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Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by alva on Sunday February 21, 2016 @09:01PM (#11147881)
While we are at it, the following is a selection of musicians whose work for me is both sedative and promotes focus (an oxymoron?). Ambient music usually garners a few sniggers, "this is what they play in spas" "whale music" etc, however in my experience can be an incredibly rewarding and effective method of relaxation and enjoyment.

Gas (Wolfgang Voigt) - Pop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s--IkNqI9og

Brian Eno - Discreet Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE6nQ0lkLdY

Willits + Sakamoto - Reticent Reminiscence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdJdDwi1RS4&list=RDdskvPFt7w...

Aphex Twin - Stone in Focus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG16BTj5qT4

Bvdub - A Moment's Peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exr3IAMaLPM

cv313 - Beyond The Clouds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqrRIDd5pSk

If you enjoy this type of music I thoroughly recommend the Headphone Commute blog. Apologies if a bit off topic.

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by ulrikrasmussen on Monday February 22, 2016 @01:46AM (#11149004)
Great list! Listening to "Gas", I thought you might also like

Fennesz - Venice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWAghDS6s4Q&list=PLKtI6DyKnY...

And while we're at it, just a few of my favorites:

Greg Haines - Slumber Tides: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmMDkZhl_R4

Nest - Retold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r69TiaIE4uo&list=PLaAArUShcY...

Murcof - (Ulysses, Martes, Remembranza - all great): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMPaSdC1ncw&list=PLhoTtA1a63...

Iso 68 - Zwei Engel Korrigiert : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NvkPmMHGBI

Edit: And thank you for the Headphone Commute link - it looks like a great source!

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by unicornporn on Monday February 22, 2016 @04:54AM (#11149720)
Best list I found in this thread yet. Am I the only one that likes to work to (mostly) instrumental sludge metal and post-rock?

ISIS — Celestial (2000) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8XN-3YZL5Y

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by ulrikrasmussen on Monday February 22, 2016 @11:11AM (#11151799)
I'm glad you like it :). I think ambience and soundscapes should still have interesting musical elements. If it only works as background noise, then I get bored by it.

I've also listened to Isis quite a lot, mostly "Oceanic", which is great. There is a pretty good remix album of "Oceanic" that opens with a remix by Fennesz.

Let me just throw a few more out there:

Antenne (two albums, just called #1 and #2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xel8T2A_pKk

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Englabörn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StuK0Bxoe2g&list=PL0dYx2N3BT...

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Here Be Dragons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyORieDhpkg

Kreng - Grimoire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU12fCP5AqY

La Grande Bellezza - Original Sound Track (sans disco tracks): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO8DqDWBzLI&list=PLf8QJjyzKL...

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by muntoo on Tuesday February 23, 2016 @04:01AM (#11157522)
That's probably one of my key focus bands... though I'd probably list:

ISIS — Oceanic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2C8Z1Keluk

ISIS — Panopticon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA2AJIiw0p8

ISIS — In The Absence of Truth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atCKkDusJkc

The latter being a more accessible, earthlier sound (with no growling); yet the former two being the greater works.

Additionally, some classic post-rock masterpieces by GY!BE:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor — F# A# ∞ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy4IsC5eb7o

Godspeed You! Black Emperor — Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZwQeZh6rP0

As a track is named, the former is bleak, uncertain, beautiful; both melancholic and uplifting with despairing wails and wavering cries of tears and joy. The second is the more known GY!BE album, which is just as good.

Nowadays, I just listen to whatever strikes my mood (I can tune most stuff out), but the ones I listed above were particularly good for focusing during essay writing.

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by adcsd on Monday February 22, 2016 @06:00AM (#11149967)
I work to much of the same type of music, although I tend to group instrumental post-rock/post-punk (e.g. isis, pelican, russian circles, mono) with some electronic (e.g. ratatat) and small amounts of punk (tragedy/hhig, neurosis). Compared to what I usually listen to, the brain.fm focus channel didn't do anything for me.
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by unicornporn on Monday February 22, 2016 @09:46AM (#11151057)
Then we're two at least. :)
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by timje1 on Monday February 22, 2016 @12:03PM (#11152299)
This sounds amazing, brilliant recommendation!

If anyone is into similar stuff I recommend Meshuggah - Catch Thirty Three -> it keeps me programming for hours at a time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mfMC2DIA1A&list=PLe8GYqVK4w...

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by minikomi on Sunday February 21, 2016 @10:29PM (#11148231)
Some of my favorites:

Sakamoto Ryuichi / Alvo noto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8miUl08uog

William Basinski - Disintegration Loop series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYOr8TlnqsY

Ben Frost - by the throat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rjcipcBibc

Keith Fullerton Whitman - Playthroughs

https://vimeo.com/8156237

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by picklesman on Sunday February 21, 2016 @09:55PM (#11148122)
Great list.

Stars of the Lid makes some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. It's ambient, made with strings and heavily processed guitar. The songs develop into these breathing like rhythms that just push some sort of button in me.

I can listen to it while working, or just on its own really loud to make the details come out.

Stars Of The Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et_lDyRymrw

The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaSi7Gut7xM

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by trophycase on Monday February 22, 2016 @02:23AM (#11149137)
Gas and SOTL are my two favorite ambient artists.
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by mrspeaker on Sunday February 21, 2016 @10:15PM (#11148187)
Oh, these are fantastic... spent the last hour sampling them. Thanks for the Headphone Commute tip!

While we're listing things, and on a quite different note (much more "pop" - perhaps too distracting given the context of this post), I'd add the Fez OST (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYL-5N08JtA)... it's like chiptune Vangelis, and lovely for working and/or on a plane.

(also, Vangelis).

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by unwound on Sunday February 21, 2016 @09:52PM (#11148111)
Gas is one of my favorite artists of all time. While I think Pop is a fantastic album, his best is Zauberberg.

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

This album breathes warmth into my soul. So hauntingly beautiful that I think about these soundscapes on a daily basis.

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by sneak on Sunday February 21, 2016 @10:18PM (#11148194)
> Gas is one of my favorite artists of all time. While I think Pop is a fantastic album, his best is Zauberberg.

Perhaps under that alias. His minimal acid techno is also unparalleled.

Mike Ink - Playtex (Dadajack): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O30AGIUofRw

Mike Ink & Andreas Dorau - Das Telefon Sagt Acid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPFZ-JxQdtc

(He (Wolfgang Voigt) goes by Mike Ink, Gas, M:I:5, Studio 1, Wassermann, et al.)

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by ilovefood on Monday February 22, 2016 @02:03AM (#11149079)
I am totally digging your style
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by AndrewUnmuted on Monday February 22, 2016 @10:23AM (#11151366)
If you're a fan of such relaxing, ambient fare, I would strongly recommend you check out the fantastic compilation release, 'I Am the Center' [1]. It's got some fantastic selections, including an Eno piece, spanning 1950 - 1990.

[1] http://lightintheattic.net/releases/943-i-am-the-center-priv...

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by melloclello on Sunday February 21, 2016 @09:41PM (#11148069)
Cannot stop listening to that Gas album. Also Ryuichi Sakamoto has a golden touch. See Loscil, Lawrence English, Nest for more of this kind of music
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by ascorbic on Monday February 22, 2016 @03:19AM (#11149356)
Need to mention the original: The KLF - Chill Out.
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by zennit on Monday February 22, 2016 @03:24AM (#11149368)
My go to source is http://www.buzzoutroom.com/chillout/ been around for years and always introduces me to new artists, great playlist.
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by khaledh on Sunday February 21, 2016 @10:55PM (#11148339)
Some of my favorite tracks to code to:

Solar Fields - Sol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNiD9M59FQE

Solar Fields - Discovering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoYkxKWNzoo

Jerome Isma ae - Underwater Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TINBQPpVi0

Bedroom Lullaby - Kisses In the Rain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOZGKjLoo64

Royksopp - Royksopp Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM_txL43iFM

Shpongle - Around the World in a Tea Daze https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHlidfF7nK8

Hol Baumann - Benares (Varanaci Edit) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAKATOLXFOw

H.U.V.A. Network - Something Heavens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxI7x5G4nJk

Delerium - Tectonic Shift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JStpiAOLLKQ

Delerium - Terra Firma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKUxE8UE7S0

Angel Tears - Ishka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmwiYy1caxA

Tempted by Collide (Conjure One Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8llGPB8sAM

Trafik - Hard to Resist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DmSeClpuAM

Joey Fehrenbach - Behold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzZckyU9ylw

Rob Dougan - Nothing At All (instrumental) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxofkW5iPpI

Jens Gad - Glass Palace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF4H0n-dMyg

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by agentgt on Monday February 22, 2016 @12:08PM (#11152342)
Sounds like you have similar taste to me. Do you have a spotify playlist? (I posted mine already so ctrl-f for my screen name) .
Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by khaledh on Monday February 22, 2016 @01:28PM (#11153051)
I don't use spotify. But you're right, your playlist has a lot in common of what I like.

I usually use http://www.jango.com which allows me to create my own radio station by specifying a few artist names, and it will play tracks similar in taste to those artists. I know there are other sites like that, but I'm not sure if spotify has a similar feature. The thing is I don't like playing a fixed playlist over and over, I prefer things being a bit more random, although following the same taste.

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by thirdsun on Monday February 22, 2016 @02:40AM (#11149200)
Let me add a few more for anyone interested:

- Harold Budd - Jane 1-11 / Jane 12-21 / Avalon Sutra (I really think Jane 1-11 is the gold standard for ambient music.)

- Porya Hatami - The Garden: https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/the-garden

- Hotel Neon - Hotel Neon: https://hotelneon.bandcamp.com/

- Pausal - Sky Margin: https://ownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sky-margin

- Jared Smith - Fjall: https://ownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fjall

- Gigi Masin - Talk To The Sea: https://music-from-memory.bandcamp.com/album/talk-to-the-sea

- Gigi Masin - Wind: https://music-from-memory.bandcamp.com/album/wind-3

- Gaussian Curve - Clouds: https://music-from-memory.bandcamp.com/album/clouds

- Takeshi Nishimoto - Lavandula: http://www.sonicpieces.com/sonicpieces018.html

- Bing & Ruth - Tomorrow Was The Golden Age: https://bingruth.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-was-the-golden-...

- Nuojuva - Valot Kaukaa: http://www.preservation.com.au/product/nuojuva-valot-kaukaa

- Imprints - Data Trails: https://sereinlabel.bandcamp.com/album/data-trails

---

In case anyone is interested in this kind of music, there's a very related Spotify Playlist I maintain and very carefully curate: https://open.spotify.com/user/michaelfeihstel/playlist/10IcC...

Re:AI generated music to improve focus, relaxation and sleep by wercab on Monday February 22, 2016 @05:35AM (#11149867)
I have Erothyme on repeat for most of my work: https://erothyme.bandcamp.com/album/circadia