A few years ago, I came across a channel on YouTube dedicated to ‘ambient guitar’. Instantly intrigued, I watched a few videos from this mild-mannered American, Ben Vencil, and his Chords of Orion account. He played, he talked, he played some more, and it was all as peaceful as it was expressive and artistic. I was hooked!
Chords of Orion is an oasis of celestial calm that features lots of music but also lots of talking, storytelling and experience-led advice. Bill’s a relaxed guy with the air of earned wisdom about him, and his dedication to mood, timing, delays, volume swells and intergalactic sounds instantly impressed me.
His channel is a calm and pleasant antidote to much of the attention-seeking content that gets put out in guitar circles, and I wanted to know more. The concept of ambient guitar is hardly a new one, but it was Bill’s unswerving focus on this somewhat niche area of playing (he thinks of it more as an ethos than a style, and I agree) that made the channel so valuable in my eyes.
As you’ve no doubt guessed, I reached out and asked for a conversation with him about it all. I wanted to know his opinion on the art of it all: the gear, his techniques, the metaphysics of it and his whole attitude to the ethos of ambient guitar. Our paths had to cross!
And they did, a month or so ago on Zoom. We had ourselves a wonderful conversation that covered all of those points and more.
Please, make yourself a hot beverage, sit down and relax as I discuss the art of ambient guitar with Ben Vencil of Chords of Orion.
I hope this video has inspired you to dive into the deep and warm waters of ambient guitar! It’s a great place to spend some time, and can be both artistically fulfilling and psychologically enriching.
My thanks to Bill for his time and wonderful insights. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Chords of Orion YouTube channel, as well as the guitarguitar YouTube channel!
