# dreamSTATE - Ephemeral City > Interactive ambient music and evolving urban art multimedia iAlbum. (iPhone/iPad app by Neural Apparitions.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamstate-ephemeral-city/id940219509 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Neural Apparitions](https://appshunter.io/developer/940219508) - Category: Music, Music, Entertainment - Price: $3.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 7 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 500 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2015-01-04 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamstate-ephemeral-city/id940219509/reviews.md ## What is dreamSTATE? The new Version 3 of dreamSTATE's multimedia iAlbum of ever-changing ambient music and urban ambient art can now be used by both Listeners and iMusicians: (1) For Listeners - A new infinite music arrangement is created for a unique sonic experience every time Ephemeral City is played. Lose yourself in the endless drift of the ephemeral ambience, while walking through your own city, while reading, working, creating, thinking, relaxing or sleeping. This iAlbum can also play in the background while you read your e-mail or e-books or browse the net on the same iDevice. While Ephemeral City weaves a fresh musical arrangement for you every time, you can adjust the density of the mix from a rarefied atmosphere to a full-on flow or from the dark to the light. Set the Timer to define the length of the album. Adjust the speed of the visual transitions to reveal new fusion imagery. (2) For iMusicians - Open Ephemeral City as an Inter-App Audio (IAA) Generator/Instrument in your favourite "host" applications (like Audiobus, Aum or apeMatrix) and process the infinitely evolving Ephemeral soundstream through your Effects apps to transform the audio into creative variations, for your own pleasure or for professional purposes. Improvise or compose with the endless soundflow. Treat Ephemeral City as the ultimate textural drone oscillator. If you record your creations, dreamSTATE permit you to release your transformations under the most open creative commons attribution 4.0 license. (Art) Place your iPhone or iPad in your speaker dock to display the evolving visual art of Scott M2's surreal cityscapes. Employ the mute button for a pure art experience or turn off your screen for a pure musical experience. Trailblazing Canadian soundscape artists dreamSTATE (Scott M2 and Jamie Todd) created their first evolving ambient installation in 1996. Now, with the help of ReFla5h the Apptician, they've created an infinite multimedia ambient installation for your iPhone, iTouch or iPad (with iOS 8.0 or higher). Welcome to a new paradigm for albums - experience Ephemeral City now. 
Features: - A Tour Guide page walks you through the controls - or just let the iAlbum play. - The Control Panel gives you the option of adjusting the music mix and the speed of the visuals. - An optional Timer can turn off the music after 15 minutes or up to 8 hours. - Your Mix, Visuals and Timer settings are remembered between visits. - A speaker icon mutes or restores the sound without adjusting volume buttons. - The ambient art continues to evolve when the sound is muted.
 - You can turn off the screen for long battery life during extended deep listening sessions. - Airplay Mirroring can be employed to stream Ephemeral City music through your Apple TV. - An Info section contains bios for the creators and links to more dreamSTATE music. - Plays on any iPhone, iTouch or iPad with iOS 8.0 or higher. - Works as an Inter-App Audio (IAA) Generator/Instrument within most audio "host" applications. - Permission is granted by dreamSTATE for users to release their transformations and creations, even commercially, with appropriate attribution to dreamSTATE under a creative commons attribution 4.0 license. - Headphones or quality speakers are recommended for the deepest immersive experience. - "Help" contact address provided to report any problems so Refla5h can help address them. help@dreamstate.to ## Key features - Infinite music arrangement - Evolving ambient art - Adjustable mix density - Customizable visual transitions - Optional timer - Inter-App Audio (IAA) generator - Background playback ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dreamstate-ephemeral-city/id940219509/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Ambient playground *2019-05-17, version 3.1.1* Ephemeral really shines as an ambient sound generator. Very lush pads morph over time and create a seamless soundscape. IAA allows it to play nice with other apps. It would be great if patch creation and save features were available. Greater mixing options and import of user samples would be nice as well. As is, it is one of the most musically useful ambient apps on the market. Kudos to the developers! ### 5/5 — Lovely - far better than most *2018-01-22, version 2.2.3* I enjoy generative apps but this one is in particular outstanding. Most tend to the unobtrusive and unexciting - this one does not shy away from dense textures and is willing to actually challenge the listener. No matter what it's doing, quiet or not, it's gorgeous and worth listening to, not just absent-mindedly consuming. It works fine as background but is a great foreground too. ### 5/5 — An absolute gem *2018-01-14, version 2.2.3* The App Store is full of generative apps for creating music without direct input, or with minimal user control. Most of them are limited in scope or grow stale and static with extended listening. this beautiful album stands in stark contrast to that. While its visuals are beautiful, I believe that the true strength of this app lies in its continuously evolving and seamless musical creation. Its character constantly changes, yet it retains a certain thematic wholeness. i’ve been doing ambient music for decades, but I must tip my hat in respect to the creators of this gorgeous app. If you’re looking for a way to relax, meditate, or even just fall asleep with the aid of gentle and fascinating music, you need to take a trip to this Ephemeral City. ### 5/5 — Terrific dream state app *2016-07-05, version 2.2* I am an Ambient musician and artist myself, so I completely "get" this work of conceptual art. Visions of melting cityscapes come and go as you listen to cleverly-programmed ambient soundscapes. In older times I could imagine this being a room in a gallery with projectors running and a loudspeaker installation. If you consider this less an app and more of an artistic statement you will approach the intent of the creators. I like to use this app late at night, when it seems like you are drifting through a dream city where you are the only inhabitant. ### 5/5 — Exceptional ambient app *2015-02-06, version 2.1* A very creative and highly addictive app with both great ambient music and slo-mo visuals. Have to disagree strongly with Majinal's marginal one-star review. Come guy, don't be lazy--ask the developers for help next time! ### 1/5 — No sound *2015-02-01, version 2.1* I liked this app a lot until I stop it from playing by pressing the mute button in the left hand corner. When I press the button again there was no sound I checked the guide it didn't give me any info on what to do. So if you get this app don't stop it from playing or you'll waste your $$$ just like me. Now if you will excuse me I have an app to delete. **Developer response:** Hi Majinal. We are able to reply now! Please try reinstalling Ephemeral City. I don't think you'll have that problem again. If you do, we would love to hear your details (iDevice, iOS#) at help@dreamstate.to to help us resolve it. Cheers from Canada! ### 5/5 — Beautiful soundscapes and visuals *2015-01-29, version 2.1* Wonderful electronic ambience accompanied by hypnotizing cityscapes that ebb, flow, morph, and evolve in captivating ways. Great simply as background music or for the powerful visual + aural experience. ## Frequently asked questions about dreamSTATE ### What is dreamstate's core function? dreamstate creates a unique, infinitely evolving ambient music and urban art experience each time it's played. It can be used for passive listening, relaxation, or as a creative instrument for musicians. ### Can dreamstate be used offline? The description does not explicitly state offline capabilities. However, its nature as a multimedia iAlbum suggests it may require an internet connection for full functionality or content updates. ### How much does dreamstate cost? dreamstate is a paid application, priced at $3.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees mentioned. ### What devices support dreamstate? dreamstate is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running iOS 8.0 or higher. It is designed for Apple's mobile ecosystem. ### How often is dreamstate updated? The latest version, 3.1.6, was released on July 22, 2020. While the app has been around since 2015, the frequency of updates may vary. ### Does dreamstate have ads? No, dreamstate does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an uninterrupted user experience. ### What is the age rating for dreamstate? dreamstate has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide audience of users. ### Can dreamstate be used for professional music production? Yes, iMusicians can use dreamstate as an Inter-App Audio (IAA) Generator/Instrument within host applications. The generated soundstream can be processed through effects for creative or professional purposes. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.1.6 — 2020-07-22 Information pages (like the Guide and Help), which are accessed through the internet, have been updated to the new web-host. The launch page has been updated to follow the Apple storyboard approach. ### 3.1.4 — 2019-11-02 Ephemeral City now avoids speaker clicks by checking if your iDevice is a newer iPad or iPhone running their speaker at 48 kHz, instead of the older standard of 44.1 kHz. It adjusts itself to the appropriate frequency for your model, so that real-time sample conversion is not required by the iDevice, which could have created system overloads and audio clicks. There are new darker buttons on the sliders in the Control Page to clarify them for people without their glasses. ### 3.1.1 — 2018-11-30 In Version 3, support for Audiobus has been added, allowing Ephemeral City to be used as an IAA Instrument or Generator. Now Ephemeral City can weave endless dronescapes for you to experiment and transform with other apps inside "host" applications like Audiobus, AUM and apeMatrix. dreamSTATE have also granted a creative commons attribution 4.0 license to release your creative transformations for any purpose, even commercially. The Guide has been updated with the new features and creative commons information. Ephemeral City also remains a deep listening ambient experience. ### 2.2.3 — 2017-02-15 - Audio mute-state corrections. - Multiple unacknowledged route change dialogs prevented. - Performance improvements. ### 2.2 — 2016-04-13 - Now a Universal app. - Screen rotates 180 degrees for flexible display arrangements. - Performance improvements. ## Apps similar to dreamSTATE | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [FM Synthesizer – Piano Keys](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm-synthesizer-piano-keys/id1563962952) | 1.7 (6) | Free | Music | | [Dj Pad ONE: Music & Beat Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dj-pad-one-music-and-beat-maker/id1514562131) | 4.7 (2,072) | Free | Music | | [MS Vinyl - Music Widget](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ms-vinyl-music-widget/id1642261376) | 4.3 (49) | Free | Music | | [iDousyn](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idousyn/id421852860) | 4.2 (148) | $6.99 | Music | | [Musica! – Math meets Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musica-math-meets-music/id1466301336) | 4.7 (52) | Free | Music | | [Darbuka + Percussion Drums Pad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbuka-plus-percussion-drums-pad/id1541096967) | 4.0 (2) | $2.99 | Music | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*