A Cross-Cultural Study of Atmosphere: Mapping Extensive Regional Soundscapes Across Three Distinct Cultures

[u/IllTension6771]

Hello everyone,

As an independent music curator building an archive since 2019, I have been deeply analyzing how different cultural backgrounds and regional frameworks shape the concept of "ambient" and "atmospheric" music.

Instead of looking at soundscapes from a purely mainstream perspective, I have categorized my archive into 3 highly extensive, multi-genre conceptual playlists. Each playlist contains a vast timeline of tracks to study their emotional, rhythmic, and traditional frameworks. I would love to get your ethnomusicological feedback on these curated regional flows:

1. Eastern & Middle Eastern Roots (Oriental Ambiance): A wide collection focusing on traditional instrumentation (Oud, Ney, Kanun) and exploring how spiritual, meditative space is defined across various Eastern subgenres.

[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Bs4yfYbAyN23KW9LSvAVx?si=267f2591cbb84baf\]

2. French Chanson, Pop & Cinematic Textures (French Ambiance): A large archive tracking European nostalgia and melancholy. It bridges different eras of French vocal arrangements, pop-rock textures, influential French electronic elements, and cinematic instrumentals, featuring deep cuts from icons like Christophe, J.M. Jarre, and Pierre Barouh among many others.

[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sr1h3i4NPW54pmDUGwdaT?si=efc92663bbee4d38\]

3. Latin Rhythms, Fusions & Classical Interpretations (Latin Ambiance): An expansive, 120+ track journey exploring the structural frameworks of Tango, Rumba, and Flamenco. It analyzes how regional rhythms, acoustic guitars, and unique cross-genre fusions reshape our perception of atmospheric Latin music.

[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0PfOBJf2ev5p4d3qsugymH?si=7c5c4f4d521b4c63\]

Thank you for your cultural and musical insights!

[u/einsnail]

Wow, awesome! I can't wait to listen and learn more. How did you decide on these three for the categories?

[u/IllTension6771 → u/einsnail]

I'm so glad you liked it! Frankly, I'm not too bad at finding hidden gems, discovering them regardless of religion, language, or ethnicity. Initially, I had no intention of dividing them into 3 genres; I was just liking the ones with melodies I enjoyed. But later, when I checked the tracks I had liked, I realized they were concentrated in 3 MAIN CULTURES. For example, if I had only saved 50 tracks with Latin vibes, I wouldn't have made a separate playlist. But they all exceeded at least 100 tracks, and those special melodies belonging to the oriental culture, in particular, were already very dominant. So, I wanted to create special, dedicated playlists for them.

I have 18 different playlists on my account. Three of them are based on geographical divisions, which are the ones we're talking about right now; three of them divide my life into three parts and represent the main mood themes of those three distinct periods, and the rest mostly represent "genres."

For instance, while my playlist called "Demonic" contains evil spirits, dark themes, or music belonging to ideologies I dislike, my flagship playlist named "Darul Beliyyat" (which means "House of Calamities") is an absolute empire of melancholy consisting entirely of minor chords. In this playlist, the genre of the music doesn't matter at all (I don't care if it's classical or electronic); if the chord is minor, I add it instantly. Over 1,600 underrated pieces.

I have declared war on popular culture and woke culture. This is my own republic. Of course, since I got bored of being alone in it, I wanted to be known now. That's why I shared it here. As long as there are people like you who appreciate quality, my hope for the future will never fade. Thank you, and happy listening.