Going Instrumental
The one apparent trend in my musical tastes over the years, has been: Chill out and simplify. Over the past few years, rather than adding music of the same old rock and acoustic formula into my library, I’ve been chilling out and finding more instrumental music; music that illustrates a feeling rather than translating through lyrics, music that wanders off and sometimes never comes back, music that reaches a very simple, yet often deeper level than much of the music we often listen to the most.
I started off with soundtracks (and might I recommend the score to K-Pax, composed by Edward Shearmur), but eventually found my way into artists who write mainly instrumental music. From sparse tinkering on a piano, to layered organic and electronic elements, much of the music has opened a whole new perspective on listening and enjoying music.
One might conjure up images of a wimpy classical act when they hear the term instrumental, but there are many modern artists composing this type of music. While much of it is calm and relaxing, there are still rocking arrangements and plenty of energy to be found.
I’d like to share a few of my favorites.
(Note: Much of the following music is instrumental, but there are the occasional vocals. Usually used in a more distant and artistic manner)
- The Album Leaf
- Hauschka
- Explosions in the Sky
- Hammock
- Dustin O’Halloran
That should be a good starting point for anyone new to the genre. There are tons more artists out there. Feel free to suggest your instrumental favorites. I’m always game for some new music.
Check out one of my favorites, Story Board http://www.myspace.com/thealbumleaf
Alex Hoffman
alex.hoffman@ourvinyl.com
