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Calm Soundtrack Suggestions!

General Discussions » Calm Soundtrack Suggestions! (Posts 1 to 30 of 82)

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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010 edited
    I don't know if it's my recently acquired tinnitus or if it's my age or my life situation or whatever, but over the last few years, I've veered more and more towards CALM music. I've grown tired of the big, bombastic adventure stuff that makes up most of my collection (acquired in my young and restless days). The sound present in the "religious" style that I did another thread on here is one example, but anything calm and soothing is fine - whether melodic, textural or "subdued and powerful" a la Poledouris' LES MISERABLES, whether symphonic, electronic, pop or "world music".

    So.....what soundtracks would you recommend that stay CALM throughout; that don't have too many suspense or action tracks that break up the mood (not any, preferably)? If it's "sad" and melancholic, all the better.

    P.S. I should point out that I'm no big John Barry fan and his particular approach to "calmness"
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    REIGN OF FIRE!!!
    •  
      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    explode
    I am extremely serious.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    I could never grow tired of big, bombastic adventure music. It's the reason I got into film music; it's all about escapism. I also like the calm stuff. I just hope I don't grow old like you! tongue
  5. Lust, Caution, it has some darker tracks (especially the bonus tracks), but in general stays calm and emotional (sometimes gives a sense of motion).
    http://www.filmmusic.pl - Polish Film Music Review Website
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010 edited
    I try to have a good balance in my collection, to have a score to suit any mood. I have periods where I enjoy the bombastic spectacle, at other times I just want to totally relax or be taken away by ethereal, esotheric music. Here are my favorites:

    FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN - Javier Navarrete
    Not a single moment that breaks the mood, this score will calm you down at any moment. Written for a single piano and cello, its esotheric quality and use of silence is almost Part-like (Spiegel Im Spiegel comes to mind) and guaranteed to take you to a dreamlike state of mind.

    MEET JOE BLACK, WHITE OLEANDER - Thomas Newman
    While Newman generally has a way of creeping into a scene and under you skin, it's here where he does it best and uninterrupted by sudden bursts of tension or big orchestral flourishes (Angels in America, The Horse Whisperer). In other words, it remains small and intimate, with some very nice soundscapes in the latter often only hinted at in his 'bigger' scores.

    SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS - James Newton Howard
    You can't go wrong with this emotional masterpiece. The grand Tarawa aside, this is intensely emotional stuff with a snowy sense and particularly careful writing for cello (once again, Part is cited as an influence - I reckon you're familiair with his works?).

    SOLARIS - Cliff Martinez
    AS classic among electronic scores, even though it's way more organic than most people actually think. It's repeated patrerns make for a hypnotic listen and though there certainly is tension, it's still an utterly compelling listen with hardly a raise in the volume.

    TETRO - Osvaldo Golijov
    This recent work sees classical music combined with an jazzy structure, though Argentinan instrumentation that adds up to an original and interesting, but ultimately calming listen. Sure, it's got its share of upbeat moments, but the final track alone leaves you melancholic.
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      CommentAuthorThor
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Good selections. I already have SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, one of my most-played CD's. Pure brilliance from the first track to the last.
    I am extremely serious.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Steven wrote
    I could never grow tired of big, bombastic adventure music. It's the reason I got into film music; it's all about escapism. I also like the calm stuff. I just hope I don't grow old like you! tongue


    Never say never wink

    Thor, ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL - public enemies
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Also Peter Gabriel - rabbit proof fence, Brian tyler's the killing room, all Desplat romantic scores you can find, Cliff martinez's solaris and post-solaris work, Asche and Spencer's stay and Monster's Ball, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Brian Eno, Edward Shearmur's K-PAX, Christopher young's Creation.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010 edited
    Christodoulides wrote
    Steven wrote
    I could never grow tired of big, bombastic adventure music. It's the reason I got into film music; it's all about escapism. I also like the calm stuff. I just hope I don't grow old like you! tongue


    Never say never wink


    I didn't. But I perhaps I should have, because I know deep down that the "bombastic" music that I love now I'll continue to love many years to come. Perhaps I might listen to more calm music as I get older, who knows, but I certainly won't lose my passion for "bombastic" music either. It just won't happen.

    I don't think growing old is the reason, it just depends on who you are and your personality. I'm a bombastic music guy. I always will be goddammit!
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Anyway.

    Iris by James Horner and Stepmom by John Williams are two of my favourite calming soundtracks. Absolutely wonderful.
    •  
      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Christodoulides wrote
    ...Brian tyler's the killing room...


    Hmm... you need to hear this for sure anyway, but it's probably too much laden with tensity and a few heartattack-inducing moments to really warrant a 'calming' listen smile.

    By the way, a few of the more obvious choices: Hans Zimmers The Thin Red Line, James Newton Howards Unbreakable, portions of Clint Mansells The Fountain, Nick Cave's The Assassination of Jesse James and The Road, Horners The New World...
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010 edited
    BobdH wrote
    Christodoulides wrote
    ...Brian tyler's the killing room...


    Hmm... you need to hear this for sure anyway, but it's probably too much laden with tensity and a few heartattack-inducing moments to really warrant a 'calming' listen smile.


    Indeed, but I'd say the same about:

    James Newton Howards Unbreakable


    A great score, and if you edited out the not-so-calming bits you'd have yourself an album perfect for Thor's [current] needs. And I'd even be happy to suggest my own playlist, but knowing Thor it's either the whole album or bust. Even if it's just one bad apple amongst a veritable array of exotics fruits, one duff track amongst the most magnificent music ever written, if it interrupts the album experience, that's it - in the bin it goes! biggrin (Though I'd love to be proved wrong.)
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      CommentAuthorMarselus
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Segunda Piel (Second Skin), Carreteras Secundarias (Backroads), La Flaqueza del Bolchevique (The Weakness of the Bolshevik), El Séptimo Día (The 7th Day), all by Roque Baños. Melodic and symphonic (the first two) and very intimate (the third and the fourth).
    Anything with an orchestra or with a choir....at some point will reach you
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010 edited
    And let's not forget the music by Philippe Rombi! Angel... Un Homme et Son Chien...
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      CommentAuthorErik Woods
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    It's My Party by Basil Poledouris and the Cinema Serenade albums conduct by John Williams.

    -Erik-
    host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Steven wrote
    James Newton Howards Unbreakable


    A great score, and if you edited out the not-so-calming bits you'd have yourself an album perfect for Thor's [current] needs. And I'd even be happy to suggest my own playlist, but knowing Thor it's either the whole album or bust. Even if it's just one bad apple amongst a veritable array of exotics fruits, one duff track amongst the most magnificent music ever written, if it interrupts the album experience, that's it - in the bin it goes! biggrin (Though I'd love to be proved wrong.)


    True, and that also goes for THE VILLAGE.

    By the way, thanks for mentioning Iris! I've been flirting with purchasing this score for quite a while now, think it's about time. I love a melancholic Horner.
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      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Iris will send you to sleep! And I mean that in the best way possible. I absolutely love that score! (Or album I should say.)
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      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    It's a good score indeed. And i agree with Steven, even Unbreakable has pieces that should be edited out, the same goes for the VILLAGE and of course the beautiful slower parts of THE HAPPENING. It's more like he should be doing a compilation of the best cues from all scores mentioned in this thread, rather than taking the whole albums, for the purpose he needs this music for.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
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      CommentAuthorBobdH
    • CommentTimeJan 13th 2010
    Except for Fireflies in the Garden. That one should be absorbed as a whole for full effect smile.
    •  
      CommentAuthorFeliz
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010 edited
    What a great idea for a thread! I absolutely love calm music. Preferably calm happy music to calm melancholy music. Here are a few of my favorites.

    FOR FREE & LEGAL DOWNLOAD
    Yeah, I’m really cheap. But I’ve found some awesome stuff while being cheap that I wouldn't have found otherwise. wink

    VIVA PIÑATA
    Skipping over this one would be a huge mistake; it’s free, you have no excuse. smile The best calming and the most listened tracks in my entire music library, free or not. Download all of the Day and Night tracks here (about 40 minutes worth) and you have the perfect album of unbroken cheerful, peaceful classically-influenced orchestral themes. This is what I listen to if I don’t really need to take a nap but I want to anyway. :D I also strongly suggest you buy the recently released Viva Piñata 1 & 2 soundtrack, even though 11 of the 28 tracks are already up for free download here.
    (If someone can find some more music in this specific not-quite-classical vein I’ll give you a cookie.)

    WINDOWS XP TOUR MUSIC - Bill Brown
    Yes, Windows tutorial tour music. Don’t knock it. It’s by Bill Brown and he knows what he’s doing. A relaxing piano/orchestral score with some contemporary elements. Just three tracks here, but they’re all worth the download. Designed to pacify frustrated Windows XP users, so it has to be about as calm as it gets.
    -Also see Anachronox by Bill Brown. Just two more tracks, but in the same style.

    OTHER
    Brian Tyler
    "Inama Mushif" - Children of Dune (Brian Tyler)
    One of the most beautiful tracks Tyler has ever written. It's lyrical. The rest of Children of Dune is amazing as well, but it's mostly power themes and action bombast, not exactly calm stuff.

    David Mansfield
    "Van Comes Home" - Floating (Excellent - A must download IMHO)
    "Carnelle Visits Mac Sam" - Miss Firecracker
    "Delmont Leaves Elaine" - Miss Firecracker


    FOR $

    SIMS 3 (Link to streaming soundtrack) - Steve Jablonsky
    Very RCish and getting close to the pop sound, both of which will probably cause some people to avoid this one like the plauge, but (aside from the racing first track) I find the mindlessness of the album to be pretty calming, especially Constructive Simicism. The whole album is ridiculously cheerful and makes for nice background music to mundane activities.

    ALL I WANT - Andrew Gross
    There used to be some free tracks for this one on Gross’ website, but he’s taken them down now that you can buy it on iTunes. Very calm marimba-based score. I think he snuck a guitar track or two in there too, but overall it’s a very soothing score with a very nice, catchy main theme.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    So, er, do you work for a games company or something?
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    Christodoulides wrote
    Steven wrote
    I could never grow tired of big, bombastic adventure music. It's the reason I got into film music; it's all about escapism. I also like the calm stuff. I just hope I don't grow old like you! tongue


    Never say never wink

    Thor, ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL - public enemies


    Oh, brilliant choice D, Thor's never heard that one before!
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
    • CommentAuthorTimmer
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    ...and Thor, I would, would, recommend John Barry's brilliant non-score album The Beyondness of Things but likely that's like asking you to pour banana custard over a steak dinner.

    And, ( no surprise ) Your loss, IMO. wink
    On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
  25. No whole CDs, but some tracks -- right off the top of my head. More later:


    "My Noble Knight (From: "The Mighty")
    Trevor Jones
    http://www.trevorjonesfilmmusic.com/Mighty.html

    A 0:45 second sample of the cue on his site. I'd go as far as to say this is probably the greatest thing he's ever written.


    "Dance of the Blue Wonder" (From: "Space Age")
    Jay Chattaway
    http://www.amazon.com/Space-Age-Jay-Cha … B000005P79
    (if sign up and logged into Napster, you can hear the whole thing)

    Aside from one other cue on the CD, I couldn't recommend the whole CD.



    I still don't have "The Touch" (Basil Poledouris), but if the cues on his site are any indication, the CD might fit.

    A number of cues from "The Road to Perdition" (Thomas Newman) -- as in the "Now Playing" thread, I was very surprised by this score.

    Some cues from "MillenniuM" (Mark Snow) with the syths and violin, might be up your alley.

    In the off chance you don't have "Star Trek 5" (Goldsmith), then try:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH6hJQz0OVY (1:11 in)
    And Track 4 (not on YouTube)
    The views and opinions of Ford A. Thaxton are his own and do not necessarily reflect the ones of ANYONE else.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteven
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    There are more relaxing things out there than 'The Mountain' from Star Trek V (not least because it starts with one of those horrible pieces of bombastic music).
  27. One, this isn't a contest, two: note the time I noted after the link.

    Three: You got the opinion on the Trek fanfare ass backwards.
    The views and opinions of Ford A. Thaxton are his own and do not necessarily reflect the ones of ANYONE else.
    •  
      CommentAuthorDemetris
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    Ah, and Thomas Newman of course. But you'll also need to make a compilation of the slower, emotional pieces from all his works which are filled with all kinds of style each time, you know, the typical Newman quirkiness which isn't exactly relaxing for all, although to be honest, when i play a Newman album, i'd like to listen to the entire thing as a whole, from start to finish.
    Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
    •  
      CommentAuthorFeliz
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    Steven wrote
    So, er, do you work for a games company or something?
    Who, me? C'mon now, only 2 of the 7 scores I linked to were from games. smile I do wind up listening to a lot of game scores though, probably because game soundtracks tend to be free a lot more often than movie scores. wink And also I don't see y'all talk about game scores much so I like to get the word out on the good ones so you don't miss anything.
    • CommentAuthorLars
    • CommentTimeJan 14th 2010
    CHICAGO HOPE - Jeff Rona and Mark Isham

    a very emotional score with lots of solo instruments like guitar, cello, violin and piano. the score has many beautiful melodies.


    RETURN TO PARADISE - Mark Mancina

    a wonderful score with a fantastic main theme.

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