131 Comments

Have you had a listen to Craven Faults yet? Beautiful pure minimalist systems music, probably modular synth sounds, kind of site responsive to real and imagined rugged rural and post industrial places across Yorkshire in the North of England. I don’t know if anyone knows who Craven Faults which ends to their enigmatic charm https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pAxHOmaTLiUnC9WoXdsyN?si=-kRW2jeARUOY8V-dcxIQ_Q&dl_branch=1

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For work, one long piece is more cohesive than even the best album. So it’s got to be the hour-long Thursday Afternoon by Brian Eno.

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This is our favorite ambient piece of all time

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Max Richter – Sleep

Emily A. Sprague – Hill, Flower, Fog

Eluvium – Shuffle Drones (this is my go-to, never-fail work music)

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Todd Terje's "It's album Time" is one of my all time favourites! I like how it's energy ebbs and flows and explodes in some points and I always find myself happily chugging along

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I find the modern classical pieces by Ludovico Einaudi to be perfect focus music for work and study — they sound terrific but don’t require active listening

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Ryuichi Sakamoto! First heard his "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" sampled on Mike Posner's "Slow it Down" and been hooked ever since: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PkErX0Wrg1houLqEz0Qa0?si=4f3c272af675412a

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Bicep

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Nicola Cruz

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I've been working to a playlist of albums of Indian music. This is one of my favorites:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lnxE8pfib7wXuGGg3OzUmRDDq_oEwy9Y4&feature=share

Enchantment Compilation 2, by Karunesh (I know, such a compelling album title).

I had the privilege of traveling to India on a work trip two years ago, and during the one afternoon off we had, I hired a driver, and asked him to take me somewhere I could buy traditional music. He took me to a music store with some wonderfully knowledgeable people who hooked me up with 13 albums, almost all of which I adore. This one is great for working to, as there are no lyrics, but also great for active listening too.

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Tycho. Always Tycho, been working with that in the background for years. And Jóhann Jóhannsson, particularly Orphée

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Takes a deep breath, looks around, whispers....you ever just loop the track You Know You Know by Mahavishnu Orchestra?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9aH-bf3F3k

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Tales from the Loop (Soundtrack) by Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan. Endlessly repeatable.

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Joan Armatrading‘s eponymously titled album from 1976.

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Hania Rani - Music for Film and Theatre

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Nils Frahm - Music for the Motion Picture Victoria. I love working while listening to movie scores. If you listen closely, you can feel a story being told.

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This is one of our go-tos

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Finishing up my master's thesis and Floating Points is my go-to.

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Nicholas Britell - Succession OST (aka the best soundtrack ever)

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Edmund Welles is the world's only bass clarinet quartet. I like their album Imagination Lost, which only has one song with vocals. The rest of their music is entirely instrumental.

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Recommending 'HOAX' - an indie-pop band from USA.

"Hoax have had an unusual amount of attention for an abrasive hardcore band but their debut full-length cuts through the noise. The music is appropriately punishing but the sound is suprisingly varied, and the record's themes range from the highly political to the deeply personal." - Pitchfork

https://open.spotify.com/track/5HQEPZj6FdRkF0igKgzLDB?si=8dc2f2d5449049ef

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Max Cooper - Perpetual Motion

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Max Cooper - Perpetual Motion

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Biosphere. Instant concentration as soon as I recognize the sound.

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Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes *** What kinda music

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If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_These_Trees_Could_Talk) has been a constant for my high-productivity times. Instrumental metal. Very technical, not abrasive.

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desert sand feels warm at night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzc4IN14MYU

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Kiasmos's debut album:

https://open.spotify.com/album/7pBDu7nc2KaMsh0SfZMc2d?si=PLaWbYNzQ0KxtfswHMiPVA&dl_branch=1

It's perfect for late-night, deep flow state sessions!

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Ludovico Einaudi's "Cinema" came out at the beginning of June, and I've been starring in my own well-soundtracked movie ever since. There's enough variety to keep me alert and working without being overwhelmed. Especially good for that power stance at the standing desk.

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Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone. Sublime. https://open.spotify.com/album/6MRwmvbeOILb8LnrJcHv5W

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For something more upbeat, Perturbator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vsf3zYppP4)

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Big fan of Japanese Breakfast (atmospheric with lyrics - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MoIc5s9KXolCBH1fy9kkw?si=e1WrgPKbR-y6zS192r0AyQ&dl_branch=1) and The Tikiyaki Ochestra (no lyrics, chill vibes, some spoken word in intro/outro tracks - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kJPKUUnHCennOOEBxjidx?si=46CxzUkiRDGq13yYOgpXEg&dl_branch=1)

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I'm loving Francis Bebey. Super Jungle is an avant-synth call-and-response that drifts over funky bass and woodpecker percussion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBYB723DsAY

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Charlotte Cardin, Young singer from Montreal.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1G0YV9WooUBjrwDq0Q7EFK

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Toe — The book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety.

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the quarantine-made album Apartment Jazz by brazillian psychedelic group Jupiter Apple

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Just sent this recommendation yesterday via email, I hope you like it as well:

Hexsystem is the music alias of Justin Tomchuk, who has also gained cult following for his animation work under the alias of u m a m i. His web series ‘Interface’, from which he’s also the soundtrack composer, is a raw, gloomy and surreal story with a dark sense of humor and touches for cyberpunk. These elements are also present in his ambiental music works.

Interface Original Soundtrack Vol.1 - https://open.spotify.com/album/1h1YvwUSs6jzFkz7trP1Mm?si=eL1ZEWMNSzmwnKMfWzQ_7A&dl_branch=1

Solutions EP - https://open.spotify.com/album/2EGQrhr4o23mpf3BOujLFk?si=f_3M9EQ2TPi-Uyk7bKdW9Q&dl_branch=1

Problems EP - https://open.spotify.com/album/7zAdvXCmLxeq3x8D7udsuj?si=97f29a238fe4453a

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Amadou and Miriam. Great couple from Mali who makes awesome music with western instruments like electric guitar and some nice beats. Can highly recommend songs like Sabali and Mon Cheri.

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The album Building by Alex Bright. A good upbeat electronic album with just a little piano. Keeps you engaged and ready to take on the day.

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Analog session with Alexander Robotnick and Ludus Pinsky has an incredible drive, but does not take away your concentration. Played on analog modular synthesizers.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7lWWmp42iN1ZMsLFiF7h9N?si=XWyUTHEcSrKddn1MUx4h0Q&dl_branch=1

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Nat Bartsch's new album, Hope. Strings, piano, electronics. Dreamy and ethereal.

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Hiss Golden Messenger - whole back catalogue - he has a new album our Friday which is tipped to be the best yet - get on it people

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I'm listening to Boom Clap Bachelors, recommended to my by my 16 year old son :) https://music.apple.com/us/album/kort-f%C3%B8r-dine-l%C3%A6ber/272284262

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Sachi Kobayashi

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"Kagayaki" by Masakatsu Takagi

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I Won’t Be Home by Nebel Lang and Wombs by Jordan Christoff

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