I must confess that on first listening, back in the day, ambient music left me somewhat bemused.

Coming at the tail of the punk revolution, music with purpose that engaged and challenged, the idea of floating clouds of background sound seemed anathema to me.

There’s an old joke that the best place to listen to bagpipes from is just out of earshot; that almost seemed the guiding philosophy of ambient music.

It was Brian Eno who led many of us down this path – though there were other ambient pioneers – and it was his most hardcore work that eventually brought me round. Eno’s ‘Thursday Afternoon (1985)’ is a single, hour-long piece, made possible by the advent of CDs, that comprises dreamy meditative keyboard notes. It never really changes and nothing really “happens”; it just flows. Slowly.

The idea is not to “listen” to it per se, but to have it play subtly in the background, like an incense stick burning, to provide an almost subconscious “mood”.

As a bullish youth this seemed an absurd idea, music that doesn’t “do” anything. But as I’ve mellowed, my mind has relaxed and expanded, and ideas that were new and weird have become commonplace. If ‘Thursday afternoon’ was in its way “peak ambient” then its influence now has crossed all musical boundaries.

Shifted sideways

And the meaning of the term ambient has shifted sideways: basically, it now means any atmospheric musical soundscape used on songs. Tauranga’s latest proponent of what they describe as “ambient electronica” is Soaring Collective, who, after dipping their toes in the waters of The Jam Factory, are now ramping it up for a big Totara Street show on Saturday, August 8, with added support from very likeable band Red Street and singer Amelia McNabb.

Soaring Collective, now a trio, are promising an immersive night of music and visuals as they match their atmospheric songs to a full light show and storytelling projections. Originally formed by Cian O’Cinnseala and Serge Balmer, the band is no longer an intimate electronic duo because of Balmer leaving Tauranga. O’Cinnseala has recruited his old friend Derek Toner and drummer James Bos.

Two Irishmen

O’Cinnseala and Toner have form. They’re two Irishmen who’ve played music together since being at school in Ireland. Separate travels around the world led them both to Tauranga, where they formed The Mellow Drops and then Nine Mile Stone, releasing albums for each band of intelligent, ambitious songs with vague Pink Floyd leanings.

But that was a decade ago. Since then O’Cinnseala has served as one of the Bay of Plenty’s best soundmen and Toner has released a very good album ‘The Importance Of Yar’ under the band name Tuner. And they’ve continued to play together.

I wouldn’t actually describe Soaring Collective as ambient electronica. I don’t think they’re ambient enough. Stuff happens. But what to call it? Laidback-soundscaped-folk-pop-rock? That’s a mouthful. Whatever it is, the show should be well worthwhile. Perhaps get some idea from this week’s playlist, especially curated by Soaring Collective.

Hear this week’s playlist: https://tinyurl.com/57dxx3tyText