Ambient Pop

Ambient pop is a style of indie music that developed in the 1990s, contemporaneously with the first wave of post-rock, and is generally considered to have evolved from indie pop. It incorporates structural elements common in indie rock, while also including electronic textures and atmospheres associated with ambient music, often emphasizing hypnotic and meditative qualities.

The style draws on influences from psychedelic music, as well as repetitive techniques associated with minimalism, krautrock, and techno. It is also characterized by the use of contemporary electronic production methods such as sampling, although live instrumentation typically remains a defining feature of its sound.

The term was initially used in independent music journalism to describe releases associated with Darla Records' "Bliss Out" series and artists such as the American Analog Set. Other acts commonly associated with the style include Stereolab, Laika, and Broadcast.

The 1995 album "Pygmalion" by Slowdive marked a significant stylistic departure from the band's earlier work, incorporating ambient electronica, psychedelic elements, and slow, repetitive rhythms. It has been cited as influential for later artists associated with ambient pop and has been retrospectively regarded as a notable release within the style. Critic Nitsuh Abebe described the album's songs as "ambient pop dreams that have more in common with [first wave] post-rock [bands] like Disco Inferno than shoegazers like Ride".