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Let it Flow: How to Maximize Your Relationship with Music.  

Let it Flow: How to Maximize Your Relationship with Music

February 22, 2023

written by
Forrest Darabian

Let’s face it. Music can be distracting.

When you’re deep into problem-solving, having the right playlist pumping can really be the key to unlocking your true potential.  Many creatives have a soundtrack playing in the background that doesn’t contain nonsensical lyrics that break concentration.

Instrumental music is everywhere and we think it’s what you need to get the creative juices to flow; from movie scores to dark ambient works, to one-off songs from bands that just have no lyrics, here are some recommendations to add to your next playlist.

1. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’s film scores

Mainly known as the frontman of the 90’s industrial metal band Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor has scored over a dozen films and television series alongside his musical accomplice, Atticus Ross. Some of these works include David Fincher’s The Social Network – 2010, Disney/Pixar’s Soul – 2020, and my personal favorite: HBO’s limited-series Watchmen – 2019. There also happens to be 3 fantastic albums under the Nine Inch Nails name titled Ghosts I-IV, Ghosts V: Together, and Ghosts VI: Locusts. Most of these instrumental tracks have a brooding dark vibe and a soulful beauty at the same time.

2. Spirituals

Tyler Tadlock has been making music under the name “Spirituals” for over 10 years. My personal favorite album is Sounds of Healing in Isolation, which I seriously recommend. Funnily enough, he’s a member of our design team here at 300FeetOut – Go Tyler! As nice as these songs are for background music, they are also really beautiful to meditate and decompress to. Hopeful, yet melancholic, Spirituals is an awesome project that deserves to be featured on your next playlist.

3. Closing thoughts + a few more recommended songs

Music without lyrics really strips away a big part of what many people consider a “song”. However, my feeling is this offers us a chance to focus on the foundation and creative nature of music’s core. Here are a few more random songs that I highly recommend you to try out.

  • ‘Storm‘ – Godspeed You! Black Emperor
  • ‘Green Arrow’ – Yo La Tengo
  • ‘At Home’ – Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
  • ‘U,U,D,D,L,R,L,R,A,B,Select,Start’ – Deftones
  • ‘Lyckantropen Theme 5’ – Ulver
  • ‘L490′ – Thirty Seconds To Mars
  • ‘HNSCC’ – The 1975
  • ‘Life In Technicolor‘ – Coldplay

Ready to up your work flow?  Here’s a playlist to get you going.