Does this genre exist?
 

Here's my second time trying to invent/find a new genre of music. My last time (industrial ska) didn't work.

What I'm looking for this time: spooky new age. I want the instrumental, floatiness of New Age music, the kind of thing that doesn't draw your attention directly but can comfortably sit in the background, but with a dark undertone. I'm looking for music to play while reading horror.
EDIT: with no vocals.

This kind of stuff?

Baraka: They're both pretty good, but I wish that they didn't have vocals. Sure, the vocals are wordless, but the human voice catches my attention. (I have to prescreen the music I use during massage for that very reason.)

Listening to all six at once is interesting.
I understand about the voices.

I'll investigate. Oh & the industrial ska idea sounds stompin'.

jwoody had created a mashup called "White Rockin' Beats" which had a center section that traded between horns and industrial. The link to that mashup is long gone, but I still have it in my collection. That's where I got the idea from.

This might not be floaty or unobtrusive enough.
I usually read without music,
I have a difficult time with background music not diverting my attention,
unless it's an old refrigerator hummimg.

Would the noise of Art of Noise fit into this category?

Flesh in Armour and How to Kill would be creepy good.

This is sorta 'Dark New Agey Floaty Muzak'

Have you listened to any of roachboy's work? It's abstract enough that it's practically a musical rorschach blot, but it could probably be pressed into service as a horror soundtrack.

I've combined the sounds from this link in his blog,
with his music: RADIO WAVES below 22 kHz

It's a something. You can read all sorts of things.

---------- Post added at 01:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 PM ----------

I love to keep adding stuff.
Some of it may tickle a taste bud or two.


What horror authors are you reading, Redlemon?

Yikes, I'm listening to the last three I posted all at once.

Logan, I think that hits the spot. And many thanks to all the suggestions; a bit of Wiki work, and I have discovered that the genre is named Dark Ambient. Off for more research!
What I've heard of Art of Noise wouldn't work; too peppy. But perhaps I've overlooked some of their work.
Well, at the moment, I'm reading horror/humor; Christopher Moore's "Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story".

[threadjack]

I got a massage yesterday and had to suffer through "Kings of Leon" for 45 minutes because she couldn't bear to change the CD of her favorite band - after I asked her.

Please don't massage people with this music either. It might be worse that KoL.

[/threadjack]

I've always known the genre by the umbrella term of 'Darkwave', but your new genre does look to be more defined. The early project from which this genre was created was based mainly off how both the somber instrumentation combined with "dark, sorrow lyrics" ushered in a new age of post-Punk; but nowadays, some of the best Darkwave tracks I've come across are solely instrumentals (or, they have minimal speaking, and when it occurs, it is in spoken word or whispers, not really sung).

I'd also suggest checking out the French coldwave movement, as well this: "This style took cues from 1980s bands, like Cocteau Twins. This music is often referred to as Ethereal Darkwave."



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Wow. I wouldn't go back to her. It's your massage, not hers.

My personal favorite for massage is Liquid Mind, which is done by Chuck Wild, the keyboardist for Missing Persons. It is completely impossible to sing along to.

There's a guy I know named Ed Drury that made something for a game I was working on once.

Check out the song Ghostly.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...m?bandid=90696

Steve Roach has recorded some pretty dark ambient stuff. More than horror, it tends to make me think of being ejected out into space and floating away. Terror, is more like it.

ThirdSun knows a lot more about this genre of music than I do. He simply refers to it as 'dark ambient.' He's recorded some pretty dark pieces himself, actually. I will tell him about this thread and see if he wants to add anything.

---------- Post added at 08:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:33 PM ----------

Yes, the genre is Dark Ambient.

Steve Roach is the reigning mainstream king of Dark Ambient; however, there are literally hundreds of quite excellent underground Ambient and Dark Ambient musicians, like myself, who can be found on the netlabels stored at Archive.org and their music is free for downloading.

There are also several Ambient and Dark Ambient internet radio stations available. Stillstream.com being one of the pack leaders.

Also, comb through the Dark Ambient groups on last.fm for artists.

Whoa, cool. Could you PM me your name so I can find your tracks there, or do I look for Thirdsun?

(Also, thanks for the rest of the information!)

Dark ambient - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

List of dark ambient artists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia