Help genre these artists
October 24, 2010 9:08 AM Subscribe
When people say "what kind of music do you like?" I don't have an answer to tell them. Two of may favorite albums ever are Martin Tillman's A Year In Zurich and Jeremy Soule's Morrowind soundtrack. But, I can't put my finger on what genre these albums are. Classical and Jazz are too vague.
What I like about them specifically is how pretty and meandering and harmonious they are. Is this a specific style? Are there other artists like them? (last.fm's "similar artists" is no use - it either lists other jazz or classical composers, but the actual music doesn't sound very similar, in my opinion.)
What I like about them specifically is how pretty and meandering and harmonious they are. Is this a specific style? Are there other artists like them? (last.fm's "similar artists" is no use - it either lists other jazz or classical composers, but the actual music doesn't sound very similar, in my opinion.)
Response by poster: A Year in Zurich is really hard to find online without pirating it (and even then it's hard to find!)
But, this is one of my favorite tracks, and I can hardly find any more than the few that stream on that link in the OP - white oleander, leaving zurich, etc :( I really wish there was more online to show around!
And for Soule, my favorite songs are probably this one, and this one
posted by rebent at 9:42 AM on October 24, 2010
But, this is one of my favorite tracks, and I can hardly find any more than the few that stream on that link in the OP - white oleander, leaving zurich, etc :( I really wish there was more online to show around!
And for Soule, my favorite songs are probably this one, and this one
posted by rebent at 9:42 AM on October 24, 2010
Coin a new term. High-end classical-inspired soundtrack music - harmonious soundtracks and family - post-impressionistic feel-good music...
I also found this resource which might help you figure how difficult your (or their) question really is. The common factor of these musics is that they are taking stylistic references from various genres, depending on the emotion, "feel", poetic vibe or story they want to illustrate. So they're by definition cross-over.
Look at the various content-dependent themes, instrumentations, and (music-) stylistic references in the Lord of the Rings-cycle: An orchestral-epic main theme for the ring with a slight parallel-octaves-and-fifths-twist of evilness; a jolly, folksy, harmonized melody for the shire; a melancholic, longing fiddle-tune for Rohan, a Wagner's-Nephew-type of Romantic orchestral Leitmotiv for Gondor, post-impressionistic interwoven minor-major bittersweet dreams for the elves, mid 20th-c. atonal high strings around Shelob, mechanistic doom-music for everything dark, and marchy tunes for everything fighty. For the fighting elves in Helm's Deep, logically, a crossover-in-one-piece version of a bittersweet minor-major march.
posted by Namlit at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2010
I also found this resource which might help you figure how difficult your (or their) question really is. The common factor of these musics is that they are taking stylistic references from various genres, depending on the emotion, "feel", poetic vibe or story they want to illustrate. So they're by definition cross-over.
Look at the various content-dependent themes, instrumentations, and (music-) stylistic references in the Lord of the Rings-cycle: An orchestral-epic main theme for the ring with a slight parallel-octaves-and-fifths-twist of evilness; a jolly, folksy, harmonized melody for the shire; a melancholic, longing fiddle-tune for Rohan, a Wagner's-Nephew-type of Romantic orchestral Leitmotiv for Gondor, post-impressionistic interwoven minor-major bittersweet dreams for the elves, mid 20th-c. atonal high strings around Shelob, mechanistic doom-music for everything dark, and marchy tunes for everything fighty. For the fighting elves in Helm's Deep, logically, a crossover-in-one-piece version of a bittersweet minor-major march.
posted by Namlit at 10:31 AM on October 24, 2010
Maybe instead of finding a genre box, you can find a term that describes the music you like. I like through-composed music, which crosses a lot of genres (including rock and jazz) and includes both key-centered and atonal works; I don't know if that particular term describes your preferred music.
posted by thatdawnperson at 10:57 AM on October 24, 2010
posted by thatdawnperson at 10:57 AM on October 24, 2010
Sounds like a more ambient version of Romantic chamber music. Consider historic composers who worked in the Romantic tradition (e.g., Debussy, La Mer), or took inspiration from folk music (e.g., Ralph Vaughan Williams, The Lark Ascending) or perhaps something by Grieg.
posted by Nomyte at 10:57 AM on October 24, 2010
posted by Nomyte at 10:57 AM on October 24, 2010
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posted by griphus at 9:21 AM on October 24, 2010