Daniel Davis has proposed an interesting project, the Multiple Artist Ambient Project, at his blog, Carl Sagan’s Ghost:
Brian Eno’s idea of ambient music was birthed from a Zaireeka-like experience: while sick in the hospital, he could hear music being played softly from down the hall. When mixed in with the noises of the surroundings, the music took on an ambient quality – it couldn’t be fully listened to, and yet it couldn’t be ignored.
I say we complete the circle and record a multiple-artist album in multiple parts that are meant to be played simultaneously in a mix-and-match fashion up to the listener’s preference.
If you’re interested in a project like this, contact Davis via ddavis ( at) carlsagansghost.com.
I could see this being expanded to a sort of ambient In C, but where anyone could publish an addition to the work by releasing audio that conforms to certain rules (Creative Commons licensed, should work with previously released contributions, etc.)
If you’ve got other ideas, leave a comment below!
Image: -RobW-
"if more artists outside of this core group also contributed their own parts"
Ahh, but that's the problem isn't it?
We have DJ's, we have remixers, we have ambient mashup "artists."
Can't sing? Try autotuning it.
Too bad no one bothered to learn and practice music.
Now all they can do is manipulate and as an excuse for it all, call it artistic creation.
Button pushers who let technology perform and take credit as if it's talent.
Learn to friggin write, play and perform, then IF you're actually talented, you too can be a star.
One of the millions and millions of stars that exist in our cosmos today….
Bilbo – it sounds like you are very much against the use of technology in music, and especially the idea that it somehow allows non-musicians to cheat their way into the music industry.
That's all well and good, but you haven't made clear why that has anything to do with Davis's project.
Are you suggesting that a collaborative ambient project is going to attract musical hucksters that want to be stars?