ABOUT THE MUSIC | What is spacemusic? The material we work with is generally quiet, mostly consonant, often ethereal and without conventional rhythmic and dynamic contrasts. Significantly, words fail to convey the experience. It's as if it's being processed by a different part of the brain. Listen for a few seconds, though, and it's all very clear. Some people have no interest in spatial music and even find it annoying, but a generous fraction of the population spanning all ethnic, geographic and demographic boundaries immediately understand and respond to this kind of sound experience. They crave it and even use addiction metaphors to describe their need for it. We say they have "Ambient DNA." You may be one of them. If so, you will find much nourishment here. Unlike conventional background music, with its watered-down melodies from years-gone-by, spacemusic does not depend on simple nostalgia (in the words of Brian Eno) "to induce calm and a space to think." Instead, it creates expansive sound images with subtle psychological resonances. There are lots of theories about why it works. Bookstores are filled with impressive sounding works on the subject of music for therapy, relaxation, enhancing the intelligence of your child, etc. Some of it is backed up by research; most is purely speculative. Perhaps one day we will better understand the interaction of the brain and the psyche. For now, listeners know that it works if they simply open themselves to the experience. While this does not require any special talent or education, it helps to have Ambient DNA. One of our all time favorite listener letters is: "Even though I am a redneck, I enjoy your program." The best general treatment of the subject is Mark Prendergast's excellent The Ambient Century. [view at Amazon.com] |
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![]() Ghost Head Nebula (NASA) |
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New Age Music Made Simple a brief history and perspective on the genre |
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The 2nd Decade an interview with Stephen Hill |
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