Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Chill Out Music Download: The Best Albums

By Lucile Jacobs


Songs written specifically to relax the listener always walk a strange line. There is always a danger when that is the goal that the tune's innate chilled out quality will result in it becoming the equivalent of aural wallpaper, something which hangs inexpressively in the background. The best of the genre avoids this problem and this guide will help you find it when you look for a good chill out music download.

The real golden age for this genre was the late 1990s when a number of brilliant blissed out LPs came out in quick succession. Of course, the thing about music which people find relaxing differs from listener to listener. This guide, therefore, will try to pick the best of that era while including something for every taste.

One of the most phenomenal albums of the 1990s came in that decade's final year. 'Play' by Moby introduced the mainstream to a template that would inform electronic pop music for years and years to come. In fact its magical formula is still being followed today. The American musician relied heavily on samples of old gospel, blues, jazz and jazz recordings that he then underlay with modern hip hop and trip hop beats.

Perhaps the biggest decision Moby ever made in his career was to waive all copyright restrictions on the album. This meant advertising executives could use all of Plays tracks free of charge and film makers could insert them in movies without checking on the royalty rights. This gave the album a kind of exposure never allowed before and Moby's music was transmitted daily into homes across the globe. The result was over 12 million copies shifted worldwide.

The year before 'Play', a French duo named Air released their debut LP. It was a laid back, Eurocentric little piece called 'Moon Safari.' Supported by the mammoth single 'Sexy Boy' it slowed down the pace of European dance.

The album has gone on to be considered a classic of the chill out genre. Rolling Stone ranked it the 65th best French rock album of all time. Its most famous cut is probably 'All I Need' with its dreamy, sensual spirit and sweet, though sly, progressions.

Like Moby's sample heavy 'Play', UK duo Groove Armada's debut LP 'Vertigo' seemed perfect for advertising. It too relied on vocal tracks taken from long forgotten recordings place above catchy beats with plenty of bass and tempo. 'At The River' was a terrific example. Using a two bar vocal from Patti Page's 'Cape Cod' Groove Armada created a curiously stretched, sweet piece of blissed out pop, perfect for the period's stylish, modish mind-set.

For those hoping for a more out there chill out music download, Edinburgh's Board of Canada's debut LP 'Music Has The Right To Children' is highly recommended. A trippy, out there album it melts synths with live instrumentation, frequently running into weird, surreal interludes and going off on trance tangents. Most interestingly of all is it genuinely tactile feel, something not always apparent in electro.




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