Ambient Techno

Often referred to as Intelligent Techno, Ambient Techno appeared on the U.K. electronic scene as an antidote to hedonistic rave music. In the early 1990s, labels like Warp, Apollo and GPR introduced tracks designed to cushion the comedown. Aphex Twin, Black Dog and Autechre led the movement, their dehumanized sound filled with tranquilized atmosphere and soft-focus synth strands. Unlike its New Age-y counterpart Ambient House, Ambient Techno chisels out aural crevices in the hazy soundscape; its textured basslines more like steel wool than goose down.