Non-ambient music for focusing

February 16, 2023 7:44 AM

I need long form, non-ambient, mostly instrumental music to help me focus. Also not Pink Floyd or guys who might have worn a powdered wig.

I have a learning thing I do every day for an hour that is difficult for me to do for several reasons: it's not an easy thing to learn and I have been told in the distant past that I'm not good at it. All this means that it is very easy for me to get distracted. Long form mostly instrumental music keeps that part of my brain busy while I focus on the task at hand. Ambient music doesn't do it because it's too even. There are no dynamics or, for lack of a better word, story. Side two of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" is pretty much perfect, but I know all of their work. I'm open to just about anything, but I'm partial to rock and jazz. Specific krautrock examples are probably good. Orchestral music isn't my thing.

posted by donpardo to Media & Arts (41 answers total)

Best answer: I really like Bohren & der Club of Gore for this.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:03 AM on February 16, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I've been shuffling music by Morton Lauridsen while working. It's relaxing and beautiful but not too distracting. Not exactly what you've asked for but maybe it will work.
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:12 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Ratatat are my go-tos.
posted by General Malaise at 8:21 AM on February 16, 2023 [6 favorites]

Best answer: General Malaise - you just beat me to Explosions in the Sky.
posted by rtimmel at 8:23 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Seconding Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and also adding Beak>>> to your list.
posted by entropone at 8:34 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: For jazz, one of my go-tos is this Spotify playlist of (almost) everything Rudy Van Gelder produced (see also RVG's obituary thread on the Blue). Put it on shuffle, view the album of the song that comes up, and play the whole album.

I am also a big fan of M|O|O|N, who contributed a number of faster-paced songs to the Hotline Miami soundtrack. His latest album is called Come! See!! and has gotten me through some repetitive tasks over the last year.
posted by thecaddy at 8:39 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mogwai.
posted by tomsk at 8:46 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The Necks
posted by guybrush_threepwood at 8:48 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: I find dub (not dubstep!) useful for stuff like that. I linked to Wikipedia because I don't know enough about it to recommend specific performers, and that's kind of why it works for me. I just find a playlist and let it settle into the I Am Not Distracted part of my brain.
posted by scratch at 8:50 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Penguin Cafe Orchestra


The Orb
posted by falsedmitri at 8:57 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I wholeheartedly second the recommendation of the Orb and would humbly suggest The Future Sound of London.
posted by MrJM at 9:11 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Steven R Smith, who's various projects range from soundtrack-ish hard rock to pastoral chamber ensembles (though with most instruments played by him) is my ideal for this kind of listening.
Roedelius' seventies krautrock stuff also
Follakzoid
at the metallic+Meddle end: UFOMammut
posted by bendybendy at 9:14 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Post-rock is my go-to for this kind of thing:
This Will Destroy You
God is an Astronaut
Mono
And So I Watch You From Afar

Also, Kiasmos are an electronica group I find great for focusing.
posted by Limivorous at 9:16 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mike Oldfield. Everyone knows his 'Tubular Bells' but I also like his follow-up, Hergest Ridge. Also from the early 1970s, Wendy Carlos' Sonic Seasonings (especially 'Fall') and Jade Warrior (for example, Waves).

For something a little more contemporary, that Global Communication CD from 1994, and anything by Ulrich Schnauss (like A Strangely Isolated Place).
posted by Rash at 9:18 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: And Tortoise
posted by MrJM at 9:19 AM on February 16, 2023 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Didn't notice the no-ambient requirement, so strike that Wendy Carlos and replace her with Young American Primitive.
posted by Rash at 9:22 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Oh wait, no one’s mentioned Jazz Sabbath yet? It’s both jazz and rock!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 9:24 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: For long-form jazz, On Green Dolphin Street by Miles Davis plus a lot of Coltrane. Some would recommend 'A Love Supreme' but I'd start with My Favorite Things.
posted by Rash at 9:32 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Youtube algorithm has pointed me toward Stone Rebel for just this sort of thing.
Also I love Hania Rani and will plug for her whenever I can.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:39 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: pandora shoegaze, let it roll for a bit and see if it's useful.
posted by j_curiouser at 9:44 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Louie Zong
posted by ljesse at 9:47 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Herbie Hancock?
posted by Sauce Trough at 10:14 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Moon Safari might have enough twists and turns for you.
posted by credulous at 10:14 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: The album Promises by Floating Point and Pharaoh Sanders feels like it could be a good fit for this. Also maybe Dopesmoker by Sleep, or other stonery-metal albums like Black Sky Giant or ELDER.
posted by saladin at 10:25 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Kruder & Dorfmeister
King Tubby meets Rockers in HI Fi
Cave
Neu!
Mobieus & Plank
Miles Davis On The Corner
Scientist
posted by SystematicAbuse at 10:36 AM on February 16, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Oh speaking of ELDER maybe this DELVING album would work. The song Reflecting Pool in particular has a bit of an Echoes vibe to me.
posted by saladin at 10:59 AM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: How about some extended bluesy jazz numbers: Idle Moments (14:56) by Grant Green for example, or All Day Long (18:25) by Kenny Burrell, or The Sermon (20:12) by Jimmy Smith.
posted by misteraitch at 11:20 AM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: The soundtrack to The Social Network is one of my go-to listens for this kind of thing. It is spiky and unpredictable enough that it might not read as ambient to you.
posted by greycap at 12:59 PM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Trans-Am's first or second album.

Roll the Dice's first album.

Susumu Yokata's Grinning Cat or Sakura.

Svarte Grenier's Man Bird Dress.

Hella's Hold Your Horse Is

Khruangbin's fantastic Pitchfork set.

The Caretaker's first album

Philip Glass' The Hours.

For Jazz:

The Lounge Lizard's Voice of Chunk.

Sonny Criss' Sonny's Dream.

Steve Reid's Nova.

Alice Coltrane's Ptah the El Daoud.

Clifford Jordan's Glass Bead Game
posted by dobbs at 1:42 PM on February 16, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! I am positive that among these many answers will be what I need. Not to say that more suggestions aren't welcome.
posted by donpardo at 3:32 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: I like Venetian Snares for this, especially the album "Rossz Csillag Alatt Született" but also "Huge Chrome Cylinder Box Unfolding". The first of those does have a lot of classical/orchestral aspects, but there's a lot more going on than that. Here's a sample track that starts out very classical -- jump to a little after three minutes in to get a better idea of the range of sound.
posted by duien at 3:57 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Specific krautrock examples are probably good.

The Cosmic Jokers from 1974.
posted by Rash at 4:17 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: not sure that i totally understand your requirements, but two bands i like for concentration music are SURVIVE and Sigur Ros.
posted by katieanne at 4:28 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Thievery Corporation
posted by Mid at 8:31 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: New Jazz / Hybrid Jazz / Afrofuturism ?

Black Flower
Koma Saxo
The Comet is Coming
Dinner Party (has vocals)
Kamasi Washington (might be too big and distracting)
posted by riddley at 9:01 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: This leans toward ambient-with-drums, but try Tycho.
posted by mmoncur at 9:12 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: John Cage, In A Landscape (1948). Go on, try it.
posted by alonsoquijano at 9:16 PM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I would recommend Matthew Halsall. Link is to a song I really like, but there's a lot more out there. Since someone mentioned her, you might check their Tribute to Alice Coltrane as another angle into their work.
posted by TimHare at 10:00 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Maybe one of Khruangbin's first couple of albums, The Universe Smiles with You & Con Todo El Mundo?

Or possibly some Daptone: The Olympians, Menahan Street Band (Make the Road by Walking, The Crossing) or Budos Band (self-titled, Burnt Offering)?

But also someone just turned me on to this today which may be up your alley. It's a jazz fusion outfit covering Music for Airports (I know you said no ambient, but this is hardly that).
posted by juv3nal at 11:00 PM on February 16, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Oops that last link should have been this which is the playlist with both songs.
posted by juv3nal at 11:10 PM on February 16, 2023

Best answer: Hey, I found out "Lofi beats to study" actually work for studying: They're designed to be vaguely interesting but never distracting. (Claims this youtuber.) They've often got just a touch of jazz although of course downtempo might not be your thing.
I'm going via these year mixes 2022 | 2020 to discover more specific albums eg Leavv | Eevee
posted by yoHighness at 11:55 PM on February 18, 2023