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A song that was constructed to reduce anxiety
- chatmasta 7y agoThe song in the clickbait title is “Weightless” by Marconi Union.
- dang 7y agoWe've debaited the title above.
- xivzgrev 7y agoI actually feel more anxious listening to this song. The low synthesizer in background sounds like something is about to happen.
- adrianmonk 7y agoI see what you're saying about the synth, but what really makes me anxious is how the bass drum fades in and out. It's at a steady ~60 beats/minute, but at about 1 minute 30 seconds, it starts to get quiet, at points becoming inaudible, and the song goes from "this has a definite rhythm" feel to a "this doesn't have a definite rhythm" (or "I'm not sure") feeling. Then it keeps going away and coming back again.
- PascLeRasc 7y agoDefinitely don't listen to Disintegration Loops then.
- bobwaycott 7y agoThe song is here: https://youtu.be/j3X7vhvqi_E https://youtu.be/j3X7vhvqi_E
- jcims 7y agoSong with similar intro, much more effective at reducing anxiety - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vddl9TK5RqU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vddl9TK5RqU
- grumple 7y agoThe intro is definitely anxiety-inducing, though the rest of the song is super chill.
- downerending 7y agoThat's gonna give me a panic attack. Sibling's Pink Floyd works. Or here's one from my stack--the louder I play it, the more peaceful I feel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPnvYiCVfA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPnvYiCVfA
- Voltage 7y agoI'm with you on both counts. I like fast music without lyrics. Lyrics are distracting when I'm coding.
- twothamendment 7y agoIf they are songs I know well, lyrics don't bother me. If it is a new song I find it hard to concentrate because I'm busy listening.
- downerending 7y agoSame. Even without lyrics, familiar tracks are the best for zoning, for me.
- kingpiss 7y agowhat a bunch of baloney
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- lawlessone 7y agoI've listened to and enjoyed it , and i still feel dubious about the claim. Also article is 3 years old.
- ydnaclementine 7y agoNot affiliated, but just a fan: if you like this type of drone-type music, there are several variants on https://generative.fm https://generative.fm All the music is generated on your pc, not streamed
- amazing_stories 7y agoThanks for that great link. Much more relaxing than the playlist in the article. (I wish it worked in FireFox, but hey, whatever.)
- Reelin 7y agoIt's working in Firefox on Linux. You do need to allow some scripts from the author's third party domain though.
- Narann 7y agoI was wondering what license a music generated like this would be under?
- jolmg 7y agoIf it's generated on one's machine, maybe that person should hold copyright? Maybe that doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither would it make sense for the programmer of the music generation software to hold copyright over a song they never heard of and which might have been generated using data from the PC owner's machine. I'm also curious how copyright works here.
- edenshapiro 7y agohey
- IAmGraydon 7y agoClearly these guys have never heard of Sigur Ros. Go listen to Svefn-g-englar and tell me you aren’t chill as a cucumber.
- 0134340 7y agoSigur Ros is like magic. Bon Iver almost has that same effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T0cHQb39GY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T0cHQb39GY
- IAmGraydon 7y agoI’ve seen Sigur Ros live twice. The first time was great, but the venue wasn’t very good. The second time was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta a few years ago. To say it was a powerful experience is a huge understatement. Those guys somehow channel something much larger than themselves. There are really no words to describe it.
- wincy 7y agoWell I’m sorry it’s apparently not working for other folks, but I felt substantially calmer after listening to the song. My wife on the other hand didn’t like it at all. Thanks to whomever posted it.
- donnietrumpet 7y agohttps://moss.garden https://moss.garden is an ambient radio I listen to as a backdrop.
- lucasmullens 7y agoA song that is designed to relax people? Isn't that like, half of all music? It probably works for most people, but it's not exactly a novel claim to say that music can calm people.
- hndamien 7y agoI've seen this headline so often in so many forums that I think that this is a streaming scam.
- throweFs37bCh 7y agoMy anxiety is triggered by things like blood, heart rate, being made conscious of automatic processes in the body. So any sort of "this slows your heart" type of beat will actually increase my anxiety. I can't even listen to this track.
- throwaway158563 7y agoI was in this situation for more than a decade up until a few years ago. Was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I used to have panic attacks after discovering my heart wasn't beating at the resting rate according to Wikipedia, or when my skin felt a little dry and I thought I was having a heart failure. But once I started taking antidepressants, it almost completely went away (in addition to other techniques to take my mind off of myself when needed).
- lawlessone 7y agoAre you in your 20s by any chance? that's when i started to get paranoid about all that stuff, and then it faded.
- kcdev 7y agoI couldn't dig it - but I like the article and idea. Other readers: what are some of your favorite chill background tracks? I'm on Hippie Sabotage lately.
- byproxy 7y agoI wouldn't call this background music. In fact, I'd say it works best when you give it your full attention with eyes closed. Nevertheless, 'Music for 18 Musicians' is a go-to when I need to simmer down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILpCKQlDmhc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILpCKQlDmhc
- meowface 7y agoSteve Reich and that particular piece are awesome. I'm not quite sure how "relaxing" his music is for me, but it can definitely induce trance-like states, and in general it's just good music. I also like this rendition of Piano Counterpoint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM4t2Kvpv0Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM4t2Kvpv0Y If you like Steve Reich, I'd also recommend Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven (and all his other albums pretty much).
- byproxy 7y ago'R Plus Seven' got major play from me when it came out! :) I think the 'trance-like state' is what I find relaxing. It's basically meditation. I've been listening to the ECM recording since I posted that, and I'm realizing that's not my preferred recording. I really like the recording done by the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xzyzgqEk5U&list=PLkqUzfbYHJ0ZOirbiPn7ny-wB5mJdq01j https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xzyzgqEk5U&list=PLkqUzfbYHJ... Also, this version by Rough Fields, which uses non-standard instrumentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DULIr7kskM8&list=PL21HssoFMqJ23Q_4utaGiYDkXUlD6HKBe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DULIr7kskM8&list=PL21HssoFMq...
- nemo1618 7y agoI unironically enjoy listening to this 16-second loop on repeat for 50 minutes: https://youtu.be/8snzt-umd0g https://youtu.be/8snzt-umd0g More recently, Haircuts for Men: https://youtu.be/XZUiPCGjej8 https://youtu.be/XZUiPCGjej8
- aasasd 7y agoWell, that's a pretty standard ambient-ish soundscape bordering on ‘chill-out’, though thankfully not as cheesy as a whole lot of them. For me, dub music (not dubstep) was the most astoundingly un-aggressive music. Back in the past, I ran Bill Laswell's compilations two times a day: on the morning subway to doze for twenty minutes, and when falling asleep at night. Not really a surprising quality, since the genre is essentially produced as ganja in musical form. Note that you won't hear half of the music if your speakers don't handle deep bass. https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/trojan-dub-massive-volume-two https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/trojan-dub-massive-vo... (Ever since the name-stealing dubstep occupied the web while having nothing to do with dub, I have to exclude it every time when searching for the latter.) Even though the genre evolved decently into the 90s–2000s, with British and French bands like Alpha & Omega, Twilight Circus, High Tone, and Laswell & Jah Wobble's productions—I still find myself returning to simpler tunes when looking to drop out of the daily race. IMO Sun Araw later grokked quite well that dub can be more trippy than ‘psychedelic’ genres. And Hype Williams are excellent bearers of this torch, though not in the sub-bass range. https://sunaraw.bandcamp.com/track/horse-steppin-3 https://sunaraw.bandcamp.com/track/horse-steppin-3 https://youtube.com/watch?v=YMwsmam5X4Q https://youtube.com/watch?v=YMwsmam5X4Q, https://youtube.com/watch?v=rHCYKkU8jto https://youtube.com/watch?v=rHCYKkU8jto Ah, and in regard to ‘classical’ music, I'm a big fan of Swingle Singers' renditions of Mozart, from ‘A Cappella Amadeus’. They're magical for me somehow: I was able to have their songs on both alarm clock and ringtone, for years, without coming to hate them. This is while being cold to both ‘classical music’ and acappella in general. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLWdHh39p0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLWdHh39p0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e06TWt4jvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e06TWt4jvg
- girvo 7y agoI mean heck even dubsteps original releases (Skream’s Midnight Request Line for example) retains the non-aggressiveness. Bro-step ruined it all haha
- grawprog 7y agoAgreed, the music from the original british dubstep scene had a lot more in common with dub music than what became popular dubstep. It was mostly heavy bass ran through a low pass filter with the frequency cutoff set up to an oscillator giving it that wobbly wubbing sound. Dub music itself was actually more popular with the british audience than jamaican audience. Producers like Mad Professor and Scientist and even King Tubby made their dub records specifically to release in England.
- meowface 7y agoHere are some ambient songs by Aphex Twin which I also find very calming. Stone In Focus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q86g1aop6a8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q86g1aop6a8 Rhubarb - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWIqXzvX-U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AWIqXzvX-U Tha - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGC90fmf8gw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGC90fmf8gw Avril 14th - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6dGAZTj8xA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6dGAZTj8xA
- tartoran 7y agoYes, these scratch my itch when im in the right mood. I also find Boards of Canada quite relaxing even though it is a dark nostalgic type with beats. I think repetition in general has different trance inducing effects on ones mood
- jhymn 7y agoAlong the same line is Deepchord, a dub techno band I've been getting into lately. Can't wait for the next BoC release though!
- Cthulhu_ 7y agoWouldn't put Aphex Twin on as a playlist though, since he also has https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqayDnQ2wmw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqayDnQ2wmw. Great video and music, but anything but anxiety reducing.
- Synaesthesia 7y agoIt can be anxiety reducing if you’re actively listening to it and enjoying it. If it’s in the background and your trying to do something else it will probably cause anxiety.
- JosephRedfern 7y agoAnother somewhat unsettling Aphex Twin song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p71GvWkLw9k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p71GvWkLw9k
- herodotus 7y agoI note that "Canzonetta Sull'aria" is Number 9 on the list. Much more my cup of tea, especially when both it becomes a duet. The opera it comes from, The Marriage of Figaro, is one of my all time favourites. To me the secret sauce is that, even though the Opera is a "Opera Buffa" (comic opera), and indeed has all the element of sitcom: mistaken identities, life altering discoveries, disguises, people hiding under chairs, broken flower-pots, and yet some of the aria's, such as Sull'aria, are poignant and heartbreaking. Consider, for example, "Dove sono i bei momenti" (Where are all those beautiful moments), where the countess yearns for the time when she and the count fell in love. If you want to see what I mean, listen to Rene Fleming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7Fr8Z-rFQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_7Fr8Z-rFQ) - the aria starts at about 1:57. Stunning.
- SkyMarshal 7y ago/second the Sull’aria. It’s possibly the most beautiful duet ever composed [1]. Shawshank Redemption had a memorable tribute to it [2]. As for the overall opera Le Nozze di Figaro, there’s a good scene in Amadeus where Salieri praises it [3]. [1]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnlsLBMzLQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnlsLBMzLQo [2]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzuM2XTnpSA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzuM2XTnpSA [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTfiboMetpY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTfiboMetpY
- billfruit 7y agoSome of Bach is very soothing, especially the Mass in B Minor, like this Donna Nobis Pacem from it: https://youtu.be/v8yOP9EUIY8 https://youtu.be/v8yOP9EUIY8
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- tartoran 7y agoI'm surprised nobody mentions Brian Eno. He was a pioneer in ambient music and contributed to a lot of other genres. Look him up if you never heard of him.
- Magufn 7y agoYes. His first "Ambient" release, "Music for Airports", back in 1978 was designed to induce a calming effect. It is very effective as I can testify since I've been using it for decades now to sleep. The fact that it doesn't appear on the list by the researches cited in this article suggests a grave oversight. Music for Airports was also the first in a series by Eno designed to take advantage of his "ambient speaker technigue" wherein you take a third speaker, in addition to the stereo pair, place it behind the listener, and connect it's two terminals to the two + (positive) terminals each channel on your amplifier. Call it poor man's quadraphonic. It basically sends side information (or any signal not present on the other channel such as an instrument panned all the way to one side) to this third speaker. It sounds great.
- toomanyrichies 7y agoI first heard "Deep Blue Day" on the soundtrack for "Trainspotting", and was immediately a fan. I subsequently heard "Force Marker" on the "Heat" soundtrack and was amazed to discover it was by the same musician. "Music For Airports" is a classic.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- solarkraft 7y agoHere's a song that never fails to calm me down: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
- enb 7y agoNicely played, sir
- ddrt 7y ago:/ I’m terrified of drones so this didn’t work.
- shoo 7y agoTwo recommendations: Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaSi7Gut7xM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaSi7Gut7xM shop link: https://boomkat.com/artists/stars-of-the-lid https://boomkat.com/artists/stars-of-the-lid Thomas Köner - Daikan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICcK6Li5OfM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICcK6Li5OfM shop link: https://boomkat.com/products/daikan https://boomkat.com/products/daikan (disclosure: no affiliation with boomkat or the artists, i just love the music & think it is worth supporting)
- huffmsa 7y agoI find it very interesting how either more people are anxious and scared this go disaster, or we're just talking about it more. I don't remember there being this much discussion about reducing anxiety in past crises. I'm also not one to get anxious by this kind of stuff, much more hyped to take on the increased stakes. So it's been a lot of DOOM OST for me. Rip and Tear baby.
- thdrdt 7y agoSome years ago I had developed an anxiety disorder. That's why I think this article makes no sense. I got anxious of the most stupid things. This was also triggered by some music. It doesn't matter if the music is calming. What matters is what is happening in your head. It seems to be the trend to meditate or to listen to soothing music when you are anxious. But please: if you are really having issues with anxiety: go see the doctor.
- verylittlemeat 7y agoI really have to agree with you. Anxiety is more than being anxious for a reason. Sometimes I will be sitting down perfectly content and all of a sudden my heartbeat will start racing for no reason and I start to panic and everything spirals out of control.
- grumple 7y agoTry "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook". It has some techniques for helping. I know that what helped me was just understanding that this is a physiological and psychological phenomena, a positive feedback loop.
- 0134340 7y agoI get that music can be calming but also agree, I've had the issue before and I've heard it called 'relaxation anxiety' or something. Like a baby trying to fight their sleep, when things feel too calm it can be unnerving and the body wants to fight it.
- michalu 7y agoI wonder if they measured some other music too. I'm pretty sure listening to something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Y_ztEW1NE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Y_ztEW1NE will do equally good or better job in reducing anxiety. Why not listen to sounds that are both great and calming instead of just calming.
- DanBC 7y agoAnxiety has a couple of different meanings. There's the everyday use of the word, and I guess calming music would help with that. I like Phillip Glass (which a lot of people find surprising for calming music) or Max Richter's Sleep. But if anxiety interferes with your day to day life and causes significant distress it might be an anxiety disorder. There are a few different things under the class of anxiety disorder so I'm not going to list symptoms. Luckily, often they've very treatable. Current advice is to start with psycho-education, then step up to a talking therapy (and cognitive behaviour therapy has a good evidence base, it's short and should be affordable), and if that's not working to step up to a combination of meds and a more intensive talking therapy. Anxiety disorders cause many years of life lost to disability, and they can be really distressing for people.
- michal-franc 7y agoI have anxiety problems and Ligts Out Asia band was always helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsXy9ATlb_o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsXy9ATlb_o Also Max Richter <3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVN1B-tUpgs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVN1B-tUpgs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQmepDPg6I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQmepDPg6I
- tokamak-teapot 7y agoIf you like this kind of thing, there's a whole radio station of drone-type music with barely-there beats here: https://somafm.com/dronezone/ https://somafm.com/dronezone/
- thom 7y agoDoesn't really do it for me. The 'Early Riser' tune on my iPhone, which I use to wake up in the morning, is the only alarm sound I have had in my entire life that doesn't strike doom into my heart. I can go back through ringtones or alarm sounds I've used for the last 10-15 years and every one more or less triggers panic even to this day but that one.
- xkapastel 7y agoIs this actually a real study? Why don't they link to the paper? Mindlab International calls itself a "neuromarketing" group...this reads more like an advertisement than a report on a real scientific study.
- rv-de 7y agothe absolute and ultimate soothing "song" for me is the one I found in the sleepa Android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.relaxio.sleepo&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.relaxio.sl...). You have to open the "meditation" section and activate the sound represented by three stones on top of another. I'm not affiliated with that app in any way. I've been listening to this sound several orders of magnitude longer than any other sound or song. It's absolutely mesmerizing. There's something very specific about I just can't find anywhere else. It's a simple layering of very simple melodies. If you have something similar to suggest I'm interested!
- theMajorMinor 7y agoDoes anyone have a copy of the research paper? Also does anyone else find the organisation who sponsored the research (Mindlab) to be creepy? https://themindlab.co.uk/ https://themindlab.co.uk/
- toomanyrichies 7y agoI remember hearing Underworld's "Please Help Me" years and years ago, and it's now my go-to song for reproducing the effects this article mentions. Another good one by Underworld is "Toobee". Happy to have another track to add to that collection. "Please Help Me"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AliwSLa0ebA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AliwSLa0ebA "Toobee"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjdVi20fCDI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjdVi20fCDI