Talk:Ambient music

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I removed the mention of Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night" as an example of ambient music.

1. This is factually wrong. Whatever the article cited said, that music is not ambient. It's one of my favorite pieces of music. I have huge respect for it. But it is not ambient.

2. This is confusing to the reader. It doesn't communicate what ambient is.

This is the text I removed:

> According to a 1998 article in The Wire, Blind Willie Johnson's 1928 single "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" could be filed under ambient music, deeming it "a piece of country gospel improvisation, slide guitar with vocal hums and moans, but no lyrics."

--Lucas gonze (talk) 18:52, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

Your edit removed an in-use reference definition, leaving the article with a referencing error. I have replaced the reference definition to correct this error. -- Mikeblas (talk) 17:24, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

References

Do we consider ambient to be an exclusively electronic genre?

At the moment, ambient is listed as an electronic genre in categories, lists and templates. Although it is no secret that many compositions in the genre are made without electronic production - they can be instrumental compositions or made with other field recording like techniques. New-age music also comes from non-electronic ambient, and currently is not marked as an electronic genre on wiki. The term "ambient electronic music" is also used in some sources.

Missing Mention of Harold Budd's Role in Ambient Music

I believe the current entry on ambient music is incomplete without mentioning the significant contribution of Harold Budd. While pioneers like Brian Eno are rightfully credited, Budd's work had an equally profound impact on the development of the genre. His collaborations with Eno, such as The Plateaux of Mirror and The Pearl, helped define the "soft ambient" or "ambient minimalism" styles, contributing greatly to the emotional and atmospheric depth of ambient music. Budd’s 1978 album The Pavilion of Dreams is also a landmark work in this genre.

Budd's ability to blend minimalism with ambient textures introduced a more organic, human element into what had been a largely synthetic, experimental field. His influence is still felt today in ambient and post-classical music, and it seems important to recognize his role alongside other key figures mentioned in the article.

I suggest incorporating Harold Budd's work to provide a more comprehensive overview of the genre's evolution.