Ambient & downtempo

Ambient radio, live from Paris: drones, field recordings and slow pianos every morning on Wa3, then organic downtempo on Amorfine. Terekke, Halftribe and Haruhisa Tanaka on the Ambient show, Nicola Cruz, Kurup and Antaares on Amorfine — low volume, long arcs, no talk between tracks. Free on the Electronic channel, in any browser, no account.

Ambient is music made to sit in a room rather than demand it — drones, soft pianos, field recordings, sound that rewards close listening and still leaves room to think. The name dates from the late seventies; Wa3's crate runs from Aphex Twin and Gigi Masin to Japanese ambient — Haruhisa Tanaka, Chihei Hatakeyama — and the patient newer sounds of Terekke, Halftribe, KMRU and Nala Sinephro's harp.

Wa3 gives it the start of the day. The Ambient show plays early every morning on the Electronic channel — low volume, long arcs, no talk between tracks — and Amorfine follows with organic downtempo: Nicola Cruz's Andean electronica, Kurup, Antaares, Trippin Jaguar, Hraach. Made for waking up slowly, reading, studying or the first coffee.

Terekke, Slow Attack Ensemble, Halftribe, Haruhisa Tanaka, Alvedon, Ann Annie, Medasin, tomcbumpz, Heartbeat in the brain, zakè, Ossa, ASC, Aphex Twin, Chihei Hatakeyama, Lionmilk, Lloyd Vaan, Elijah Fox, Nala Sinephro, Antaares, Kurup

Questions

Is Wa3 a 24/7 ambient radio?

Not all day: ambient is Wa3's morning music. The Ambient show plays early every morning and Amorfine follows with downtempo, on the Electronic channel (Paris time); each show's page has the hours. The rest of the day the channel moves on to house, trance, drum and bass and, at night, techno.

What is ambient music?

Music built on atmosphere rather than beat or song — drones, slow pianos, field recordings, textures you can listen to closely or leave in the background. The name dates from the late seventies; Wa3's crate runs from Aphex Twin and Gigi Masin to KMRU and Terekke.

Where can I listen to ambient radio online for free?

On Wa3: the Ambient show and Amorfine play every morning on the Electronic channel, with no talk between tracks — good company for reading, studying or working. Free, no account, in any browser.

Which Wa3 shows play Ambient & downtempo?

Ambient, Amorfine — see each show's page for its days and times (Paris).

How do I listen to Ambient & downtempo?

Press “Listen” on this page: it opens wa3.live on the Electronic channel, in any browser on phone or computer — free, no account. Wa3 also streams as plain MP3 for radio apps.