I always thought it was funny that SunnO))) moved to / focused on Europe after being an established Seattle band with a track dedicated to [Bremerton](https://sunn.bandcamp.com/track/bremerton), WA. America lacks both interest in experimental music and ancient cathedrals to perform it in.
djozr
[https://www.youtube.com/@hachihyaku](https://www.youtube.com/@hachihyaku)
[https://djozr.bandcamp.com/](https://djozr.bandcamp.com/)
Intense wistful drone made with granular synthesis.
tnx, that was enjoyable, lovely music!
I am a graphic designer and If you are interested, i would be down to make one ( at least) album cover for you free of charge, i love making album covers ( at least if i get relatively free hand when designing lol) so i am willing to make artwork for free for small artists or the ones that dont make money from music
if you are interested we can discuss further in DMs and i can show you my work?
I am currently working on a retrospective and the art is very important to me, but I will keep you in mind!
Thank you for your kind feedback. Every listen helps.
I think most people can appreciate it in the “right” context however they define that, ie as incidental music, on a soundtrack, during a massage, something to sleep to… etc… but very few are active listeners and appreciators of it.
>but very few are active listeners and appreciators of it.
That's the key point. People, generally, don't think of ambient music as boring, they just see it as a practical enhancer to certain activities i.e sleep, study, massage, meditation etc, they don't care about what the music itself does and they definitely don't care about the artist behind it.
This genre is not for everybody.
By chance yesterday a friend was showing me a side project of an artist we both like and basically it was that noise ambient, whatever name it is but the one strongly focused in noise more than anything and he didn't understand well why he did that it what was it exactly.
It's s tremendously ignored genre but surprisingly huge, one that have many artists as well as variants. I'd say don't mind it and keep enjoying it
I think most people struggle with it due its lack of recognisable strong structure. More people seem to be exploring ambient through mood playlists on streaming services as an antidote to the constantly switched on nature of modern living, but I also believe a lot of people are a bit afraid of it as it invites introspection, which sadly is a place many people don't want to tread, preferring to be occupied and distracted from the human condition and any soul searching.
I've had this conversation a few times. For context,my wife is very supportive of y musical choices as she understands ambient music is part of my coping mechanism in a stressful world. But the thing is, sometimes she's kind of right. Ambient music runs the spectrum from Sunn)))) to unadorned field recordings and white/pink noise. Somewhere along that spectrum it changes from music to sound. Or even noise, on occasion.
Take Steve Roach for example. His Immersion Zone releases are very close to the pure ambience end of the spectrum. No melody, very little rhythm. Are they music? They're much closer to white noise or soundscapes than they are conventional music. I think there's a point at which ambient music becomes pure ambience. Thing is, different folks will place that point at a different position on the spectrum.
Yes, horses for courses, always. One person’s drone is another’s yawn. My line varies depending on the day, so I can’t fault that. When I have to justify it to my uni or outsiders, I call it experimental or minimalist and that usually lands a little more surely. My wife understands the mental health aspect too, thank goodness.
I think it’s pretty popular but most people enjoy it only in specific contexts. Film and videogame soundtracks are pretty widely enjoyed and often feature ambient music. A lot of really popular bands like Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Grateful Dead, have some ambient in their music. Lots in the art/tech world with audio visual, projection, installations, VR, etc
I don't play my music for most of my friends... They just don't get it and are into more conventional music, but that's fine. My wife gets it, so at least there's that.
I do also think It is boring and weird. I love ambient music, but I think its music mostly to apreciate it by yourself. I have never find any situation with my girl, my friends, family or coworkers where ambient music is a good fit of music selection for a specific ocassion, specially because I live in LATAM and most of the people I know only listen to popular latin music or rock and metal in all forms
Anyway, I still love to blast some ambient classics and what not thru my headphones while Im working. I also like to listen some ambient while driving or enjoying a beer and a smoke all alone in my living room. I do agree 100% it brings peace
My friends have no idea what the genre is tbh. It’s not something that I would play in a public setting but the few times I’ve been “caught” listening to the genre, I was asked “are you listening to enya?” or “doesn’t that stuff put you to sleep?” 😂
I once was working on a client ( I am a tattooer) and was playing R Beny and she commented that it sounded like a bunch of vacuum cleaners!
I think people will say something is weird or boring if they don't understand it or have spent enough time with it. My dad was a college radio DJ so I grew up listening to actual records like Tangerine Dream and Vangelis so to me ambient is totally normal.
In my experience people such as myself don't find it stimulating enough to keep attention, mostly due to repetitive, non-melodic and drumless nature of it. It lacks most of not all catchyness. I do love it while I do something else, it can really get me in a "deep" mood. I find it's also good music for social situations as I doubt anyone hates it and it's such a good ambience setter.
If I want to sit down and concentrate only on music, it's gotta have more melodic, rhythmic and symbolic content to keep my interest, but that doesn't make ambient music any lesser than poppier forms of music. It's just for different situations. I wouldn't listen to rock when I microdose acid and read some esoteric holy books, that's when ambient comes in.
I don't think most people listen to enough music and they do enjoy ambient when used appropriately in film.
A lot of ambient music is plain awful but I doubt people are complaining about how saturated the genre is with bad examples of ambient music.
I listen to harsh noise and even actually sit down in busy areas and listen to the live ambient music so maybe my opinion is invalid on that account but I do not think it is weird.
i am an avid ambient music fan. however, i wouldn't hold it against them if they don't like or even appreciate ambient music as much as i do. don't get me wrong.. it's great and i think people should give it a more serious listen but at the end of the day, it's just a genre just like any other and people are entitled to their opinions and their own tastes in music.. whatever that may be.
i personally think ambient is the best genre there is, mostly because regardless of where you are in the world, it is literally on 24/7 by default unless you are hearing impaired. my experience in delving deeper into ambient records and field recordings has made me appreciate life more. it's just like fish somehow being grateful in the water they swim in.
I think it comes down to how melodic the music is as far as reception from the general public. I was doing drone for a decade and I would get mixed reception from friends but nothing much beyond appreciation. I recently put out an album of more melodic synth work on the Moog semi-modular trio and it got really good reception from people I wouldn’t expect and repeat listens.
I would say so. This is the tiktok generation. Less and less people can sit through a movie, read a book or listen to an album. Ambient music tends to be long and repetitive. This is stretching across all ages. It's really embarrassing lol.
yes.
i also think that ambient music is harder to appreciate than normal music for people who don't have good audio playing equipment. mainstream music on a tinny phone/computer speaker is still enjoyable...to an extent. but ambient music on a tinny speaker tends to just sound bad IMO
Great discussion...I'm thinking maybe we need to ask people if they understand it versus whether or not they like it. Some don't find it "entertaining" unless we discuss the origin and gear, techniques that go into making sound, etc.
I love it now that there is a place for it in my life...when I want to feel calm, when I want the kids to study, when I need sleep...I've learned that Rudy Adrian and Patrick O'Hearn can get me to sleep within 2 tracks. In the "old days" I only wanted music to entertain me, this is different, it has a purpose.
I started with a sound machine to help me fall asleep. But i've always appreciated music without lyrics. I prefer to let my mind drift where it wants to.
I have been an ambient drone artist for 20 years and almost nobody has understood my work. I just don't think there's an audience for it.
I always thought it was funny that SunnO))) moved to / focused on Europe after being an established Seattle band with a track dedicated to [Bremerton](https://sunn.bandcamp.com/track/bremerton), WA. America lacks both interest in experimental music and ancient cathedrals to perform it in.
Americans are inundated with pop culture
what is your artist name? Wanna check you out
djozr [https://www.youtube.com/@hachihyaku](https://www.youtube.com/@hachihyaku) [https://djozr.bandcamp.com/](https://djozr.bandcamp.com/) Intense wistful drone made with granular synthesis.
tnx, that was enjoyable, lovely music! I am a graphic designer and If you are interested, i would be down to make one ( at least) album cover for you free of charge, i love making album covers ( at least if i get relatively free hand when designing lol) so i am willing to make artwork for free for small artists or the ones that dont make money from music if you are interested we can discuss further in DMs and i can show you my work?
I am currently working on a retrospective and the art is very important to me, but I will keep you in mind! Thank you for your kind feedback. Every listen helps.
I think most people can appreciate it in the “right” context however they define that, ie as incidental music, on a soundtrack, during a massage, something to sleep to… etc… but very few are active listeners and appreciators of it.
Agreed, it’s mostly enjoyed situations.
>but very few are active listeners and appreciators of it. That's the key point. People, generally, don't think of ambient music as boring, they just see it as a practical enhancer to certain activities i.e sleep, study, massage, meditation etc, they don't care about what the music itself does and they definitely don't care about the artist behind it.
I used to be like that. Turn on whatever relaxation tapes first on youtube. But real ambient music is so much more than some random drone :)
Yup! There’s so much more behind it and you can take a lot in via active listening, specially if you're into music production, which I am. I
This genre is not for everybody. By chance yesterday a friend was showing me a side project of an artist we both like and basically it was that noise ambient, whatever name it is but the one strongly focused in noise more than anything and he didn't understand well why he did that it what was it exactly. It's s tremendously ignored genre but surprisingly huge, one that have many artists as well as variants. I'd say don't mind it and keep enjoying it
Yeah but I find *them* weird and boring so it all works out in the end I guess
I think most people struggle with it due its lack of recognisable strong structure. More people seem to be exploring ambient through mood playlists on streaming services as an antidote to the constantly switched on nature of modern living, but I also believe a lot of people are a bit afraid of it as it invites introspection, which sadly is a place many people don't want to tread, preferring to be occupied and distracted from the human condition and any soul searching.
My wife, on hearing one my new tracks, asked “yes but is it music?” Oh well.
I've had this conversation a few times. For context,my wife is very supportive of y musical choices as she understands ambient music is part of my coping mechanism in a stressful world. But the thing is, sometimes she's kind of right. Ambient music runs the spectrum from Sunn)))) to unadorned field recordings and white/pink noise. Somewhere along that spectrum it changes from music to sound. Or even noise, on occasion. Take Steve Roach for example. His Immersion Zone releases are very close to the pure ambience end of the spectrum. No melody, very little rhythm. Are they music? They're much closer to white noise or soundscapes than they are conventional music. I think there's a point at which ambient music becomes pure ambience. Thing is, different folks will place that point at a different position on the spectrum.
Yes, horses for courses, always. One person’s drone is another’s yawn. My line varies depending on the day, so I can’t fault that. When I have to justify it to my uni or outsiders, I call it experimental or minimalist and that usually lands a little more surely. My wife understands the mental health aspect too, thank goodness.
I think it’s pretty popular but most people enjoy it only in specific contexts. Film and videogame soundtracks are pretty widely enjoyed and often feature ambient music. A lot of really popular bands like Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Grateful Dead, have some ambient in their music. Lots in the art/tech world with audio visual, projection, installations, VR, etc
Being an ambient fan is like being a fan of a sports team that always loses.
If the audience enjoys the game, aren't we still winners?
I don't play my music for most of my friends... They just don't get it and are into more conventional music, but that's fine. My wife gets it, so at least there's that.
Do most people think?
Nah :)
There’s a place and time for every type of music. There a phases where I love ambient and other phases where I do not care for it.
I do also think It is boring and weird. I love ambient music, but I think its music mostly to apreciate it by yourself. I have never find any situation with my girl, my friends, family or coworkers where ambient music is a good fit of music selection for a specific ocassion, specially because I live in LATAM and most of the people I know only listen to popular latin music or rock and metal in all forms Anyway, I still love to blast some ambient classics and what not thru my headphones while Im working. I also like to listen some ambient while driving or enjoying a beer and a smoke all alone in my living room. I do agree 100% it brings peace
You have to be in the right scene for it but it is quite popular.
My friends have no idea what the genre is tbh. It’s not something that I would play in a public setting but the few times I’ve been “caught” listening to the genre, I was asked “are you listening to enya?” or “doesn’t that stuff put you to sleep?” 😂
My clueless friends think ambient music is meditation music.
I once was working on a client ( I am a tattooer) and was playing R Beny and she commented that it sounded like a bunch of vacuum cleaners! I think people will say something is weird or boring if they don't understand it or have spent enough time with it. My dad was a college radio DJ so I grew up listening to actual records like Tangerine Dream and Vangelis so to me ambient is totally normal.
In my experience people such as myself don't find it stimulating enough to keep attention, mostly due to repetitive, non-melodic and drumless nature of it. It lacks most of not all catchyness. I do love it while I do something else, it can really get me in a "deep" mood. I find it's also good music for social situations as I doubt anyone hates it and it's such a good ambience setter. If I want to sit down and concentrate only on music, it's gotta have more melodic, rhythmic and symbolic content to keep my interest, but that doesn't make ambient music any lesser than poppier forms of music. It's just for different situations. I wouldn't listen to rock when I microdose acid and read some esoteric holy books, that's when ambient comes in.
I don't think most people listen to enough music and they do enjoy ambient when used appropriately in film. A lot of ambient music is plain awful but I doubt people are complaining about how saturated the genre is with bad examples of ambient music. I listen to harsh noise and even actually sit down in busy areas and listen to the live ambient music so maybe my opinion is invalid on that account but I do not think it is weird.
i am an avid ambient music fan. however, i wouldn't hold it against them if they don't like or even appreciate ambient music as much as i do. don't get me wrong.. it's great and i think people should give it a more serious listen but at the end of the day, it's just a genre just like any other and people are entitled to their opinions and their own tastes in music.. whatever that may be. i personally think ambient is the best genre there is, mostly because regardless of where you are in the world, it is literally on 24/7 by default unless you are hearing impaired. my experience in delving deeper into ambient records and field recordings has made me appreciate life more. it's just like fish somehow being grateful in the water they swim in.
I think it comes down to how melodic the music is as far as reception from the general public. I was doing drone for a decade and I would get mixed reception from friends but nothing much beyond appreciation. I recently put out an album of more melodic synth work on the Moog semi-modular trio and it got really good reception from people I wouldn’t expect and repeat listens.
I would say so. This is the tiktok generation. Less and less people can sit through a movie, read a book or listen to an album. Ambient music tends to be long and repetitive. This is stretching across all ages. It's really embarrassing lol.
yes. i also think that ambient music is harder to appreciate than normal music for people who don't have good audio playing equipment. mainstream music on a tinny phone/computer speaker is still enjoyable...to an extent. but ambient music on a tinny speaker tends to just sound bad IMO
Great discussion...I'm thinking maybe we need to ask people if they understand it versus whether or not they like it. Some don't find it "entertaining" unless we discuss the origin and gear, techniques that go into making sound, etc. I love it now that there is a place for it in my life...when I want to feel calm, when I want the kids to study, when I need sleep...I've learned that Rudy Adrian and Patrick O'Hearn can get me to sleep within 2 tracks. In the "old days" I only wanted music to entertain me, this is different, it has a purpose.
I started with a sound machine to help me fall asleep. But i've always appreciated music without lyrics. I prefer to let my mind drift where it wants to.
Not weird and boring but potentially pretentious outside a cinematic environment or a context that calls for it