Ambient Techno

Techno · 1990 · 100 to 125 BPM · also known as Intelligent Techno

Ambient techno is the contemplative side of 1990s techno, the machinery of the dancefloor put to the service of listening rather than dancing. Wide synthetic pads, softened drum machines and patient melodies sit somewhere between the chill out rooms of English raves and the most atmospheric end of the Detroit school. Acts like B12, Black Dog and the early Aphex Twin built it into a lasting repertoire that labels have kept reissuing ever since.

7 reference tracks

1. Neutron 9000: The Way To Heaven (1990)
2. The Orb: Little Fluffy Clouds (1990)
3. Biosphere: Baby Interphase (1991)
4. The Irresistible Force: Space Is The Place (Ambient mix) (1991)
5. Aphex Twin: Xtal (1992)
6. Barker: Paradise Engineering (2019)
7. Daniel Avery: Lone Swordsman (2020)

At a glance

• Tempo: 100 to 125 BPM
• First appeared: around 1990
• Machines: Roland TR-909, Akai S950
• The sound: Nappes analogiques, Roland TR-909 adoucie, Delays longs
• Labels: Warp Records, B12 Records, AI Records, De:tuned, GPR
• Key artists: B12, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin (période Selected Ambient Works), Speedy J, As One

Producing Ambient Techno

Ambient techno runs 100 to 125 BPM, often near 115, because the kick is not the point: groove is minimal or absent, and long delays on a dotted quarter or half note create the sway. A softened TR-909 kick, attack faded and lowpass filtered, sits low in a short plate reverb, snare or clap drowns in a lush 1980s reverb, and closed hats play gentle eighths on the offbeats. The bass is warm analog, a triangle or filtered sawtooth with a long release, playing one note per bar or soft eighths on the chord roots, a sine sub doubling it an octave down and resting during breaks. Wide detuned analog pads, sampled strings, patient four or five note melodies on a minor scale, and long filtered delays with reverbs stretching five to ten seconds complete the atmosphere.

The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.

Frequently asked

What is Ambient Techno?

Ambient techno is the contemplative side of 1990s techno, the machinery of the dancefloor put to the service of listening rather than dancing. Wide synthetic pads, softened drum machines and patient melodies sit somewhere between the chill out rooms of English raves and the most atmospheric end of…

What tempo is Ambient Techno played at?

Between 100 and 125 BPM.

Who are the key Ambient Techno artists?

B12, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin (période Selected Ambient Works), Speedy J, As One.

In the same family

• Detroit Techno
• Bleep Techno
• Broken Techno
• Acid Techno
• Euro Techno
• Hard Techno
• Schranz
• Industrial Techno
• Banging Techno
• Birmingham Techno
• Peak Time Techno
• Belgian Techno

Listen to Ambient Techno in the atlas · Cette page en français