Ocean of Sound: Aether Talk, Ambient Sound and Imaginary Worlds by David Toop was released in 1995. I was assigned the first chapter – Memory to study. Today in class we watched a documentary on the ambient music artist Brian Eno and I was immediately inspired. I had never really looked into ambient music and had been admittedly dismissive of it but as I watched the documentary I felt an overwhelming feeling of inspiration, especially since I had been feeling demotivated this past week due to a severe case of beat block. 

As I read the chapter, I felt a strong sense of relatability towards the writer. As per my understanding, Toop related ambient music to memories and the strong sensibilities they came with. It became clearer to me that that’s what I’m looking for every time I listen to a song. To be enveloped in, well an Ocean of Sound, I want the artist to take me on a journey. 

Not only that, my goal as an artist is to communicate a memory, not just what was on my mind but my sensibilities. 

Looking back I feel like as an artist I have only done this a few times successfully, specifically a track I had worked during a specifically hard time in my life called “Time”.

I don’t like listening to this track at all, although I love it, it takes me back to the exact feeling I had when I made it, the cold air in my bedroom back home with a claustrophobic stench of cigarettes, weed and other illicit substances. As Toop says, “My brain seeks it out, sorts it, makes me feel the immensity of the universe even when I have not wish to seek or absorb”.

In conclusion I believe that this single chapter, helped me see myself as an artist in a different light then I usually do, it helped remind me that I’m documenting myself as a person, instead of a musician.