【コラム】アンビエント音楽とは何か：聴く音ではなく“存在する音”の哲学

Column en 70s 80s 90s Ambient

16 Jul 2025

From “music to listen to” to “music to feel”

Text: mmr｜Theme: Ambient, environmental music, electronic music culture theory

Ambient is a genre of music that is not intended to be “actively listened to” by listeners, but rather to “exist in a space.”He eliminates clear melodies and rhythms and instead uses sustained sounds (drones), environmental sounds (field recordings), and acoustic processing to construct auditory landscapes.

This genre is extremely philosophical music that stands on the border between music and art, sound and space, perception and consciousness.

From the words of Brian Eno

It was British musician Brian Eno who defined the term ambient as a musical genre.In 1978, he wrote the following in his masterpiece [Ambient 1: Music for Airports] (https://amzn.to/48shEpU):

“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.” ``Ambient music must not force itself to be heard, but at the same time allow itself to be ignored.’’

In other words, ambient music is not background music, but it functions like background music.It is “spatial art” that flows in the background of consciousness.

Genealogy and origins of ambient

● Prehistory: The germ of environmental music

Eric Satie: Composer of the end of the 19th century.Presenting the concept of “Musique d’ameublement” (furniture music), music that functions like furniture.

John Cage: Proposes the avant-garde idea that “the environment itself is music” with silent music “4’33”.

● 1970s: Establishment of ambient

Brian Eno: First use of the word ambient explicitly.

Representative works:

● 1980s-1990s: Fusion with electronic music

Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream: Fusion with German electronics.

The Orb, Aphex Twin: Reconstructing ambient from a techno to IDM perspective.

The rise of Ambient House/Ambient Techno.

● Since 2000: Penetration beyond genres

Expanding into video works, contemporary art, yoga, meditation, game music, and VR space.

Spotify’s “chill” and “lo-fi” playlists are also affected.

Architecture of sound without contours

element	Contents
Melody	Minimal.Often has a drone-like, floating feel.
Rhythm	Basically absent.Even if it is, it is minimal and hard to notice.
Acoustic processing	Reverb, delay, loop, filter, etc.Spatialization of sound.
Structure	There is no clear beginning, development, development, conclusion, and the timeline is ambiguous.
Sound source	Synths, field recordings, instrument sampling, noise, etc.
Listening attitude	Both active concentration and passive absorption are allowed.

Main subgenres and their characteristics

● Dark Ambient

A disturbing drone, industrial texture.

Artist: Lustmord, Raison d’être

● Ambient Techno

Fusing techno rhythm with ambient spatial processing.

Artist: The Orb, Global Communication, Biosphere

●Ambient Drone

Deep immersion through sound fluctuations and minute changes.

Artist: Stars of the Lid, William Basinski, Eliane Radigue

●Ambient Industrial

Musicizes factory sounds and machine noises.

Artist: Nurse With Wound, Coil

●New Age/Chillout

Ambient music for relaxation and meditation.

Enya, Steve Roach, Laraaji, etc.

Ambient is spatial art

Ambient music is not just background music, it is also deeply connected to the following ideas and artistic concepts.

● Minimalism and Time Art

Ambient music emphasizes “stillness,” “blank space,” and “sustainability.”

Affinity with architecture and contemporary art (Mark Rothko, Donald Judd).

● Cyberpunk and the city of the future

A sound that blends into the inorganic space of a futuristic city.

Soundscapes from movies such as “Blade Runner” (https://amzn.to/4gzcASG) and “Ghost in the Shell” (https://amzn.to/4gy1ZaG).

● Return to nature and meditation culture

Using field recordings and natural sounds, he aims to fuse man-made and natural.

Strongly connected to modern mental health/meditation/slow tech.

The role of ambient in modern times

Game music: Used in Silent Hill, Journey, No Man’s Sky, etc.

ASMR/Meditation/Stress Relief: Also used in the mental health and wellness industries.

Fusion with NFT art and generative music is also underway.

Ambient is the intersection of “music” and “space”

Ambient is music that is not at the center of the music, but at the periphery.It is an art that deals not with melody or rhythm, but with the transformation of atmosphere, time, sensation, and consciousness.

It is a sound that transcends the framework of music and enters the silence amidst the noise of the city and the gaps between memories.Rather than hearing it with your ears, it’s a sound that you can feel in a space.

List

Artist/Title	era	Format	Genre/Features
Dreamlogicc – Podval EP	2012	Limited Vinyl	Ambient Techno, dope soundscape
Spacetime Continuum - Emit Ecaps	1996	2LP Vinyl	90s ambient masterpiece with IDM/techno leaning
Sanjiva - Secret Rooms…	1996	12″	Trance ambient
Dub Tractor - Scary H H Loop…	1997	12”	Experimental trip hop/ambient
Calm - People From…	2023	Vinyl EP	Chillout Balearic
David Donohoe - Nature Morte!	2004	Vinyl	Minimal Ambient
Mr. Blank - On The Ground	1994	2LP Vinyl	Fusion sound of ambient x dub x jazz etc.
Deep Forest - Deep Forest	1992	CD	World Ambient/Downtempo