Activities per year
Abstract
Ambient music, alongside related forms such as chill out, muzak and easy listening, fulfills a very particular function, providing moments of stillness in a constantly moving world. This chapter explores the relationships of ambient music to religion and new age concepts of spirituality. It asks how this music has been used by religion, and how it has used religion, examining religion and popular music from the perspective of this genre and musical style. This involves exploring the nature of ambient music, beginning with its prehistory in a range of religious traditions that focus on meditation, ecstatic states and stillness. The study traces the development of ambient music, addressing the integration of mysticism and spirituality, Eastern religious thinking within 1960s counter-culture, experimental art music traditions and minimalism, with reference to the term new age, and reflecting a post-secular search for meaning. Discussion of European electronic music focused on soundscape and a sense of space further investigates the aesthetic and cultural characteristics of ambient music. The emergence and definition of the term ambient music is discussed, along with its popularization in the nineties, following the Orb and KLF into the electronic dance music culture (EDMC) and electronica of club chill out rooms. The religious and spiritual role of ambient music illustrates a re-enchantment of daily lives, an everyday spirituality of sacralized popular culture that breaks down separations between sacred and secular.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Popular Music |
Editors | Christopher Partridge, Marcus Moberg |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Academic |
Chapter | 30 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Print) | 1474237339, 978-147423-734-5 |
Publication status | Published - 6 Apr 2017 |
Publication series
Name | Bloomsbury Handbooks in Religion |
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Publisher | Bloomsbury |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Ambient Music'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
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Rupert Till
- Department of Music & Design Arts - Head of Department Music and Design Arts
- School of Arts and Humanities
- Centre for Music, Culture and Identity - Member
Person: Academic
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Ambient @40
Rupert Till (Organiser)
23 Feb 2018 → 24 Feb 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participating in a conference, workshop, ...
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Kairos: stopping time with ambient dub
Rupert Till (Speaker)
18 Feb 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation