Dark ambient is a genre of ambient music with a focus on obscure and experimental sounds. Harsh, alien soundscapes are typical of the genre, with many comparisons being made to noise music. A defining contrast to noise is the near lack of percussion and rhythm in dark ambient works.
Brian Eno is often mentioned a founded of dark ambience. His work has spanned several genres, including ambient and the avant-garde. Over his career he also worked with many artists such as U2, Coldplay and David Bowe. He is also responsible for “The Microsoft Sound,” the short sound clip played during startup of the Windows 95 operating system.
A number of mainstream musicians have made forays into dark ambient as well, including Nine Inch Nails’ “Ghosts” releases and a number of tracks from Aphex Twin’s “Selected Ambient Works.” Other noteworthy and influential artists include Einstuerzende Neubauten, Coil, Mortiis and Der Blutharsch.
Dark ambient emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. Among the significant bands at the time were Coil and Zoviet France. Sweden’s Cold Meat Industry, set up in 1987, is a label specializing in the genre and has since played an important role in its rise. » Read more: Alien Soundscapes – A Look at Dark Ambient Music

