I love the sound of fall—wind blowing through the trees, leaves dropping and rustling on the ground—and I especially love the shift towards quiet and spaciousness that autumn brings. This same movement towards minimalism is present in this month’s list of best music for yoga. From the sparse piano compositions of East Forest and Roberto Attanasio to the ambient works of North Arch Rising and Kinbrae we can hear a longing for spaciousness and quiet.
Source of Compassion by Howard Givens & Madhavi Devi
This soothing ambient album combines sweeping harmonic waves of sound with gentle and evolving electronic pulses and beats. Half of these tracks are great for meditation with their slow and spacious synth pads while the other half’s more ethno-ambient percussive sounds would work great at the start or end of an introspective yoga flow.
Evolution: Seeds & Streams by John Ellis
Commissioned by Manchester Jazz Festival, this album by composer John Ellis has a beautiful and interesting combination of instruments: piano, synthesizer, clarinet, tenor and alto sax, flute, trombone, kora, cello, bass, and percussion. While some of these tracks might be a bit too eclectic or erratic for a yoga class, many of them can be skillfully placed in a playlist as a transition, to punctuate a segment of your sequence or to add a bit of contrasting flavor.
Held by East Forest
This minimalistic instrumental album was composed to evoke feelings of being “held, heard, and connected.” Piano, viola, violin, and cello are combined with field recordings to provide warmth, depth, and texture. These sweet and beautiful melodies are perfect to add emotion and softness to a playlist.
Abyss by Roberto Attanasio
In this solo piano recording, microphones were placed near the keyboard and felt dampers to capture the mechanical sound of the instrument. These soft and gentle compositions are great for the slow and contemplative moments of a yoga practice.
IX by North Arch Rising
This half ambient and half post-rock EP from multi instrumentalist and composer Chris Harrington is beautifully recorded and produced. Check out his whole series of instrumental albums to hear his diverse range of compositions.
Schematismus by Carles Viarnès
Catalan pianist Viarnès describes his second solo album as “a quest for inner silence: to reproduce an environment conducive to entering a state closer to silence.” These 14 short compositions encourage the listener to become quiet and still.
Into Exile by The Exile
This unusual ambient electric bass album is a bit dark and haunting, but these compositions can be a wonderful addition to the end of an introspective playlist.
Tidal Patterns by Kinbrae
This album emerged from a year working on a remote Scottish island and expresses the feelings from experiencing the island’s remoteness and seclusion. Using a backdrop of field recordings these twin brothers composed a beautiful electro-ambient soundtrack using piano, brass, strings, synthesizers, kalimbas, and percussion.
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