From: REEKES@applelink.apple.com (Jim Reekes)
Newsgroups: alt.music.progressive
Subject: Re: Ambient music info needed for FAQ
Date: 16 Sep 92 00:04:29 GMT
Followup-To: alt.music.progressive
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.

In article <9209150251.AA22372@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
mjbrown@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Mike J. Brown) wrote:
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> I am nearly finished writing an 'Ambient Music FAQ' for the
> alt.rave and rec.music.industrial newsgroups.  It is designed
> mostly to be an informative document for fans of ambient house,
> ambient techno, and ambient industrial music.  In it I have tried
> to include all the info about The Orb and The KLF and their
> related projects, a slough of recommendations from people on the
> net --recommendations of other ambient music people who like The
> Orb would be into--, definitions, histories, and pointers to other
> information sources.  Unfortunately, I have very little information
> on the history of ambient music prior to the acid-house/techno/rave
> movement, save for fleeting references to Eno, Hillage, and
> Tangerine Dream.  If anybody out there has information on 70s
> 'Euro Rock', 'New Age', 'Ambient Progressive', or whatever it is
> called, I'd appreciate contributions.  Anything is fine.  I
> can email you copies of the nearly-finished first draft of the FAQ.
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> 
> Mike Brown
> mjbrown@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
> "The Universe is a spheroid region 705 meters in diameter."

How sad.  You seem to be following the wrong roots of the family tree.  I
don't think 
you should call this the "Ambient Music FAQ" since such house music isn't
what I would 
call ambient music.  It's much more "house" than it is "ambient."  The Orb
is a good 
band, and I rather like them.  BUT, I would not necessarily recommend
ambient music to 
someone that said they like The Orb.  You need to differentiate between
"Ambient" and 
the new term "Ambient House".

The first time I can remember hearing the word ambient to describe music
was from 
Brian Eno (a trend setter for many pop music fields).  His album "Ambient
I: Music For 
Airports" dates back to 1978.  I think "Discrete Music" was even earlier. 
You should 
read the back cover of the Discrete Music album, and the liner notes for
his Ambient 
series.  I also have reference material from a couple of books about Eno if
you need 
more.

You should reference the Editions EG label (started by Eno) which was
producing many 
ambient recordings.  Such artists on his label were Mike Nyman and Gavin
Bryars. These 
dated back to at least 1974.  I would not consider anything that Tangerine
Dream nor 
Steve Hillage has done to be ambient.  Ambient music includes an element of
chance or 
randomness.  For example Eno used many tape loops in his music which he
considered 
ambient music.

Eno also has a very distinct production style, which Daniel Lanois has
successfully 
integrated into his own style.  Groups such as The Orb have incorporated
this style of 
sound into their music, but not the aspect of randomness that is truly
contained into 
the definition of ambient.  At first hearing, you might want to classify
the sound as 
being similar to Eno's ambient music because of this sonic quality to the
production, 
but it does not contain true ambient aspects such as treatments, signal
processing, 
tapes loops, etc..

Ambient House is not ambient music.  Bach and Beethoven did not write
Classical music. 
Mozart was Classical, Back is Baroque, and Beethoven was Romantic.

I'm a long time Eno fan and listener.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Reekes, Polterzeitgeist  |     Macintosh Toolbox Engineering
                             |          Sound Manager Expert
Apple Computer, Inc.         | RAll opinions expressed are mine, and do
20525 Mariani Ave. MS: 81-KS |   not necessarily represent those of my
Cupertino, CA 95014          |       employer, Apple Computer Inc.S