Instrumental Music You Listen To

[ribbons]

Now listening to "Galatea's Guitar" by guitarist Gábor Szabó, whose music comprised Hungarian, Gypsy jazz, Indian and pop elements.  Guiro textures courtesy of percussionist Hal Gordon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrH8-PHjyGE

[ribbons]

Paul McCartney, London Symphony Orchestra and Lorna Mar Quartet - Working Classical

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEBOakqRXFs&list=OLAK5uy_nwUHpqr1gkUa8ZJ_jyno_jkcLt8QaLzbI&index=7

[Gandalf]

This playlist by sonemic.com (a.k.a rateyourmusic.com) is my go-to playlist when working:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PYLCMJlYimZJvJuJOZ2Rm?si=cefed4fd5d104a13

It's over 63 hours of instrumental music spanning almost every genre you can think of, and varies from well-known artists to the more obscure.

[Psy-Fi]

Now listening to "Galatea's Guitar" by guitarist Gábor Szabó, whose music comprised Hungarian, Gypsy jazz, Indian and pop elements.  Guiro textures courtesy of percussionist Hal Gordon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrH8-PHjyGE

That's not only one of my all-time favorite instrumental albums, it's also my favorite album by Gábor Szabó.

[TheBig3]

[Lisnaholic]

My initial reaction when I saw this thread was, "Right! I love instrumental music!" , but after glancing at my cds and music files, I have to revise that downwards. Contrary to Psy-Fi, who now listens to more instrumental music, I've gone in the opposite direction:-

I used to listen to lots of acoustic guitar albums: Fahey, Kottke and the lesser known Stefan Grossman or John James
Also used to listen to a lot of Tangerine Dream and early electronica. Anyone remember Bo Hanson?
Some elec blues guitarists have what are essentially instrumental albums, with lyrics confined to one or two tracks: Roy Buchanan, Dereck Trucks, Danny Gatton.
Then there's a whole bunch of jazz stuff and world music, which I'm more inclined to listen to today, but that would take a long time to list out.

Bottom line: I'm not a purist about instrumental music, but I often listen and re-listen to music because of the instrumental sections it has - a good example being my fave band, The Allman Brothers: short verse + llllooooonnnggg instrumental sections + short verse. That's a song structure I really like, where the lyrics are reduced to bookends that work well, just to tether the song back to the ground, and let in a bit of human content as well, which is something I yearn for if I've been listening to too much TDream. (Sorry, Mrs. Waffles )   

[Lexi Darling]

My initial reaction when I saw this thread was, "Right! I love instrumental music!" , but after glancing at my cds and music files, I have to revise that downwards. Contrary to Psy-Fi, who now listens to more instrumental music, I've gone in the opposite direction:-

I used to listen to lots of acoustic guitar albums: Fahey, Kottke and the lesser known Stefan Grossman or John James
Also used to listen to a lot of Tangerine Dream and early electronica. Anyone remember Bo Hanson?
Some elec blues guitarists have what are essentially instrumental albums, with lyrics confined to one or two tracks: Roy Buchanan, Dereck Trucks, Danny Gatton.
Then there's a whole bunch of jazz stuff and world music, which I'm more inclined to listen to today, but that would take a long time to list out.

Bottom line: I'm not a purist about instrumental music, but I often listen and re-listen to music because of the instrumental sections it has - a good example being my fave band, The Allman Brothers: short verse + llllooooonnnggg instrumental sections + short verse. That's a song structure I really like, where the lyrics are reduced to bookends that work well, just to tether the song back to the ground, and let in a bit of human content as well, which is something I yearn for if I've been listening to too much TDream. (Sorry, Mrs. Waffles )   

Perfectly fair! Personally I feel a very powerful humanity and organic quality in the analog synthesizer music of TD and other 70s electronic artists, certainly compared to a lot of electronic music of the computer era. But I see what you mean.

And I absolutely adore Bo Hansson, a hidden gem of instrumental prog. Now I have a craving to listen to some of his stuff, so thanks!

[Psy-Fi]

Dominic Frontiere - The Outer Limits (Original 1963 TV Soundtrack)

Top-notch instrumental music for a top-notch sci-fi series from a top-notch composer. 'Nuff said. 

[Lisnaholic]

^ I don't think that program aired on British tv, and so the music didn't have much impact over there.

Perfectly fair! Personally I feel a very powerful humanity and organic quality in the analog synthesizer music of TD and other 70s electronic artists, certainly compared to a lot of electronic music of the computer era. But I see what you mean.

Quite right, Mrs.Waffles. I'd be a fool to suggest that instrumental music cannot express the human spirit. One track I find particularly uplifting is The Heavenly Music Corporation. As that's only 20 mins or so of music, I also play the live double album, Air Structures, which provides more of the same:-

And I absolutely adore Bo Hansson, a hidden gem of instrumental prog. Now I have a craving to listen to some of his stuff, so thanks!

HaHa! Enjoy! I was about 17 when that album came out, and me and my best buddy would often spend a weekend afternoon playing chess, with Lord Of The Rings or Days Of Future Passed playing in the background:  anything too much like rock would interfere with our concentration, ditto too many lyrics!

[Psy-Fi]

^ I don't think that program aired on British tv, and so the music didn't have much impact over there.

It was similar to 'The Twilight Zone' but with a bit more of a sci-fi orientation overall. And every bit as good in the writing, directing, and acting as far as I'm concerned.

[Saulaac]

Dominic Frontiere - The Outer Limits (Original 1963 TV Soundtrack)

Top-notch instrumental music for a top-notch sci-fi series from a top-notch composer. 'Nuff said. 

Frontière is remarkable. I remembered hearing him on the smoothest library tracks, such as 'Embassy Row', which I would suggest Mr. & Mrs. Waffles put on just before Modern Sound Quartet at their upcoming party, as guests arrive and wait to be ushered into the cocktail lounge.
I do like how the bass confidently picks up midway through. Steady on, bassy. Ribbons, you may enjoy this one.

[innerspaceboy]

99% of my listening is instrumental as well. Mostly ambient drones, frippertronics, field recordings, and process/tape music.

But I'll share three highly-accessible tracks for those not necessarily into those scenes. These are the most famous singles from Simon Jeffes' ensemble, Penguin Cafe Orchestra. A few of these have turned up in off-beat cinema like Napoleon Dynamite and The Handmaid's Tale series.

The band's sound is not easily categorized, having elements of exuberant folk music and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass.

Describing how the idea of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra came to him, Jeffes said:
In 1972 I was in the south of France. I had eaten some bad fish and was in consequence rather ill. As I lay in bed I had a strange recurring vision, there, before me, was a concrete building like a hotel or council block. I could see into the rooms, each of which was continually scanned by an electronic eye. In the rooms were people, everyone of them preoccupied. In one room a person was looking into a mirror and in another a couple were making love but lovelessly, in a third a composer was listening to music through earphones. Around him there were banks of electronic equipment. But all was silence. Like everyone in his place he had been neutralized, made grey and anonymous. The scene was for me one of ordered desolation. It was as if I were looking into a place which had no heart. Next day when I felt better, I was on the beach sunbathing and suddenly a poem popped into my head. It started out 'I am the proprietor of the Penguin Cafe, I will tell you things at random' and it went on about how the quality of randomness, spontaneity, surprise, unexpectedness and irrationality in our lives is a very precious thing. And if you suppress that to have a nice orderly life, you kill off what's most important. Whereas in the Penguin Cafe your unconscious can just be. It's acceptable there, and that's how everybody is. There is an acceptance there that has to do with living the present with no fear in ourselves.

"Perpetuum Mobile"

"Music For A Found Harmonium"

"Telephone and Rubber Band" (famously-sampled by Spacehog for the intro to their alt-rock hit, "In the Meantime")

[Lisnaholic]

^ That's a curious insight into the workings of Simon Jeffes' mind, ISB !
Yes those are three great tracks from PCO: so impeccably put together, and so irresistible.
Here's a slower, beautiful piece, worth posting if only to show the Signs Of Life cd cover:-

Frontière is remarkable. I remembered hearing him on the smoothest library tracks, such as 'Embassy Row', which I would suggest Mr. & Mrs. Waffles put on just before Modern Sound Quartet at their upcoming party, as guests arrive and wait to be ushered into the cocktail lounge.
I do like how the bass confidently picks up midway through. Steady on, bassy. Ribbons, you may enjoy this one.

That comment of yours really made me laugh, Saulaac! TBH I needed your heads up as I all but missed the bass as I was waiting for a Jack Bruce type riff to burst in.

How about Andreas Vollenweider? During a particularly romantic time for me, my co-listener and I would hardly go a day without playing either some PCO  or the Dancing With The Lion album:
 

[Lexi Darling]

I love me some Vollenweider. White Winds was either on my 100 list or one of the 30 or so that I cut, but yeah he rules. Great shout, @Lisnaholic !

[Lisnaholic]

Hey! Glad to hear that you like him too, Mrs.Waffles! I remember White Winds too, and I remember thinking how consistent and reliable he was. Those may not be adjectives that muscians are hoping to hear about themselves, but it counts for a lot if your album is good from start to finish, with no disappointments or tracks that you want to skip.