Dark ambient

Using natural noises and sounds

The most commonly used industrial noises (the sounds of the work of machines, workshops, the sound of metal, etc.), natural noises (the sounds of the forest, water, animals and birds). Some projects use sound-converted radars , space probes and military facilities.

Compositions in dark ambient are rarely built according to classical laws , their structure responds only to the intentions of the author.

Psychoacoustic Techniques

Many dark ambient-style projects try to evoke certain emotions in the listener not only at the level of conscious perception, but also at the subconscious level, which is achieved by adding low-frequency sounds and resonances to the sound of the compositions (for example, Kunst Grand, Raznolik).

Ideology

Being the heir to the experiments of industrial , dark ambient still rarely ideological in the public concept - it does not affect the political and social aspects - but the projects of this genre are often not alien to the religious, moral and mystical aspects of life, which are reflected in the works. Separately from other sub-styles, we should consider Ritual Ambient and Black Ambient projects that operate with occult ideas, paganism and Satanism .

Monotony

Dark ambient is characterized by minimalistic, devoid of pronounced details and emotional bursts of sound with occasional sharp increases in volume or the use of various knocks, slamming doors or the sound of objects falling to exert tension. Monotony and obsession give the sound a hypnotic effect.

Sources

The dark ambient evolution is partly related to some of Brian Eno’s early works in collaboration with other musicians, such as the composition “An Index of Metals” from the album Evening Star (with Robert Fripp , 1975), which includes a coarse guitar feedback , or ambient compositions on David Bowie Low's albums (1977) and Heroes (1977), as well as the album Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics ”(with Jon Hassell , 1980), and especially the fourth Eno ambient album“ Ambient 4: On Land ”(1982) ^{[2] The} double zeit album (1972) of the Tangerine Dream band became an important forerunner of the genre, which, unlike most of the subsequent albums of the group, demonstrates the rejection of the concepts of rhythm and melody in favor of a gloomy atmosphere.

Ambient Industrial

Ambient industrial, later to be called dark ambient, is one of several areas of post-industrial music (after the collapse of the band Throbbing Gristle in 1981). ^[3] The latest studio material recorded by the Throbbing Gristle group (namely, the Journey Through a Body and In the Shadow of the Sun albums) is ambient-industrial, he pointed out the general direction in which followers will move ^{[ 4]} . The ambient industrial groups Lustmord ^{[3] [5]} , Coil ^[3] , Nocturnal Emissions ^[3] , Zoviet France ^[3] and Lilith appeared during the 1980s and were the first to create dark ambient compositions. These artists use elements of industrial music, such as noise or shock tactics, but in a more subtle form. ^[3] On the other hand, representatives of noise and japanoyza are approaching ambient, this is the so-called noise-ambient . In addition, ambient industrial has strong occult tendencies. ^[3] Sometimes even sub-genres ritual ambient are distinguished.

Development in the 1990s

There are new directions in the framework of dark ambient: isolaushenism , drone, black ambient. The influential figures of the dark ambient of the 1990s include Endura , Autopsia , Vidna Obmana , Lull , Muslimgauze , Raison d'être , Hwyl Nofio . At the same time, dark ambient has swung in the direction of classical music. Examples include the projects Aghiatrias and TakeMeToTheMorgue .

2000s

In the new millennium, the drone becomes popular, many high-performing performers from the USA appear: Celer , Tarentel, Double Leopards, Zelienople, and also from other countries: Timothy D. Hecker, Jannick Schou (Cylon), Fabio Orsi, Mathias Josefson. Many drone performers appear in Russia: Frozen Star, MoozE, Bardoseneticcube, Old Moss , Lunar Abyss Deus Organum, Neznamo, Closing the Eternity, Cisfinitum, Exit in Gray, Kshatriy & etc.

Drone Ambient

The drone ambient arose at the end of the 20th century as a result of ambient borrowing of drone elements ^[6] . For works in this style are characterized by monotonous low-frequency buzz, raznoritmovye vibrations and resonances, harmonic abstractions, as well as often used recording tools, reversed backwards, which creates a total solid sound landscape. Initially, the sources of sound were electric guitars ( dron-metal ), later natural (sounds of wind, water) and synthesized sounds, processed in accordance with the canons of the genre, were added to them.

Aisoleisenst Ambient

Aisoleistenist Ambient ( English isolationist ambient ) can be distinguished from other forms of ambient by using repetition, dissonance, microchromatics and unresolved harmonies to create a feeling of anxiety and unresolved desolation. ^[7] The term was popularized in the mid-1990s by the British magazine The Wire and compilation of Ambient 4: Isolationism from Virgin Records , and at first it was synonymous with industrial-ambient, but also included certain post-metal performers ( Final , Lull , Main ) And post-techno ( Autechre and Aphex Twin ). Sometimes performers working in other styles create an “isolationist” sound, such as Labradford , Seefeel , Kyle Bobby Dunn , Techno Animal , Voice of Eye , KK Null, and others. ^[eight]

Black Ambient

The term “black ambient” (eng. Black Ambient - “black ambient”) sometimes denotes a style in which dark ambient becomes truly frightening and nightmarish; This approach has become the most popular among black metalworkers, therefore, black metal elements are also used directly (distortion, screaming). Style includes such projects as Abruptum, Moevot, Aäkon Këëtrëh, Amaka Hahina, Aghast, Darkness Enshroud, Diagnose: Lebensgefahr ^[9] , etc. Do not confuse black ambient and dannt synth.

Dungeon Sint

Dungeon Synth ^{[10] [11]} is a genre of low-fi synth music, which originated in the early 90s among black metalworkers . The name “Dark Dungeon Music” was used by one of the founders of the movement, Mortiis. Later music blogger Andrew linked him with Synth music of the 70s, so the Dungeon Synth tag appeared, adopted by modern musicians of the style, including in Russia .

Many Dungeon Synth compositions also met on metal albums as interludes. By the minimal means of the synthesizer, they introduce the atmospheric component and serve as an introduction to the next metal composition.

• Vladimir Bogdanov. The Electronic Guide to Electronic Music. - Backbeat Books, 2001. - 688 p. - ISBN 9780879306281 .
• Kevin J. Donnelly. The Specter of Sound: Music in Film and Television. - BFI, 2005. - 192 p. - ISBN 9781844570256 .
• John Shepherd. Continental Encyclopedia of Music of the World: Performance and production. - Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003. - 712 p. - ISBN 9780826463227 .

• Dark Ambient - concept, history, diversity (rus.)
• Dark Ambient Encyclopedia (Russian)
• A film about making Ambient music from surrounding sounds (rus.)