I don't know about you, but this is the perfect Saturday for some chill vibes. I've been reading for fun a lot lately when work is quiet, but today, I would love to relax in my cozy room with some of my favorite reading music. Whether you agree and want some new tunes to listen along with me or if you're interested in trying something new, I thought I would make a mini playlist of some artists and songs to try.
My Chill Picks
This category is the main dish for our playlist. These tracks are perfect for studying, napping, and of course, reading. My favorite choices are the Celtic inspired melodies, but I'll like to give a range of several different sounds since we're experimenting.
Let's start with a calming, pleasant track by Adrian von Ziegler. This artist is one of my most favorites, so you may see him on this list a few times. He composes all sorts of instrumental masterpieces but specializes in Celtic and medieval music. Autumn Forest is a long track with a tint of ambiance to its relaxing instruments. If you enjoy this one, he has more for the other seasons that are just as beautiful.
Next, we have David Arkenstone. This one is much shorter in comparison, but this entire album is worth a listen. I love the orchestrated sound in this one. It's very moving for the soul, but would still be blissful for some calming background music. While staying powerful, this album doesn't become too bouncy and the deep instruments match the voices of the wide trees sheltering the light beaming through the forest.
Before I bombard your head with a bunch of new artists to listen to, how about another from Adrian von Ziegler? This one is titled, A Little Place Called Home. The video has the word, "relaxing" as part of the title as well! Even though this one is just as relaxing as the other one, you'll notice the difference in style between the two. This one is very different from Autumn Forest. That's one of the best things about this artist. His passion for music inspires him to change style according to the vibe he wants to give off.
What if you want something... What's the word? Modern? Yeah, let's go with that. Mitis composes electrical music with an emphasis on melody. Some of them are bouncier than others, but a lot of them can be quite relaxing and even ambient in some cases. Since we're discussing reading music, I'm trying to pick instrumentals because I know lyrics can distract me from reading, but if you think this track is nice, you should check out his lyrical songs as well.
My Moody Picks
If you ask me, this selection is just as calming as the previous one, but these are a bit more droning with piano and strings. It makes a lovely listening background but teases the emotions a bit more than the songs above. Adrian von Ziegler has a whole category of music he titled "emotional music," but so has Brunuville.
Brunuville is a bit like Adrian von Ziegler. Both compose instrumental music with more of a focus on Celtic and medieval tracks. If you were to ask my opinion, I would say I love them both equally, but at the same time, I prefer to listen to Ziegler's Celtic music and Brunuhville's emotional music. I'll let you be the judge on which one you prefer.
Most of Tartalo's music is criminally short, and even when they're not, it feels that way. Winterhold gives me the shivers and I could listen to it on repeat. For hours. Outside of the warm, cozy melody that pulls you into a little cabin and gives you some steaming tea, you can hear a cold blizzard blowing outside. That sounds like some terrible weather, but the melody assures you that it's safe and lovely within the cabin walls. The theme is Tartalo Music's own, but it's composed in a way to be a video game's soundtrack. The video game doesn't exist, (maybe at some point it will,) but it does have some beautiful music! Also, Tartalo Music is criminally underappreciated in general.
How about some happy vibe music? I would count that as moody. Much like Mitis, this selection is the "black sheep" song on this list as it's more modern than the rest. MBB likes to describe his music as happy, beach vibe music, and it shows. If you like MBB, I would also recommend Ikson who composes using that same vibe.
My Action Picks
Are you looking to kick it up a notch? Depending on what you're reading, these tracks will immerse you further in your books. A good read for me is a fiction fantasy book, so I created this playlist for exactly that. I would say for the best experience while reading, is to read a book that involves a grande adventure and maybe a monster or two. This category isn't as relaxing as the ones above but can make for a fantastic experience.
Ivan Torrent can be a little bit too "epic" for me at times. I love music in this category, but I also feel like it can get a little too carried away. This particular track, however, is my favorite one of his. This song is well-deserving of its name and sounds serene and mysterious at the same time. Like the other songs on today's blog, Crystalline has no lyrics, though Celica Soldream vocalizes in this track. This song may not be for everyone, but it inspired me a lot during my planning for A Rokian's Curse.
Ah, a familiar face! Yes, Brunuhville has music for this category as well! This one is pirate-inspired, but he has more on Youtube fitting the fantasy themes and Celtic themes. I love how the voices near the end bring me right aboard the ship! As a side note, Adrian von Ziegler also composes wonderful sub-genres of epic music as well. He has some really unique mixes, including some you won't think would go together, like Celtic and Metal. Now, I do not like metal. At all. But some of those are pretty good and the metal is more of a background to the leading instruments. Might be worth a listen, but I'll let you decide.
For our last tasting, I have one more artist to introduce you to. Antti Martikainen is another epic musician, but he's easier to listen to than Ivan Torrent, for the most part anyway. This is another Celtic track, and it can be pretty relaxing to listen to with it's rich Celtic feel to it. It's the most relaxing one on this list anyway. What's cool about this one is that you can hear a battle going on about the middle of the track. You can hear the cries of battle and clinging of swords. I think it's neat!
That's all I have for you today, but thanks for engaging in this music with me! I hope you found some new favorites! Maybe you want me to share some more sometime? Better yet, would you listen to a Spotify playlist if I create one with tracks like these? I can make some reading playlists of different styles. I could also make some character inspired playlists if you desire!
Share with me some of your favorite reading tracks either in the comments or on my social media!
Facebook: @KristaJainAuthor Twitter: @KristaJAuthor Tumblr: kristajainauthor
Also, A Rokian's Curse is now available on the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million websites in hardcover and ebooks. If you are in need of an adventure rich story to go with this music, check it out! https://www.amazon.com/Rokians-Curse-Krista-Jain/dp/1734876808/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1597185758&sr=8-1