Get me into the zone - and keep me there!
September 6, 2011 9:32 AM Subscribe
Any alternatives to GrooveSalad? Ambient tones, but most importantly, no vocals!?! Please fill my ears with distraction-free tunes!
I love SomaFM's Groove Salad. For years, it's been my default go to source for soothing, distraction-free background music while I'm at work and trying to concentrate on the geek tasks at hand.
However, lately it seems like they've been including a lot more vocals, and they just snap me right out of the zone. Granted, they're not overly dominant, but any voice at all just forces my brain to focus on them and I lose my focus.
I've been trying DroneZone instead, but the chirping birds seem to have the same affect on me as human voices. So, minds of mefi, any suggestions on what else I should listen to that are similar to Groove Salad, but without all the voices?
(I've conceded the fact that I will have to put up with occasional adverts/pleas for money - these free stations need to support themselves somehow. But the fewer the better, as obviously they're distracting as well.)
I love SomaFM's Groove Salad. For years, it's been my default go to source for soothing, distraction-free background music while I'm at work and trying to concentrate on the geek tasks at hand.
However, lately it seems like they've been including a lot more vocals, and they just snap me right out of the zone. Granted, they're not overly dominant, but any voice at all just forces my brain to focus on them and I lose my focus.
I've been trying DroneZone instead, but the chirping birds seem to have the same affect on me as human voices. So, minds of mefi, any suggestions on what else I should listen to that are similar to Groove Salad, but without all the voices?
(I've conceded the fact that I will have to put up with occasional adverts/pleas for money - these free stations need to support themselves somehow. But the fewer the better, as obviously they're distracting as well.)
Send Rusty Hodge an email and tell him your woes. He might just make a station that does exactly what you want because I reckon lots of other people want something like that too. Seriously. (I love soma.fm and give them money.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:39 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:39 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you're trying more than one SomaFM stream, then I take it you haven't simply caught feeds elsewhere and are familiar with their full run.
A number of the soma streams go voiceless for extended periods -- Tag's Trance, Secret Agent, Beat Blender, even Suburbs of Goa -- while some never do (Mission Control).
But I find the streams so variable these days that I never tune in expecting to like what's on a given one -- I hit up a few and stick with the one I like, often changing again within the hour.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:46 AM on September 6, 2011
A number of the soma streams go voiceless for extended periods -- Tag's Trance, Secret Agent, Beat Blender, even Suburbs of Goa -- while some never do (Mission Control).
But I find the streams so variable these days that I never tune in expecting to like what's on a given one -- I hit up a few and stick with the one I like, often changing again within the hour.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:46 AM on September 6, 2011
Slacker has a chill station specifically without vocals.
posted by mckenney at 10:10 AM on September 6, 2011
posted by mckenney at 10:10 AM on September 6, 2011
RadioIO has a bunch of similar channels, e.g. Ambient, Chill, Aura, etc.
posted by mikeand1 at 10:30 AM on September 6, 2011
posted by mikeand1 at 10:30 AM on September 6, 2011
My work productivity is fed by the glorious 78-minute ambient radio show, Ultima Thule--subscribe to the podcast or stream shows online.
You'll also find a nice collection of ambient mixes (as well as other chill beats) at this blog.
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posted by prinado at 11:39 AM on September 6, 2011
You'll also find a nice collection of ambient mixes (as well as other chill beats) at this blog.
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posted by prinado at 11:39 AM on September 6, 2011
Pandora's Chill/Downtempo station works for me.
posted by expialidocious at 11:45 AM on September 6, 2011
posted by expialidocious at 11:45 AM on September 6, 2011
You could always give Jonny Trunk's The OST Show a try. Not strictly electronic ambientness like Groove Salad but lots of good instrumental stuff. A podcast archive is available (the Ghostbox special is a fave of mine) and it's live every Saturday 4.30pm (UK time) on Resonance FM.
posted by Gentlemanhog at 12:34 PM on September 6, 2011
posted by Gentlemanhog at 12:34 PM on September 6, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jquinby at 9:35 AM on September 6, 2011