What else have you made up?
January 13, 2017 9:24 AM Subscribe
When I'm stressed I turn to a couple of songs or albums to help me stop spinning my anxiety wheels. Please help me find more songs like these, or help me figure out what kinds of music I should be looking for.
One of the most effective songs is I Made It All Up from the Portal soundtrack, and one of the most effective albums is The Firewatch Soundtrack (except for that last track). The dreamy-ish downtempo feel and the relaxed structure of these are big parts, I think, as well as the complete and utter absence of vocals.
Where should I be looking for music like this? If I could, I'd get albums and albums of "I Made It All Up" variants, but my niche desire has not (to my knowledge) been exactly anticipated and fulfilled--so what's close by?
One of the most effective songs is I Made It All Up from the Portal soundtrack, and one of the most effective albums is The Firewatch Soundtrack (except for that last track). The dreamy-ish downtempo feel and the relaxed structure of these are big parts, I think, as well as the complete and utter absence of vocals.
Where should I be looking for music like this? If I could, I'd get albums and albums of "I Made It All Up" variants, but my niche desire has not (to my knowledge) been exactly anticipated and fulfilled--so what's close by?
You may enjoy Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. It is similar to his ambient works, but more upbeat and strings-y, with no vocals.
posted by Cranialtorque at 10:29 AM on January 13, 2017
posted by Cranialtorque at 10:29 AM on January 13, 2017
Heeeee! I love this music! I have a playlist on spotify of this exact specific thing - warm brain-tingly music. I made it public for you, although I probs won't leave it up indefinitely so feel free to skim through and take what you want :)
The stuff on it by Jon Hopkins and Ulrich Schnauss is probably closest to what you want, but try the rest of it too and see if it's any good.
If you want more, I have a muuuuuch longer playlist that has way more like this, but expanding into less warm, more beatsy stuff - I use this one for working. Put it on in the background maybe, and see if anything sticks!
posted by greenish at 10:44 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
The stuff on it by Jon Hopkins and Ulrich Schnauss is probably closest to what you want, but try the rest of it too and see if it's any good.
If you want more, I have a muuuuuch longer playlist that has way more like this, but expanding into less warm, more beatsy stuff - I use this one for working. Put it on in the background maybe, and see if anything sticks!
posted by greenish at 10:44 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I also use Spotify for this type of music. I love it. I searched for "ambient instrumental" or along those lines and get a TON of stuff to choose from.
posted by foxhat10 at 11:10 AM on January 13, 2017
posted by foxhat10 at 11:10 AM on January 13, 2017
Williamson - Cool People Make Me Tired
Seems really close to the Portal track, but with a beat.
Older Album Leaf - Wet the Day
Cluster and Eno - Ho Renomo
Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow
A little more drone-y:
Stars of the Lid - Be Little With Me
Windy and Carl - Elevation
A little more space-y:
Spacemen 3 - Ecstasy in Slow Motion
posted by LionIndex at 11:15 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Seems really close to the Portal track, but with a beat.
Older Album Leaf - Wet the Day
Cluster and Eno - Ho Renomo
Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow
A little more drone-y:
Stars of the Lid - Be Little With Me
Windy and Carl - Elevation
A little more space-y:
Spacemen 3 - Ecstasy in Slow Motion
posted by LionIndex at 11:15 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Sigur Rós — "Með blóðnasir"
Dustin O'Halloran — "We Float"
Explosions in the Sky — "Your Hand in Mine"
Yann Tiersen — "La valse d'Amélie (version orchestre)"
and +1 to Jon Hopkins, especially "Light Through the Veins". It's one of my go-tos for mindfulness.
posted by a good beginning at 11:29 AM on January 13, 2017
Dustin O'Halloran — "We Float"
Explosions in the Sky — "Your Hand in Mine"
Yann Tiersen — "La valse d'Amélie (version orchestre)"
and +1 to Jon Hopkins, especially "Light Through the Veins". It's one of my go-tos for mindfulness.
posted by a good beginning at 11:29 AM on January 13, 2017
I would check out the Westworld season 1 soundtrack on Spotify - a bunch of tracks like what you want, mixed with piano-only covers of a few popular songs.
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:51 AM on January 13, 2017
posted by Ragged Richard at 11:51 AM on January 13, 2017
Where Are You from the soundtrack of the video game Thomas Was Alone
posted by gin and biscuits at 10:13 PM on January 13, 2017
posted by gin and biscuits at 10:13 PM on January 13, 2017
I think this piece by sugar plant will resonate
Calm, rhythmic, atmospheric.
posted by andreinla at 1:25 AM on January 14, 2017
Calm, rhythmic, atmospheric.
posted by andreinla at 1:25 AM on January 14, 2017
Buddhist music is really relaxing. It's so circular, emotionally neutral, and gives you this sense of completion with each successive phrase.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 6:11 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by gemutlichkeit at 6:11 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lama Gyurme & Jean Philippe Rykiel - Rain Of Blessings -- warm, and soothing. Tibetan chants with a background of harmonious electronics. I especially like the medicine Buddha mantra.
posted by andreinla at 11:11 AM on January 14, 2017
posted by andreinla at 11:11 AM on January 14, 2017
Seconding Ulrich Schnauss, especially Faraway Trains Passing By, Goodbye and A Strangely Isolated Place. They do have vocals in them, but it's more vocalisations than words you're going to have to listen to and parse as lyrics.
Jon Hopkins is also amazing. When you're in a lyrics mood, check out his album with King Creosote, which is beautiful. When you're not, Opalescent and Contact Note are the most calming of his albums for me. Immunity and Insides are a bit too constantly interesting to work to.
For working, I find that H.U.V.A. Network and Solar Fields build a wall between me and getting distracted by the outside world or internal mutterings.
Movements by Solar Fields. Distances and Ephemeris by H.U.V.A. Network
posted by finisterre at 11:26 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Jon Hopkins is also amazing. When you're in a lyrics mood, check out his album with King Creosote, which is beautiful. When you're not, Opalescent and Contact Note are the most calming of his albums for me. Immunity and Insides are a bit too constantly interesting to work to.
For working, I find that H.U.V.A. Network and Solar Fields build a wall between me and getting distracted by the outside world or internal mutterings.
Movements by Solar Fields. Distances and Ephemeris by H.U.V.A. Network
posted by finisterre at 11:26 AM on January 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
65daysofstatic, No Man's Sky Soundtrack.
Manual, Awash.
posted by Sonny Jim at 11:40 AM on January 14, 2017
Manual, Awash.
posted by Sonny Jim at 11:40 AM on January 14, 2017
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You might like
Ulrich Schnauss
I Am Robot and Proud
The Album Leaf
Now that I'm going through my ambient non-vocal playlist, I'm noticing a lot of psychill and world music type stuff, which may not be your thing. If this sounds appealing, let me know and I'll post links to more of it.
posted by ananci at 10:25 AM on January 13, 2017 [1 favorite]