(no subject)

[afuna]

I've never dealt well with background music. Unless it's very familiar, my brain latches onto it, and I get distracted too much. I can't shut it out.

But someone linked me to a performance of Smooth Criminal by two guys on cellos (pretty cool), and I clicked through to the related playlist -- and accidentally discovered that apparently soft music without words works as background music for me.

It's really quite soothing.

ETA: hmm and now I'm tempted to delete all my songs and start over *g*

Comments

[foxfirefey]

Try the Vitamin String Quartet then!

[ofearthandstars]

^Seconds this.

[afuna]

Ooooh nice exactly what I was looking for next. Thanks!

[syntheid]

Ooh, I'm really liking this first song, ahah. Bourne + Vivaldi = win.

I like listening to a lot of original scores because they're all wordless and that does tend to be less distracting. Also less likely to make me suddenly pitch a fit with being annoyed at one song out of the mix, because I'm really odd about music.

Might I suggest Clint Mansell? Also might like Apocalyptica, if you haven't heard them before.

[afuna]

I hadn't heard of either before. Those are pretty soothing *g*

(HmmmI had not thought of looking specifically for original scores as a source of wordless music. Thanks for the idea!)

[james]

Oh, I always listen to instrumental music for this very reason! I highly recommend everything by The Piano Guys and Ludovico Einaudi (piano) and Jesse Cook (modern flamenco guitar and jazz) (some of his songs have singing, many don't).

I tend to put one album on repeat and listen to it over and over for weeks. ;-) But the newest Piano Guys album just makes me happy when I listen to it. Music with words just doesn't tend to do that.

[afuna]

Oh man the Piano Guys are *awesome*. Definitely my favorite so far!

[alexbayleaf]

Yes, this! I have the same problem. I used to listen to a lot of baroque and capital-C-Classical while working, and before that I used to listen to various kinds of 90s electronica. These days I'm rather fond of Zoe Keating. If you're enjoying cello stuff off the internet, definitely look her up.

[afuna]

...what is she doing with sound? That is pretty cool, thanks for the rec.

[alexbayleaf]

She's looping her cello over itself using Ableton Live and pedals and stuff. If you check youtube there are a number of videos of her doing it live.

[vass]

Yay for finding something that works!

For me, instrumental background music doesn't work either, because my brain foregrounds that too, but some forms of white noise can work. I like rain sounds.

[afuna]

Raaaain. I've lately been falling asleep to rain sounds (not real ones alas hehe)

[zarhooie]

I have the same issue. Just about anything by Sigur Ros works well as background noise for me. I like this song in particular.

[afuna]

Oh man not available in my country. But I've been checking out some of the other songs and I like them :)

[ofearthandstars]

I have the issue where I *need* background music, particularly when working at home and there are boys and noise around, but then the background music is usually distracting. Sometimes instrumental music just works... noise-cancelling headphones also do wonders, though. :D

Oooh! And maybe check out God is an Astronaut (esp. "Rememberance Day").

[afuna]

I've started sleeping with earplugs in but can't do it in the daytime because conspicuous :x

(Oh that is haunting and pretty, perfect for some of my moods. Thanks for the rec)

[ninetydegrees]

We have a few instrumental songs at onesongaday. I'm not sure there are any you'd like but who knows?

[afuna]

Hee well there's a bunch, so I will go check that out thank you *g*

[exor674]

I tend to listen to Gaelic Celtic music when I'm distracted by music -- it not being in English, and the fact that Gaelic is a quite pretty language when sung, and sounds closer to an instrument then words -- which prevents me from latching on to it. It's a little more interesting then instrumental too.

[afuna]

Oh coolness *G* I'm not sure I need something interesting (too interesting is generally my problem, can't filter it out well on my own *rueful*) but I'm glad you've got what works for you!