Not that kind of surfer music

July 31, 2018 8:20 AM

So I innocently click on a link to watch a surfer ride a wave for 2 minutes (omg) and now I can't get the song that was playing out of my head. I want more! But most of the band's Soundcloud tracks don't really sound like this one. What other bands/DJ mixes/artists sound like this track?

Note the beat drops around 1:26. I like the interplay of atmospheric, slightly melancholy melody, with the slow driving beat. It feels less brittle (?) than Burial but more soulful than a lot of EDM.

posted by gwint to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

You may be looking for something like Tycho? Very atmospheric and mellow moods/beats. If I recall they even show surfer/ocean montages on a screen behind them when they played live, which is why I immediately think of them as a different flavor of "surfer music" than surfer rock.
posted by windbox at 8:26 AM on July 31, 2018

Best answer: Also you should probably just look at the entire Chillwave genre, click around that playlist and you will definitely find some similar tracks to the one you shared.
posted by windbox at 8:28 AM on July 31, 2018

Reminds me of Boards of Canada.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:34 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Seconding the Boards of Canada and chillwave comments. A few other artists I've run across with this vibe include Loess, DJ Food, and Bonobo.
posted by Existential Dread at 8:52 AM on July 31, 2018

Most stuff by Pretty Lights has this feel. As does a lot of Jon Hopkins.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:54 AM on July 31, 2018

I would suggest Four Tet. Like this song, for example.
posted by Otis at 11:33 AM on July 31, 2018

I'll second Four Tet, and also recommend Caribou/Daphni. The more recently released work is a little more club-friendly, but it's all somewhat like what you're interested in, I think.
posted by lousywiththespirit at 12:15 PM on July 31, 2018