And finally today, to create a certain mood, people may often turn to ambient music. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) DETROW: That's music, usually without words and curated in playlists, that's sometimes meant ...

Ambient music is a common tool people use to help themselves focus when working or studying. Its calming atmosphere makes it easier to block out distractions and enhances productivity. But what makes ...

Ambient is anything but a singles genre. The album form is made for the beatless drifts that define ambient music, which developed meaningfully in the mid-‘70s from a general zeitgeist for a ...

In the face of crisis, our critic turned to music that demanded that she relinquish control. Alessandro Cortini, who started out as a multi-instrumentalist for Nine Inch Nails, is also known for his ...

William Basinski’s “Melancholia II” sounds like what might happen if despair itself walked into a studio and someone pressed the record button. Little pops poke through its smeared dreariness, like a ...

Host Scott Detrow talks with Pitchfork editor Andy Cush about ambient music and the growth in popularity of marketing it as so-called mood music on streaming platforms. And finally today, to create a ...