Drift

Drift coalesced in the 2010s from threads of classic ambient (Brian Eno’s "music as atmosphere"), long-form drone, electroacoustic minimalism, and field-recording–driven sound art. The aesthetic took hold among independent labels and Bandcamp-era communities that preferred intimacy, headroom, and texture over overt structure.

Advances in affordable software reverbs, granular tools, and tape emulations encouraged producers to sculpt luxuriant decay tails and gently detuned layers. Guitar pedals, loopers, and compact synths made it simple to build sustained clouds live, while portable recorders brought environmental sound into the palette as a soft bed of place and memory.

Boutique labels and netlabels specializing in slow, textural ambient released steady volumes of drift-focused work, often in small physical editions (cassettes, CDs) and high-quality digital masters. The style spread internationally as listeners embraced it for reading, meditation, and sleep. Curated playlists, long-form mixes, and livestreams helped normalize 30–90 minute single pieces and album-length uninterrupted flows.

By the late 2010s and 2020s, drift had become a recognized ambient micro-genre. It remains a fertile space for crossovers with modern classical, tape loop minimalism, and dub-tinged ambience, while maintaining its core identity: patient, featherlight sound that moves so slowly it feels still.