Sounds for a Sound Mind
With all the noise and stress of social media and the constant strain at the screen, I’ve been feeling so hazy viewing and processing the literacy of the physical world around me. But what really inspired me over the past few weeks was the power of sound and its ability to not only transport us, but to enrich and reset ourselves with whatever the vibrations might offer. It’s so important to disconnect and breathe from time to time — one way we can do that is through sound.
1.
Kyle Bobby Dunn and the Infinite Sadness
— Kyle Bobby Dunn
Mysterious, yet comforting. It feels like you’re traveling through a foggy ocean. The perfect album to connect with your emotions.
2.
Mixing Colors
— Brian Eno
A collection of tranquil, emotion-filled tunes by the ambient king himself, Brian Eno (he made this album in collaboration with his brother). The songs bring so much personality into dull days. As the name of the album suggests, think of an artist mixing paints on her palette and stroking a paintbrush on the canvas, with each unique color telling a story.
3.
Sad Ocean
— Chihei Hatakeyama
Underwater. Lying on the seabed. Gazing up at the surface. Watching scattered beams of moonlight dance with the current. That’s what this song feels like.
4.
door to the cosmos
— Chihei Hatakeyama
It feels like you're floating up up up — all the way until you reach outer space. It feels weightless. A beautiful, ambient song accompanying relaxing moments in time.
5.
Éthiopiques, vol. 21: PIANO SOLO
— EMAHOY Tsegué-Maryam Guébrou
ALBUM on Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Piano solo — flowy, joyful, comforting. It feels like home. Play on slow, early mornings and during windswept sunsets.
Clean notes with experimental touches, it plays perfectly accompanying a stroll through a museum (or a scroll through a virtual gallery), a restorative nap, and even a flowing yoga practice.
7.
Kankyō Ongaku:
A Japanese Ambient Primer
PLAYLIST on Spotify / Apple Music
Japanese ambient music. Clean and bright. Lovely for walks, naps, tea, work, and creative practices.
From the nostalgic romance/sci-fi movie, it feels like you’re in a dream — a beautiful and quite adventurous dream. The introspective tunes sound like looking through old photographs — revisiting old memories.
Musical Transmission: an exercise
We will explore the intersection between sound and sight. An enjoyable exercise lays ahead to release the mind from any tension and stagnant energy, while also getting it going for creativity! Designed for anyone and everyone, whether or not you’re a musical person.
1.
Take a piece of paper along with some drawing tools — color pencils, regular pencils, paints, crayons, pastels — anything!
2.
Pick a song. Play it. As the song plays, draw out the shapes, structures, and patterns that come up. Is there a real solidity to the song? Or is it calm and fluid? Don’t be afraid to get creative and messy! Scribble, stamp, rub, and paint colors in the space below that you find represent the notes. Think, “if this song was translated into an abstract art-piece, what would it look like?” There’s no one right way. Nothing’s holding you back! Feel free to use as many or as little colors as you like.
3.
Take a step back and acknowledge the final product. Do you feel the song resonating on that piece of paper?
Reflect: does the line between sound and sight exist? How do you feel after this exercise?
— Solaia