On the ambient music mailing list (ambient@hyperreal.org), Stephen Fruitman recently dropped the term “piambient” as a description for ambient-piano recordings. This, inevitably, led to a list of ambient sub-genre definitions which I cannot resist to copy here:
Foambient = folky ambient
Skambient = idm-type ambient
Shambient = shamanic ambient
Harmbient = hard ambient
Oh!mbient = surprising ambient
Smarmbient = Intelligent ambient
Dumbient = Unintelligent ambient
Indumbient = industrial ambient
Dambient = dark ambient
Dimbient = slightly less dark ambient
Clambient = classically-tinged ambient
Trambient = traditional ambient
Grambient = ambient your gran might like
Mumbient = ambient your Mum might like
Flimflambient = insubstantial pretentious ambient
Jambient = ambient with an improv element.
Wambamthankyoumambient = a taxonomic domain into which you may conveniently place anything in a post-Bowie vein.
Nihilists may be referred to the Amnotbient list.
Third persons to Isbient.
Pluralists to Arebient
Minimalists to mbnt
(thanks Alan Lockett)
Ambien = non-habit forming ambient
(Brent Colflesh)
Ommbient = far eastern-tinged ambient
(Rob :: db)
Wombient – Drone ambient that simulates environments outside of the womb; music for the womb.
(Jacob Newman)
Well now I’m finally getting a map of the complete genre!
Please post your own valuable additions too.
Chantbient – ambient music combined with (Gregorian or other) choral chants
(George Cruickshank on Facebook)
Insanbient: crossover between Ambient and Experimental music (according to Pete Swinton)
Spitebient: when you start making icey lofi ambient beats to spite someone.
R.A. Irissari, via Twitter
Zombient – generic playlist ambient music used to boost productivity in late capitalism
(thanks John Xela)
Note: ‘Zombient’ was added earlier by Kim Cascone (2016, see below) but without further description.
Aambeient – Ambient music that is a pain in the ass
(Dutch reference: Aambei = hemmorrhoid)
Incelbient (Richard Chartier)
Foambient party (Richard Chartier)
Bandcampient (Luigi Turra)
Ambirent – Trying to pay the rent creating Ambient music (PvC)
MBNT (El Hym)
Duracelbient (El Hym)
Gambient – Gothic Ambient, which involves the use of heavy chorus across pads, like Bauhaus caressing Cocteau Twins slowed down 50 times.
(Thanks Lawrence English)
Grambient (2) – Grumpy Ambient
(Thanks Scanner)
“Amnesient”
a new genre is reborn again over and over every year (grammar intentional)
(Thanks Kim Cascone)
Gamebient: ambient game soundtracks…
https://soundcloud.com/basco/gamebient
“Jostibient” = ambient music performed by mentally limited performers.
2016 Addition by Kim Cascone (via Facebook):
“Zombient – discuss among yourselves”.
To which Robert Shea replied:
“it’s a sub-genre of Presetbient, but way way way more experimental”
🙂
Gamelambient: Ambient music featuring Gamelan sounds
I like 2 add:
Zenbient = Music 4 meditation. (Or the sound(s)/music that evolves in the mind/brain during a meditation)
Dolphinbient = Cheesy New Age (Cheap CD’s, often found at the sales department at a druggist or pharmacist. For example, the txt in some of these CD booklets claims that the music causes a healing effect. It’s also famous for it’s dolphin or whale (sounds) samples).
I concider Ambient Music as serious business.
And making music supposed to be fun.
Aldo the source of inspiration is’nt always happyness.
I’m glad i noticed 🙂
Pretty peace of Dunglish;) Is’nt it?
Ha! I like the ‘Spambient’ – will be using this one in the future I guess 🙂
Spambient = ambient that you really didn’t want but were forced to listen to anyway
Drambient = ambient to drink Nyquil to