Supposedly, writing about music is like dancing about architecture — but what about music that is equally architecture and sound?
Over Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity to experience one of my favorite ambient albums live, “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance,” a collaboration between historic artists Laraaji and Brian Eno.
The concert, held at the Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, NY, was through Ambient Church, an organization that brings sound artists to non-traditional spaces, providing audiences with audio-visual immersions. Established in 2016, CEO and founder Brian Sweeney aims to facilitate “collective peak experiences through the soundscapes of modern contemplative, otherworldly, and universal music.”
It makes sense that Laraaji is one of their chosen collaborators; his impact on the ambient world is nothing short of prolific, with a career that has spanned across decades, making him a central figure in ambient and new age music. His long, meditative soundscapes are built from electronically modified zither, hammered dulcimer, kalimba, synthesizers and voice, often enriched with natural sounds.
Laraaji’s live performance with Ambient Church celebrated the 45th anniversary of his landmark collaboration with Eno.
After pursuing acting and stand-up comedy in New York, a turn towards Eastern mysticism and methods of healing led him to develop the mystical style that caught the attention of Brian Eno in Washington Square Park in the late 1970s.
Eno is known as one of the pioneers of ambient and electronic music, having contributed to the genres as both a producer and artist for over six decades. Laraaji later went on to work with Eno, creating “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance” (1980) — often referred to as one of the defining works of the genre and the album I had the pleasure of hearing live.
The album spans roughly 49 minutes and features five tracks. The first side of the record, “The Dance,” is energizing and bright. The other side, “Meditation,” lives up to its name, leading you into a gentle descent into a steady, pensive rhythm.
First released as a part of Eno’s Edition EG project, the album remains a cornerstone of the ambient and new age genre, merging Laraaji’s unique zither with shimmering cascades of resonance that continues to find a place with listeners of all generations. It’s a body of work that I continuously come back to and share with close people in my life.
“Ambient 3” was named by Pitchfork as one of the best ambient albums in this comprehensive list of 50 selections to cut your teeth on if you are new to the genre.
Since his collaboration with Eno, Laraaji has since released dozens of albums, from early home-recorded meditation tapes to expansive collaborations with other prolific artists. Beyond performance, he is known worldwide for conducting laughter meditation workshops — something you quickly make sense of once you hear the joy his music creates.
He recently collaborated with indie folk band Big Thief on their newest album, “Double Infinity,” providing vocals and instrumentals on the track “Grandmother.”
His performance was unlike any other concert I have attended. Ambient Church takes three already incredible things — music, lights, and spiritual architecture — and brings them together into one immersive experience. Each show works in tandem with the church’s structure to design a light show in sync with the musical performance. It is as much a visual show as an audio one.
It’s been years since I’ve stepped foot in a church (the Middlebury Chapel doesn’t quite count in my book) so I immersed myself in the environment of Asbury First.
My relationship with religion is one that began with the family unit and, like many people my age, drifted apart as I have gotten older. Churches have always fascinated me, not quite for the messages — I tended to get easily distracted at mass as a child — but rather the architecture. Curved arches, detailed carvings, smooth oak wood, brilliantly intricate stained glass — all fixtures that seem to be unique to churches. Nowadays, it’s rare that I actually find myself within these buildings.
The opportunity to engage with sound in such an unconventional space was a welcome opportunity to reflect on the atmospheric roots of ambient music.
Lararaji performed the entirety of Ambient 3 alongside Arji OceAnanda, a frequent collaborator and musician in her own right. The two built upon layers and layers of sound, utilizing chimes, gourd-like instruments and recorded noise to execute the beauty of the original project.
The light aspect of the show was equally divine as the music. Hues of blue and green swallowed the dark wood of the church walls, forming organic structures all around the audience. Oceans of light swirled around the musicians. A large circular window at the center of the church was utilized, its round shape providing a spherical structure for the light designs to interact with. The light was enchantingly beautiful, and yet, I found myself closing my eyes to sit with the sound and isolate my focus.
My mother, who had never heard of Laraaji or Ambient Church before the performance, described it as “an incredibly meditative experience.” We left the show feeling light and relaxed, and all the stressors that had been weighing on my mind before seemed to no longer really matter.
There’s something so important and transformative about experiencing live music with other people — all together, dedicated to enjoying the same sound.
Norah Khan '27 (she/her) is an News Editor.
Norah has previously served as a Arts & Culture Editor. She is majoring in Political Science and English, with minor in Spanish. Outside of The Campus, she is involved with Matriculate as an Advising Fellow and the Conflict Transformation Collaborative as a Conflict Coaching Peer Facilitator.
