Keyword artist , or band/group name. I’m not looking for a genre, I want to search artists. Tell me about someone you like listening to.
Would appreciate if it’s Not symphonic/orchestral movie/videogame OST. I know there is a lot of really good music in this category but I’m trying to avoid recommendations like Hans Zimmerman or Jeremy Soule or Enya etc., since they are either really well known or fall into the orchestral and/or “epic music score” I’m not looking for.
It’s OK if some tracks have vocals or even some lyrics/voice samples but I prefer to keep them at a minimum.
Any suggestions? TIA
I don’t think all these are contemporary but as someone who loves post rock and instrumental music here are some artists that make it into my playlist pretty regularly. Hope this is helpful! The ones near the top I probably listen to more regularly right now but it tends to rotate.
- Sleepmakeswaves
- We Lost the Sea
- Explosions in the Sky
- Codes in the Clouds
- Ef
- Russian Circles
- Collapse Under the Empire
- Mogwai
- Secret Gardens
- Red Sparowes
- Moonlit Sailor
- Maybeshewill
- 65daysofstatic
- Caspian
- Sleep Dealer
- If These Trees Could Talk
- Balmorhea
- God is an Astronaut
- The Evpatoria Report
- Sigur Ros
- False Horizon
- This Will Destroy You
- pg.lost
- There’s A Light
- Oh Hiroshima
- Tides from Nebula
EDIT: got around to checking my library and have a few more.
- Distant Dream
- Saor
- Those Who Ride With Giants
- For Giants
- U1327
- The Best Pessimist
- Saxon Shore
- Dorena
- The End of the Ocean
- Random Forest
- Joy Wants Eternity
- Paint the Sky Red
- Eldamar
- we.own.the.sky
- Eleventh Vibration
- Shadow of Io
- Jake Eves
- The Last Sighs of the Wind
In hindsight I don’t know if a giant list is the most useful thing but it’s here if you want it.
This is quite a list, you have good taste.
Saving your list. I really like Oh Hiroshima. “Drone” is on my steady rotation.
Thank you! I like some post rock, I know some of these and some not, I’ll be checking them out. Cheers!
Godspeed you! Black Emperor
Edit: I’m not old, but old enough that I only really remember their first round of albums. No idea what the newer ones are like, sadly. Just never got around to listening.
“God is an astronaut” “Boards of Canada”
Along with Godspeed, those 3 were like my university study mix.
God is an astronaut always reminded me of Explosions in the sky (or vice versa?)
Idk the last one
I would mix in some chill shit like John Fahey, some heavy shit like early Earth, or lighter post rock too. Depended on my mood
Tycho, UTAH, Attom, lots more in my instrumental playlist. These are mostly chilled or electronic type genre songs, but I also have a “djentstrumental” playlist if that’s your jam, with artists like For Giants, Andromida, Returning We Hear the Larks (a personal favorite), and more.
Love Tycho!
I feel Boards of Canada is similar, but they do pretty frequent vocal samples.
Thank you! A lot of good suggestions there, I’ll have fun going down the rabbithole. First time I hear about most artists on those lists.
Ratatat
Aphex Twin & Godspeed You! Black Emperor
There’s a mashup I didn’t know I wanted.
I’ve seen Goodspeed You recommended a few times here but not Aphex Twin. I didn’t know either. I think GY!BE is good, but not for me. Aphex Twin though, that’s right up my alley. Thanks for the recommendations!
LORN
I second lorn
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Polyphia is great as was already suggested. If you want to go heavier, try Animals as Leaders. If you want to go jazzier, try Snarky Puppy.
I’ve heard of polyphia but never listened to them. The fact you recommended them next to Snarky Puppy was what got me to look them up, and WOW!
A lot of post-rock bands might be good for you. Usually atmospheric/instrumental music played with typical rock instruments and little to no vocals.
Some of my favorites are Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, El Ten Eleven, and Sigur Rós.
(although Sigur Rós technically features vocals but it’s a language of nonsense sounds the lead singer Jónsi made up called Hopelandic, so it’s instrumental-voice I guess??)
Some metal and metal-adjacent instrumental bands I listen to a lot:
- Sunn O)))
- Russian Circles
- Pelican
- Lethe
- Explosions in the Sky
This guy knows what he’s taking about.
That Lethe album was the biggest surprise of last year, what an amazing debut
Definitely check out Khruangbin! Great music, very few vocals. They are awesome live and recorded. Hope you enjoy.
The term for this would be ‘instrumental’, which I only mention because it might help you find what you want. If you search streaming platforms for ‘[some genre] instrumental’ it might turn up a playlist.
Here’s some favourite albums of mine, which are ‘ambient’ so you might find them terribly boring, but they certainly are instrumental:
- 1 2 3 - Pole
- And Their Refinement of the Decline - Stars of the Lid
- Plume - Loscil
- The Sound of Lights When Dim - Slow Dancing Society
Thanks for the suggestions, I do like ambient sometimes, though when I do it’s more on the psychedelic side. Of your list Pole caught my ear.
“Instrumental” is so broad and often leaves out a lot of electronica which I like. Hence why I’m asking for artists as opposed to genre.
Yeah, Pole is really different, and so good!
And what I was getting at with ‘instrumental’ is that it can just be added onto any genre/mood/activity and that can help you narrow it down and find stuff you want at that moment. So if you want instrumental electronica, you can find playlists for that, e.g. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EIe2aICIo80hb As for moods and activities, examples would be ‘Chill Instrumental Beats’ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX0khTY3HFA4M and ‘Instrumental Study’ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX9sIqqvKsjG8
In no particular order:
Ryuichi Sakamoto (particularly Async, and his albums with Alva Noto)
Aphex Twin
Apparat (though he does also feat singers on some albums)
Four Tet
Squarepusher
Ørdrop Wolkenscheidt
MGMT
Sevish
Matt Elliott (very few sung bits)
Paco de Lucía
Guilhem Desq
Jordi Savall
Ledetraad
Bremer & McCoy
Athletic Progression
Psykovsky
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Kettel
Secede
R mccarthy
Sungazer
999999999
Susumu Yokota
Caravan Palace
These do fall into the vg category but it’s more edm / retro than “epic orchestral”:
Scattle
Chris Christodoulou
Toby Fox
The Toxic Avenger
Jake Kaufman
Apocalyptica. Metal on the cello. They sometimes have s guest vocalist. I like their self-titled album.
Phamie Gow. Pianist and harpist. Maybe too orchestral. I turn to the Beyond the Milky Way album oftenwhen working out studying.
Mary Lattimore. Experimental harpist. I’ve been enjoying her latest album, West Kensington, with guitarist Paul Sukeena.
Kelly Moran. Experimental pianist Can’t recommend her album Ultraviolet enough.
Burial. For some chilled, glitchy dubstep.
The Comet is Coming. For some psych jazz.
Moderat. For some house electronica.
Uboa. For some droney, noisy, doomy metal.
George Clanton. For some synthpop vapourwave. His latest album is great.
Omg after all those years… 35 seconds into a new error and my brain thinks I took MDMA and starts to make funny stuff to my mind and body 🥹🥴
If you like Apocolyptica, may I suggest checking out Judgement Day? It’s another string metal group.
Have you heard of Khruangbin?
No, I haven’t. Definitely some good tracks there and a lot of diversity even if many do have lyrics. Thanks for the suggestion
