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What makes ambient electronica “work?”

Apr 23, ’11 11:23 PM

I was driving this afternoon listening to the Rain In The Park mix of Mr.Cloudy and asked myself – “What makes this (piece) work?”

After all, ambient electronica can, depending upon the artist, seem random and somewhat repetitive, and admittedly it’s not for everyone.  But if this music makes me happy, there must be something here worth understanding.

If you’ve taken any type of music theory class, you’ll learn that music patterns developed hundreds of years ago can be heard in virtually all types of music today.  A basic example is the use of a repeating chorus – nearly every song on the radio today uses this pattern.  This isn’t true with ambient electronica, but yet it still “works.”

A useful comparison is modern art – i.e. art that isn’t a visual replica of a particular scene or person.

When I was younger I thought modern art was just a random collection of brush strokes and didn’t require a tremendous amount of skill.  I would sometimes go as far to claim “Even I could do that!”  And, of course, some modern art is made out to be more than it really is.  But at its core, this art style encompasses solid design principles and embodies true creativity.  While randomness is an aspect of creativity, they are not one and the same.

So, is ambient electronica random?  For the listener to truly appreciate a piece of music, true randomness doesn’t work; there has to be a true sense of progression and structure for the piece to resonate with the listener.

To elaborate, I believe music embodies three main characteristics: joy, comfort and a sense of forward movement; joy being a natural byproduct of the latter two principles.  So, what is it about these latter two principles that is so important?  And how do these relate to ambient electronica?

One could argue that comfort is synonymous with predictability.  For example, I’m comfortable in my residence because I know that it’s structurally sound, the water and HVAC systems are working properly, and I have electricity to make everything else happen.  My comfort is closely linked to a (safe?) assumption that these core facets of my residence are going to remain intact for the foreseeable future.

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Happiness Accelerator.

Dec 1, ’10 9:02 PM

Having sold my iPad and after visiting the local Staples store for several weeks, I decided to purchase the latest Kindle.  I sold my iPad primarily because the manner by which I was using it wasn’t too far removed from what my desktop or laptop could essentially do.  Which isn’t to say that either are “touch-enabled” – rather the type of work I do doesn’t require this form of technology (at least right now).

I decided to purchase the Kindle because I read a lot and I don’t feel there is a need to physically take up more room with books that I may never look at again (the vast majority of my books aren’t opened again after reading).

After using the Kindle for just a few weeks, what really surprised me was how much faster I am reading.  Amazon’s goal of enabling an “immersive” experience – in my opinion – has been fully realized.  I originally thought the device would distract me, but the combination of the paper-like screen (“electronic paper“) and unobtrusive controls significantly streamline my ability to take in new content at an accelerated pace.

There are a couple of metaphors I can use to describe this immersive experience and the efficiencies gained through this technology.  The first is what I call “traffic flow.”  The concept basically involves the speed at which one will drive depending upon the conditions beyond the actual roadway.

Taking traffic and road conditions / markings out of the equation, one will tend to drive faster on a road that is void of signs, buildings and other “distractions.”  In contrast, when that same driver enters a town or area where there is an abundance of these “distractions” (natural or manufactured) she/he will reduce their speed to allow their mind to process this additional information.  Reading with the Kindle is similar to driving along the former roadway.

By removing the physical book you automatically eliminate numerous “distractions” – the weight, continuous adjustments to maintain the book “posture”, as well as the psychological barrier when reading books of significant length (Dhalgren is a perfect example).  While the Kindle has a way of conveying “progress” I’ve found the manner by which this information is displayed eliminates this distraction.

If I expand this concept a step further, the size of the Kindle’s screen accelerates the reading process even further.  By displaying only a small amount of content, the reader is able to digest this content much more rapidly and easily than if the page were larger in size.  Because pages are smaller, pages can be turned faster which translates into a feeling of progress.

While reading is not something that needs to be accelerated or rushed, the elimination of “distractions” translates into an immersive reading experience.  It’s this experience that translates into increased enjoyment and learning – and it’s these feelings that ultimately build upon themselves over the long-run.

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