118 Comments
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James Farrelly's avatar

Brian Eno.

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carmine's avatar

Thursday Afternoon is great focus music any day of the week for me

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James Farrelly's avatar

Quite right. I’ve found his recordings with Harold Budd most beneficial…On Land is otherworldly. Just a sonic masterpiece from one of the most innovative sound designers ever. Music for Installations (2018)…very fine.

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Raísa Boing's avatar

Music Has the Right to Children (album) by Boards of Canada

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Bill Higgins's avatar

Such an incredible record. Tomorrow's Harvest, from 2013, is pretty fantastic too.

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Joe's avatar

I've listened to that countless times since way back when. An all time fav

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Carolina de Assis's avatar

This is the best thread the internet has ever seen <3

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Paul Drinkwater's avatar

Nil's Frahm's latest (a triple set to get me through the afternoon) - Music for Animals

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erg art ink's avatar

Nils. Highlight. He plays and records the totality of the instrument. A creative and skilled defiance of tradition. Sonically beautiful boundary exploration.

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Ilsa Jerome's avatar

Inspired to check this out now; extended pieces are a good focus choice

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Fredrik Solbakk's avatar

Pacific by Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki and Tatsuro Yamashita is a recent favourite.

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Carolina de Assis's avatar

I'm loving it, thanks for the rec!

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Victor Torres's avatar

Hermanos Gutiérrez. Just pick any album.

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lupo's avatar

Love these guys!

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Evan Meagher's avatar

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score of the Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam War

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Jesse Robitaille's avatar

Reznor's music perfectly fills my writer's room—especially his soundtracks and other instrumentals. The lack of lyrics (and it's the same with jazz) often proves to be less of an overwhelming distraction.

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Josh M's avatar

A lot of Welsh language music so I can enjoy the melodies and lyrics, but don't have to concentrate too hard. Adwaith are perfect for it

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Ilsa Jerome's avatar

I relate to this; not Welsh specifically but selecting 'music in languages I do not know' - or music where the allegedly English lyrics are so undermixed that it is anyone's guess as to what they actually are.

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Wampus's avatar

Kid Koala - Space Cadet really flows my state

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T.'s avatar

Dustin O'Halloran, Ólafur Arnalds, Balmorhea, Johannes Bornlöf, Peter Sandberg, Alexandre Desplat, Max Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Austin Farwell, Yehezkel Raz, Andrea Vanzo, Alexis Ffrench, Philip Glass, Thibault Cauvin, Hans Zimmer

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epicuri's avatar

Elaine Radigue, Gavin Bryars, Brian Eno and some baroque music

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Floyd Garrett's avatar

I have been listening to Gavin Bryars Sinking of the Titanic for almost fifty years now. It holds up brilliantly. As does all of Brian Eno. Elaine Radigue--I have to check out. Thanks!

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Luiza B. Campos's avatar

No specific bands or musicians, but usually I like Jazz and Lo-fi music. Sometimes classic music as well.

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Pat Cartelli's avatar

Ólafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott - The Chopin Project

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Sean's avatar

Pumping myself up with some Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard

The Dark Knight (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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Sisyphus's avatar

Yes! The Dark Knight album used to be my go to study music. You should check out his live album released this month. Album title is just "LIVE".

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Paul K. Barnes's avatar

Thank you for informing me about the LIVE album! Listening to "Mombasa" as I type this. The energy is so excellent!

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Sean's avatar

Oh wow, thanks! It's in my queue!

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Jacqui Devaney's avatar

The Lost Art of Wandering by Raymond Richards. Cosmic slide guitar galore.

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Jared Nielsen's avatar

The correct answer is: Flow State recommendations ;)

* Methods Body, _Methods Body_

* Ellen Arkbro, _I get along without you very well_

* Bitchin Bajas, _Bajascillators_

* Qasim Naqvi, _Two Centuries_

* SAULT, _Air_

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Fabiano's avatar

I've very much enjoyed this playlist called "Working from Home 8 hours" (which is what I do, LOL!), from Poolside: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3NCKszCCLCqs0vf4jpcunD?si=a03852aff4094abe

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DylanW's avatar

Today I'm listening to The Herbaliser Band - Session 1 & 2. Instrumental versions of tracks from their other albums. It's just the right level of groovy and funky to sit nicely in the background whilst I work.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4DdPa01IS5X2clpf6Nw8Gs?si=yl79aSmRTPic_ofmxkXnhA

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Tord Helsingeng's avatar

Hania Rani

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Victor Torres's avatar

She is amusing!

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GG's avatar

Dirty Beaches, John Fahey

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Keith Lang's avatar

Jon Hopkins, Manu Zain, Above & Beyond (acoustic), The Midnight, Thomas Newman

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Lucia Täubler's avatar

Arooj Aftab. Big love for her voice and tenderness in making music.

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Ron Hogan's avatar

Nurse with Wound’s Soliloquy for Lilith, which runs nearly two hours… excellent for popping open a book and settling in!

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Andrew Hollo's avatar

Love seeing this here. I visited the band in London when I was there in 1986, around the time SFL was released.

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Ron Hogan's avatar

Cool!

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Michael Denner's avatar

French pop music from the 90s.

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Ilsa Jerome's avatar

More details? Bands, performers?

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Ilsa Jerome's avatar

Thanks!

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François D's avatar

John Lyell, Jacaszek, Markus Reuter, Harold Budd, Colleen, Photay, Chihei Hatakemaya, Arushi Jain, Phaeleh, Aleksi Perala...

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Bill Higgins's avatar

The instrumental second half of the album Low, by David Bowie.

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Paul Drinkwater's avatar

Also All Saints, his compilation of instrumentals that includes parts of the second halves of Low and Heroes

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erg art ink's avatar

I saw him play both Low, and Heroes live, complete with Brian Eno. Best concert ever.

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Ilsa Jerome's avatar

No artist in particular; I frequently visit the 'Lava Lamp' and 'Music for Plants' playlists. East Forest, Brian Eno, various baroque composers, Debussy, various jazz performers/arrangers, Chas Smith, Dobrawa Czocher [know nothing about them/him/her but I see that on my 'Study' playlist a lot], Brad Mehldau before introduction here, Oresund Space Station, Kaki King, Cavern of Anti Matter, Fridge. I am not counting music heard here or music I listened to while working but were unwise choices.

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lupo's avatar

Lava Lamp is awesome

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Abel B's avatar

Nils Frahm's 'Trippin with...'

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Philip Twine's avatar

Mainly deep house: Myna Cycles. Christian Löffler, Kiasmos.

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koparanis's avatar

Riuichi sakamoti JB Dunkel, Nikolas Godin

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erg art ink's avatar

Ryuichi 😍

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Genevieve's avatar

Mythic Sunship

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Ivan Abreu Luciano's avatar

All thing Son Lux and Liminal by The Acid!

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Andrew Hollo's avatar

Eliane Radigue (drone pieces)

Robert Rich (everything)

Klaus Schulze (late 70s long form pieces)

Biosphere (everything)

Stereolab (extended motorik beat pieces)

Trent Hawkins (weekly 90 minute free concerts on Soundcloud)

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GT's avatar

SB-10 by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

40+ minute instrumental single that came out just a couple of months ago!

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erg art ink's avatar

Because of this thread I found myself listening to Eliane Radique that so many of you listed. In art college 1974 it was required viewing to see “Wavelength” a film by fellow Canadian, Michael Snow, a pianist and experimental filmmaker. The soundtrack was exactly as the title suggests. In both cases their music invoked a subtle sense of irritation and hyper vigilance. The singularity of electronic tones; the not human expression.

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Benjamin DiCristina's avatar

Mary Lattimore

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Daniel Garber's avatar

Air by SAULT

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Paul K. Barnes's avatar

That and its sequel Aiir are two of my go-to albums for reading. Such beautiful arrangements.

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Sisyphus's avatar

Hans Zimmer's live album that came out this year. Great collection of his work!

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Ourland's avatar

Aphex Twin.

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Jay McCumber's avatar

Brian Eno, Ziyang Zhao, Kaki King, ...the Cercle channel on YouTube is a nice second screen setup.

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Chris L.'s avatar

Various series intros like House of Cards (Jeff Beal) and The Succession (Nicholas Britell) and some Prodigy, Com Truise, Martin Cilia...

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Jeremy W's avatar

I've been really into anything with an emphasis on organ and drums. For example, all recs from Flow State:

Trummor & Orgel

Medeski, Martin & Wood

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

Rosinha De Valença

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Graham Burrows's avatar

Skee Mask

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Umut Gökbayrak's avatar

Peter Gundry certainly gives some dark vibes while being one of the best composers who help me to focus. Goëtia is my favorite among his pieces.

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Andrei's avatar

Stars if the lid - almost anything

Shared moments by Ustad Alla Rakha & Zakir Hussain

Ryo Fukui- Mellow Dream

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Andrei's avatar

Stars *of the lid

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inkmatt's avatar

Robert Rich’s Echo of Small Things.

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Laurent's avatar

Hantologies by Quiet Voices

Immediate Horyzon by Alessandro Cortini

Incandescence by Hollan Holmes

Reminiscence by Hélène Vogelsinger

Ricochet, Rubicon et Quichotte by Tangerine Dream

Music for compline by Stile Antico

Indigo Road by Ronn Mcfarlann

As Above So Below by Ferry Corsten

Idle Chatter by Paul Lansky

Volcano by Saycet

Shamal by Gong

The Serpent's egg by Dead Can Dance

Stasis Sounds for Long-Distance Space Travel II by Lake

Caverns of Time by Evan Bartholomew

and also : Mount Shrine, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Abul Mogard, Poemme, Forgotten Future

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Danae DeShazer's avatar

FKJ - specifically, the Cercle FKJ feature on YouTube filmed in the middle of Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCNlt5nvSI8

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Mia Villarreal's avatar

The "If Beale Street Could Talk" score by Nicholas Britell is always my go to!

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erg art ink's avatar

Long time favourite soundtrack. From 1986. “37.2 degrees le matin” or as it was called in English. “Betty Blue” by the ever enchanting Gabriel Yared.

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