Illbient

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Illbient is a term allegedly coined by DJ Olive to describe the iconoclastic music being produced by a community of artists based in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in 1994^[1]. The word "Illbient" is a portmanteau of the hip hop slang term "ill" (a positive expression: bad meaning good) and "ambient".

Other definitions, such as those coined by the iconoclastic Helios Creed, state: "although Eno invented ambient music while ill in bed - "illbient" is actually an extreme retro offshoot that demands that the listener produces a doctor's note before being allowed to purchase."

Though there are many individualistic variants of Illbient, the music is characterized by interesting dub-wise layering of soundscapes, hip hop-influenced use of samples and a progressive approach to beat programming that encompasses all genres of world groove and electronic music. Usually, but not always, illbient uses beats more than purely ambient music, and often illbient includes loops in the recordings.

Illbient was introduced to the public at large in 1996 through the Asphodel Records Incursions in Illbient compilation and a feature in The Wire magazine.

According to DJ Spooky, DJ Olive started an event in Brooklyn called Lalalandia - that had nothing to do with illbient. It is perhaps worth noting that DJ Spooky also claims to have invented the word Illbient in relation to the multicultural digital arts scene in Manhattan. To his credit, he released Necropolis, a mix CD in 1996 as a follow up to the 1995 Subharmonic release VALIS 1 CD that first pulled together many Illbient associated artists. DJ Spooky wrote the liner notes to the VALIS release and recommended many of the artists that were included on the compilation. DJ Spooky strongly disagrees that DJ Olive coined the term illbient. The compilation that Asphodel put out took many of the same artists that DJ Spooky pulled together, and made a commercial release in October 1996.

DJ Spooky's events like Molecular at The Gas Station on Avenue B and Second street in Manhattan set the tone for the genre, and predated all of the Manhattan events around what later came to be called "illbient."

Another nexus of Illbient was the Abstrakt Wave party held every Sunday night at The RV, belonging to Tim Sweet, aka Dr. Decent, a small alternative space at the corner of 6th and Avenue B in Manhattan's East Village (the space has long since been resteragentrified).

Illbient has exerted a strong influence on the dubstep, half step and hauntology genres.^{[citation needed]}

Illbient musicians

• DJ Spooky
• DJ Olive
• Byzar
• We (group)
• Motown Junkie

See also

• Soundlab

References

External links

• Jah Sonic about DJ Spooky
• Allmusic Guide
• Boston Phoenix article

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