Why I Love... Ambient Music

As I try to sit here contently in a coffee house nestled in the heart of Oakwood, Leeds, I can’t help but tune in to the natural sounds around me.

The voices of friends and families clash, as does cutlery against cups, not to mention the coffee machines — with the steamers cutting through the double‑bass riff resonating from the speakers above. As a synesthete, I can see the sounds forming a collage around me. The abstract paintings in the room make sense. As customers pass in and out for their daily fix, a beautifully handcrafted brass doorbell rings, occasionally distracting me from writing this article. But it’s OK, it’s a rhythmic element to the mix. So I hold my phone to record the ambience, as I never forget to bring my laptop, equipped with Ableton Live 11, to record my experimental music.

While ambient music can be stereotyped as meditative...