> There's such a vast catalog of human-composed ambient music, that I just simply don't see why someone would prefer to listen to this algorithmically generated

> There's such a vast catalog of human-composed ambient music, that I just simply don't see why someone would prefer to listen to this algorithmically generated soulless muzak. A lot of human-composed ambient music actually has a lot of algorithmically determined elements. One of the simplest examples is using several tape loops of differing lengths (which Boards of Canada are very fond of). Similarly if you dig into the composition and ideas behind some of Brian Eno's pieces, you will find they are rule based. Even using a computer for doing this automatically isn't very new. It's being done by modular synthesis enthusiasts since ages. Many of these ambient pieces would actually generate different ambient sounds for a very long time, and the "soulful" recordings thereof (on CD or Vinyl) are merely short excerpts from the actual piece. Generating and listening to it live is sometimes the only way to fully enjoy an ambient piece.