I’ve had to do more homework and studying this year than any other year so far (which I suppose is to be expected as one moves up in the education system). While schoolwork is never fun, over the year I have compiled a list of albums that makes the experience of studying almost an enjoyable one, by creating a pleasant atmosphere that makes working easier. The list is comprised of mostly ambient albums, but with a few surprises thrown in. So here is my list of great albums to listen to while studying in no particular order…
“Structures from Silence” by Steve Roach
The biggest challenge of any ambient album is to create a soundscape that can both sink into the background to the point of not being noticed and also be interesting to listen to with your full attention. Structures from Silence succeeds at accomplishing both of these tasks. When your full concentration is needed for something, you won’t even notice it’s on, but when you need some background noise, it will quickly come back to your attention. Because of this, it is the perfect album for any study session.
Brian Eno’s “Ambient” Series
Brian Eno was instrumental in the creation of ambient, and the release of Ambient 1: Music for Airports is probably the first album released to identify itself as part of the genre. The ambient series is great for creating melodies that can be very soothing and even interesting to listen to, but that never become distracting. The highlight of the series, in my opinion, is Ambient 2: the Plateaux of Mirror, which combines the engaging sound of Harold Budd’s piano and Brian Eno’s electronics. However, all four albums are essential listening to anyone interested in becoming acquainted with ambient, and are wonderful albums to do homework to.
Anything by Darkspace
Here’s the real surprise of this list, Darkspace. On the surface, it would seem that the genres of ambient and black metal have nothing to do with each other – one being an extreme sub-genre of metal while the other is created to be intentionally inoffensive. Yet beneath the surface, the two genres are remarkably similar in their repetitive, atmospheric nature, and many black metal artists incorporate ambient influences into their music. Darkspace is an example of how effective this combination can be. Their music attempts to convey the emptiness and coldness of space and they do it in a remarkably effective fashion. Darkspace II is probably the best release from Darkspace for studying, being the most atmospheric of their three full length albums.
“Selected Ambient Works 85 – 92″ by Aphex Twin
With 13 tracks, this is the most mainstream friendly release of this list, so those of you with ADD (if you managed to read this far), will probably want to come here first. That being said, this album arguably has had as large of an impact as Brian Eno’s Ambient 1 had by essentially creating the genre of IDM. Selected Ambient Works combines the relaxing synthesizers of ambient with the danceable beat of electronic music to create a soothing, yet energetic, album.
Many people agree with me that having music on while studying is almost a necessity. However, if you play one of your favorite albums or something really exciting, you are almost certain to be distracted. Hopefully this list has given you some ideas on albums to listen to that won’t distract you but will still give you something great to listen to while studying. And with finals this week, I’m certain to have these releases on heavy rotation this week.
