I must admit I've been pretty stressed-out lately. The weeks approaching finals always sweep by - crammed with final quizzes and homework, 20-page research papers, practice finals, and other pests of academia.
I've noticed a trend in what I've been listening to lately: I've subconsciously shifted my playlists from all types of music (previously containing a good amount of metal due to Guitar Hero II) to stuff that is soothing and meditative. Interestingly enough, the music is still diverse. It goes to show that even though we have this categorized system of genres, similarities always exist between the most unobvious. Without further ado, I present to you a mix for crunch time. I encourage you to listen to it during next week's obligatory all-nighters:
Radiohead's Kid A is one of my favorite "chill-out" albums. It continues to be an experience every time I listen to it. Likewise, Thom Yorke's new album The Eraser is a great, mellow output of Kid A-era electronica.
After the subpar Guerolito, Beck's new album, The Information, is a superb return to the music he made on Guero - diverse, hip sonic collages that mesh hip-hop, psychedelia, electronica, and indie rock.
Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92 is extremely minimalist - containing only delicate percussion and soothing synthesizers - but also, in my opinion, is the most original ambient album of all time.
Nonetheless, the same grandiose statement can be said about Tangerine Dream's Phaedra. The album, originally released in 1974, was revolutionary for its time. It was probably the first album to create a captivating electronic trance environment akin to "space."
Likewise, if "space" describes Phaedra, then M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts can only be tracks properly described as "lush" and "trippy." It combines low-key shoegaze techniques with a barrage of inspired synthesizers.
Continuing with the shoegaze theme, Slowdive's Souvlaki also attests to this theme of "mellowness," but the band's music gets a little too depressing sometimes - unlike, say, Eyedazzler 1992-1996 by Alison's Halo or On Fire by Galaxie 500. All are worth listening to, however.
You don't just have to listen to electronica or obscure indie rock to feel mellow. For instance, one could also listen to some alleviating Bob Marley or Jimmy Buffett. Both have that "island escapism" feel to them. Jack Johnson, a former surfer and Hawaiian native, is a potential heir to this throne. I always feel confident that In Between Dreams will calm my nerves.
If you want to be a little more "serious" per se, there's Leonard Cohen and his modern emulator, Damien Rice. The Songs of Leonard Cohen and O both have the same dynamic: light acoustic guitar, melancholic vocals, and strings - very soothing, indeed.
For those looking for more worldly tunes, Ravi Shankar and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole are exactly what you're looking for. The former is an Indian sitar virtuoso who has composed skilled, meditative songs for half a century. The latter is the epitome of traditional Hawaiian music, playing lighthearted, ukulele-pop.
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