly minimalistic and often has a futuristic sound to it.
Some of the most popular electronic background music bands are Boards Of Canada, Tycho, Ulrich Schnauss, Bonobo and Biosphere.
“Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.”
Brian Eno, “Ambient Music”
In the 70s and 80s, Brian Eno pioneered a musical genre called ambient music – a form of electronic music that is not intended to be the focus of a listener’s attention. Ambient music is designed to blend in with its environment and create an atmosphere. It has been used as background music in restaurants, art galleries, and retail stores, but also enjoyed by people who simply find it relaxing.
Over the past few years, I have become a huge fan of this unique genre. I listen to ambient music almost every day while I write software code. I find that ambient music helps me relax and focus, and I am more productive when I listen to it.
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. A form of slow instrumental music, it uses repetitive, but gentle, soothing sound patterns that can be described as sonic wallpaper to complement or alter one’s space and to generate a sense of calmness. The genre is said to evoke an “atmospheric”, “visual”, or “unobtrusive” quality.
Ambient music focuses on creating a mood or atmosphere through synthesizers and timbral qualities lacking the presence of any net composition, beat, or structured melody. According to Brian Eno, one of its pioneers, “Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.”
Nature soundscapes are included in ambient music to enhance the effectiveness of the music for relaxation purpose. While nature sounds on their own are capable of inducing relaxation effects, if combined with ambient background music the effects may be enhanced due to the entrainment effect.
Moby is best known for his electronic dance music, but he’s also a huge fan of ambient music. In fact, he has released two full-length ambient albums: 1995’s Ambient and the brand new Go: The Very Best Of Moby.
But Moby’s love of ambient goes deeper than just his own work. He also runs an excellent blog called Moby’s Playlist, which features Moby’s thoughts on the best ambient music out there.
“I get asked a lot about my favorite ambient albums,” Moby writes. “And it’s difficult to answer, because there are so many great ones.”
Moby then proceeds to list some of his favorites, including Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Brian Eno’s Music For Airports, and The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld.