Drone

Drone on vinyl: sound that stands still

In short: Drone is music made of sustained tones and layers of sound – with little melody or rhythm, but plenty of room for subtle change. Its roots lie in the avant-garde of the sixties and in old musical traditions with sustained drone tones. The Vinyl Room currently has 30 drone records.

What is drone?

Listening until the sound opens up: American composer Phill Niblock wrote pieces made of closely spaced tones – here on “Exploratory I” and “Exploratory II”, played by string quartet and ensemble.

On the quieter side are Sarah Davachi and Ariel Kalma on “Intemporel”, Lawrence English and Steve Roach. Ensemble Dedalus reinterprets works by Brian Eno, and Swans show the dark, loud side on “Soundtracks For The Blind”. From Denmark come Sofie Birch and Johan Carøe.

What to look for

Label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Brian Eno · Ambient · Experimental · Electronic on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is drone? Music made of sustained tones and layers of sound, with little melody or rhythm.

What is the difference from ambient? The boundaries are fluid; drone focuses more on the single, sustained sound.

Who was Phill Niblock? An American composer (1933–2024), known for pieces made of closely spaced, sustained tones.

Is there loud drone music too? Yes – here, for example, Swans with “Soundtracks For The Blind”.