Minimalist music
June 2, 2015 8:19 AM Subscribe
Can you recommend some beautiful, minimalistic music for me?
I am trying to discover minimalistic music whose beauty stems from its simplicity and purity. Can you recommend any? The pieces i am looking for are likely just the product of a single instrument probably classical but am open to the digital as well as analogue. Examples may be piano sonatas e.g Shubert no.21 or Cello pieces like Bach Prelude to Suite No. 1. Also particularly interested in complex acoustic guitar. Thanks in advance!
I am trying to discover minimalistic music whose beauty stems from its simplicity and purity. Can you recommend any? The pieces i am looking for are likely just the product of a single instrument probably classical but am open to the digital as well as analogue. Examples may be piano sonatas e.g Shubert no.21 or Cello pieces like Bach Prelude to Suite No. 1. Also particularly interested in complex acoustic guitar. Thanks in advance!
I've always thought that the soundtracks of Clint Mansell were minimalist and wonderful.
The Fountain.
Moon.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 8:29 AM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
The Fountain.
Moon.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 8:29 AM on June 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
This isn't exactly minimal music, but I love Bach's solo violin pieces- you might like this guitar version of the Chaconne in d minor.
posted by three_red_balloons at 8:44 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by three_red_balloons at 8:44 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Solo is perfectly acceptable actually, don't want to define music I want to hear as just simplistic.
posted by Caskeum at 8:49 AM on June 2, 2015
posted by Caskeum at 8:49 AM on June 2, 2015
Kaki King is an amazing guitarist and composer for single acoustic guitar.
Rodrigo y Gabriela classical guitar duo.
Nothing more minimalist than the Gymnopédies by Satie.
posted by lawliet at 8:57 AM on June 2, 2015
Rodrigo y Gabriela classical guitar duo.
Nothing more minimalist than the Gymnopédies by Satie.
posted by lawliet at 8:57 AM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: Juliana Barwick does amazing things with her voice.
As far as single-instrument classical purity, I'm way into Bach: Works for Lute.
posted by obscurator at 9:13 AM on June 2, 2015
As far as single-instrument classical purity, I'm way into Bach: Works for Lute.
posted by obscurator at 9:13 AM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: You might like the sacred minimalists: modern composers including Arvo Pärt, John Tavener and Henryk Górecki. Górecki's Symphony #3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs), particularly with Dawn Upshaw, is great; you wouldn't think a symphony could be so minimalist, but it builds so verrrrry slowly.
Instead of acoustic guitar, you might try Bela Fleck's album Perpetual Motion, where he does Bach, etc. on the banjo. My favorite is Partita #3.
posted by St. Hubbins at 9:15 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
Instead of acoustic guitar, you might try Bela Fleck's album Perpetual Motion, where he does Bach, etc. on the banjo. My favorite is Partita #3.
posted by St. Hubbins at 9:15 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you have any fondness for electronic genres, I recommend The Best of LSG: The Singles Reworked. It's basically trance music with all the heavy basslines and percussion stripped out, so the sound is very sparse. Bluetech's Sines and Singularities also scratches the minimalist itch for me, and the whole album is on YouTube.
posted by shponglespore at 9:28 AM on June 2, 2015
posted by shponglespore at 9:28 AM on June 2, 2015
Well, this is neither classical nor single-instrument, but I think Skaggs & Rice is one of the purest and simplest musical sessions ever recorded. Two voices, one guitar, one mandolin, no overtracking. Timeless.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:39 AM on June 2, 2015
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:39 AM on June 2, 2015
Seconding King's College Choir. In particular try 1963 recording of Allegri: Miserere featuring boy soprano Roy Goodman.
posted by Captain Chesapeake at 9:42 AM on June 2, 2015
posted by Captain Chesapeake at 9:42 AM on June 2, 2015
The Twin Peaks soundtrack is also spare and elegant.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:46 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:46 AM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think you may like Nils Frahm's piano work, Felt for example (Familiar is my favourite song from Nils), or Solo. It is beautiful and minimalist, one piano playing generally. But it also has a warm fuzzy feel with ambient noises (breathing etc) that may make it too messy or complicated for you. I find it all incredibly calming though, so give it a try and see what you think.
posted by shelleycat at 10:12 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by shelleycat at 10:12 AM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
Many great suggestions here, especially Arvo Part and Nils Frahm. Also try some of Brian Eno's ambient stuff (he has a four-part ambient series that I love, especially the first part, often considered the first ambient album).
For complex acoustic guitar, you want James Blackshaw. Hypnotic, does what a lot of minimalist composers did on piano except on acoustic guitar. He has an album with a composer named Lubomyr Melnyk too that's also very good.
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:27 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
For complex acoustic guitar, you want James Blackshaw. Hypnotic, does what a lot of minimalist composers did on piano except on acoustic guitar. He has an album with a composer named Lubomyr Melnyk too that's also very good.
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:27 PM on June 2, 2015 [1 favorite]
Brian Eno - Music for Airports.
So lovely.
posted by missrachael at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
So lovely.
posted by missrachael at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2015 [2 favorites]
I came here to recommend James Blackshaw, as well. Just a truly dazzling guitar player but never flashy. His whole discography is pretty great but The Cloud Of Unknowing is one of my favorite albums by any artist.
posted by saul wright at 1:30 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by saul wright at 1:30 PM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: Complex, acoustic, yet pure, but not guitar - I wonder if you might enjoy Seckou Keita & Catrin Finch’s duets for West African kora and Welsh harp (an example). Or the solo kora music of Toumani Diabaté.
posted by misteraitch at 1:32 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by misteraitch at 1:32 PM on June 2, 2015
Stars of the Lid's And Their Refinement of The Decline is an amazing album that does not use single instruments but largely deals in single melodies - I listen to it to read a lot.
The Wind-Up Bird's self-titled album is also a bit like this, though a bit more digital and sparkly.
En's The Absent Coast follows the same example if you like those. A bit more going on.
Hildur Guðnadóttir's Leyfðu Ljósinu is only cello and voice, and is extremely beautiful though it grows intense. (live, one take!)
Seconding James Blackshaw - his recent collaboration with Lubomyr Melnyk is particularly peaceful. Jack Rose's Kensington Blues is fabulous open-tuned blues guitar as well (the opening 3 tracks in particular) and Sir Richard Bishop's Fingering the Devil has some absolutely stunning, more flamenco style tracks.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:05 PM on June 2, 2015
The Wind-Up Bird's self-titled album is also a bit like this, though a bit more digital and sparkly.
En's The Absent Coast follows the same example if you like those. A bit more going on.
Hildur Guðnadóttir's Leyfðu Ljósinu is only cello and voice, and is extremely beautiful though it grows intense. (live, one take!)
Seconding James Blackshaw - his recent collaboration with Lubomyr Melnyk is particularly peaceful. Jack Rose's Kensington Blues is fabulous open-tuned blues guitar as well (the opening 3 tracks in particular) and Sir Richard Bishop's Fingering the Devil has some absolutely stunning, more flamenco style tracks.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 2:05 PM on June 2, 2015
Mum - Yesterday was dramatic, Today is OK album
posted by WeekendJen at 2:32 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by WeekendJen at 2:32 PM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: Glass Houses by Ann Southam is a minimalist classical piano piece (or set of pieces) that I really enjoy.
posted by uosuaq at 4:06 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by uosuaq at 4:06 PM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: The Silent Music of Mompou
Shostakovich's 15th String Quartet
Hindemith's song cycle The Young Maid (The 2nd to 6th of the songs should be automatically cued by y-t.)
(All of these are musically complex in many ways, but tend towards the still and are very pure.)
posted by bertran at 4:38 PM on June 2, 2015
Shostakovich's 15th String Quartet
Hindemith's song cycle The Young Maid (The 2nd to 6th of the songs should be automatically cued by y-t.)
(All of these are musically complex in many ways, but tend towards the still and are very pure.)
posted by bertran at 4:38 PM on June 2, 2015
Best answer: I recommend this at every opportunity because I love it so much: Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. So beautiful.
Also maybe try Riceboy Sleeps by Jónsi & Alex. Jónsi is the voice of Icelandic band Sigur Rós, who are less minimalist but also very good. Riceboy in one track features an accordion opening and closing - just the sound of the bellows, no notes being played. It might sound twee but it's amazing.
Also, just a thought, the minimalism and purity is part of the reason I love early music so much. Maybe give that a try? There's some samplers on Youtube that aren't much in the way of track listings, but gives you an idea.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:19 PM on June 2, 2015
Also maybe try Riceboy Sleeps by Jónsi & Alex. Jónsi is the voice of Icelandic band Sigur Rós, who are less minimalist but also very good. Riceboy in one track features an accordion opening and closing - just the sound of the bellows, no notes being played. It might sound twee but it's amazing.
Also, just a thought, the minimalism and purity is part of the reason I love early music so much. Maybe give that a try? There's some samplers on Youtube that aren't much in the way of track listings, but gives you an idea.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:19 PM on June 2, 2015
George Winston (although his piano may be New Age schlock to your ears)
posted by Rash at 10:20 PM on June 2, 2015
posted by Rash at 10:20 PM on June 2, 2015
Juana Molina
posted by WeekendJen at 12:11 PM on June 3, 2015
posted by WeekendJen at 12:11 PM on June 3, 2015
Windy & Carl come to mind.
Techno—in the sense of the specific, underground genre that originated in Detroit, not in the generic sense of "electronic dance music"—is probably the biggest and most active minimalist musical genre in 2015. In addition to the pounding, dancefloor-oriented variety of techno, there are vast swaths and numerous subgenres of more experimental, tea-and-a-nice-book techno which meet your description.
And there's this brief but heartbreakingly gorgeous piano piece from the Ink soundtrack.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 4:37 PM on June 12, 2015
Techno—in the sense of the specific, underground genre that originated in Detroit, not in the generic sense of "electronic dance music"—is probably the biggest and most active minimalist musical genre in 2015. In addition to the pounding, dancefloor-oriented variety of techno, there are vast swaths and numerous subgenres of more experimental, tea-and-a-nice-book techno which meet your description.
And there's this brief but heartbreakingly gorgeous piano piece from the Ink soundtrack.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 4:37 PM on June 12, 2015
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