IN A SAFE PLACE

I listen to this a lot when I study, or when I need some soothing sounds to accompany my sleep.

Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds Of
Released: 2001
Genre: Ambient, Drone

Disc One:
1. Requiem for Dying Mothers, Part 1
2. Requiem for Dying Mothers, Part 2
3. Down 3
4. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 1
5. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 2
6. Austin Texas Mental Hospital, Part 3
7. Broken Harbors, Part 1
8. Broken Harbors, Part 2
9. Broken Harbors, Part 3

Disc Two:
1. Mullholland
2. The Lonely People (Are Getting Lonelier)
3. Gasfarming
4. Piano Aquieu
5. FAC 21
6. Ballad of Distances, Part 1
7. Ballad of Distances, Part 2
8. A Lovesong (for Cubs)+, Part 1
9. A Lovesong (for Cubs)+, Part 2
10. A Lovesong (for Cubs)+, Part 3

Stars of the Lid And Their Refinement Of The Decline

Nils Frahm - The Bells
Released: 2009
Genre: Ambient, Modern Classical

Tracklist:
1. In the Sky and on the Ground
2. I Would Like to Think
3. Said and Done
4. Dedication, Loyalty
5. Down Down
6. Over Ther, It's Raining
7. Small Me
8. My Things
9. Peter Is Dead in the Piano
10. It Was Really, Really Grey
11. Somewhere Nearby

Nils Frahm - Wintermusik
Released: 2009
Genre: Ambient, Modern Classical

Tracklist:
1. Ambre
2. Tristana
3. Nue

Sister of Peter Broderick. Why are the Brodericks so talented?

The debut album from Portland, Oregon's Heather Woods Broderick conjures atmosphere equally with the striking melodies at the core of her songs. They hang then blossom, unfurling slowly to reveal disarming feeling through her spirited, soulful voice gliding above the swirling musical beauty. Rich and resonant, there's an ensemble of instruments at play including piano, guitar, celeste, flute, glockenspiel, mandolin and more, though the deeply personal realm of this album is ever at the fore.

Heather Woods Broderick - From the Ground
Genre: Folk
Released: 2009

Tracklist:
1. Something Other Than
2. Cottonwood Bay
3. From the Ground
4. The Colors
5. For Misty
6. Wounded Bird
7. Back Room
8. Left
9. Turned
10. Old Son

Peter Broderick: Float, Home, Docile

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't been updating frequently. I was (and will be again very soon) very busy with school.

Frédéric Chopin is my favorite classical music composer. During my days of studying, Chopin's music was my friend. So here's a Chopin megapost. Enjoy:)

Ballades
1. Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
2. Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
3. Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47
4. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
(Pianist: Vladimir Ashkenazy)




Etudes
1. Etude in C major, Op. 10, No. 1
2. Etude in A minor, Op. 10, No. 2
3. Etude in E major, Op. 10, No. 3
4. Etude in C sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4
5. Etude in G flat Major, Op. 10, No. 5
6. Etude in E flat minor, Op. 10, No. 6
7. Etude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 7
8. Etude in F Major, Op. 10, No. 8
9. Etude in F Minor, Op. 10, No. 9
10. Etude in A flat Major, Op. 10, No. 10
11. Etude in E flat Major, Op. 10, No. 11
12. Etude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12
13. Etude in A flat major, Op. 25, No. 1
14. Etude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2
15. Etude in F Major, Op. 25, No. 3
16. Etude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 4
17. Etude in E Minor, Op. 25, No. 5
18. Etude in G sharp Minor, Op. 25, No. 6
19. Etude in C sharp Minor, Op. 25, No. 7
20. Etude in D flat Major, Op. 25, No. 8
21. Etude in G flat Major, Op. 25, No. 9
22. Etude in B Minor, Op. 25, No. 10
23. Etude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11
24. Etude in C Minor, Op. 25, No. 12
(Pianist: Juana Zayas)




Nocturnes (1-10, 11-21)
1. Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1
2. Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 9, No. 2
3. Nocturne in B major, Op. 9, No. 3
4. Nocturne in F major, Op. 15, No. 1
5. Nocturne in F sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2
6. Nocturne in G minor, Op. 15, No. 3
7. Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1
8. Nocturne in D flat major, Op. 27, No. 2
9. Nocturne in B major, Op. 32, No. 1
10. Nocturne in A flat major, Op. 32, No. 2
11. Nocturne in G minor, Op.37, No. 1
12. Nocturne in G major, Op.37, No. 2
13. Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48, No. 1
14. Nocturne in F sharp minor, Op. 48, No. 2
15. Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1
16. Nocturne in E flat major, Op. 55, No. 2
17. Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, No. 1
18. Nocturne in E major, Op. 62, No. 2
19. Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72, No. 1
20. Nocturne in C-Sharp minor (1830)
21. Nocturne in C minor (1837)
(Pianist: Vladimir Ashkenazy)




Preludes
1. Prelude in C major, Op. 28, No. 1
2. Prelude in A minor, Op. 28, No. 2
3. Prelude in G major, Op. 28, No. 3
4. Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4
5. Prelude in D major, Op. 28, No. 5
6. Prelude in B minor, Op. 28, No. 6
7. Prelude in A major, Op. 28, No. 7
8. Prelude in F sharp minor, Op. 28, No. 8
9. Prelude in E major, Op. 28, No. 9
10. Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 28, No. 10
11. Prelude in B major, Op. 28, No. 11
12. Prelude in G sharp Minor, Op. 28, No. 12
13. Prelude in F sharp Minor, Op. 28, No. 13
14. Prelude in E flat minor, Op. 28, No. 14
15. Prelude in D flat major, Op. 28, No. 15
16. Prelude in B flat minor, Op. 28, No. 16
17. Prelude in A flat major, Op. 28, No. 17
18. Prelude in F minor, Op. 28, No. 18
19. Prelude in E flat major, Op. 28, No. 19
20. Prelude in C minor, Op. 28, No. 20
21. Prelude in B flat major, Op. 28, No. 21
22. Prelude in G minor, Op. 28, No. 22
23. Prelude in F major, Op. 28, No. 23
24. Prelude in D minor, Op. 28, No. 24
25. Prelude in A-flat major, Op. posth.
26. Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 45
(Pianist: Rafał Blechacz)





I don't have the full sets of Mazurkas, Polonaises, Sonatas, and Waltzes. I'll post them here someday when I find them.

Mountains - Choral
Released: 2009
Genre: Ambient
part i - part ii

Very beautiful and dreamy. This could be my favorite ambient release of the year.

Tracklist:
1. Choral
2. Map Table
3. Telescope
4. Add Infinity
5. Melodica
6. Sheets Two

Chaz Knapp - Vie comme un Parasite Faisant la fête
Released: 2008
Genre: Modern Classical, Ambient
listen
Download

If you like Max Richter and Peter Broderick's modern classical works, be sure to check this out.

Tracklist:
1. Le Chien Mort
2. Mort d'une Veuve Soltaire
3. Le Fait de Couler du Navire
4. Les Navires Perdus dans l'Obscurité
5. Célébration à une Nouvelle Vie
6. Question d'un Vide

Ochre - Like Dust of the Balance
Genre: IDM, electronic
Released: 2009

Tracklist:
1. Circadies
2. Whispers
3. Dustlands
4. Raido
5. Napolese
6. Hang Garden
7 Pteron
8. Lunar Suburbia
9. A Great Wave
10. The Balance

More Ochre: Here

Another amazing album from port-royal.

port-royal - Dying in Time
Genre: Electronic, Ambient
Released: 2009

Tracklist:
1. Hva (Failed Revolutions)
2. Nights in Kiev
3. Anna Ustinova
4. Exhausted Muse/Europe
5. I Used to Be Sad
6. Susy: Blue East Fading
7. The Photoshopped Prince
8. Balding Generation (Losing Hair as We Lose Hope)
9. Hermitage Pt. 1
10. Hermitage Pt. 2
11. Hermitage Pt. 3

P.S. If anyone knows where I can get a copy of Flares, please let me know.

From Boomkat:

Another unmissable album of crackly, homespun electronica from Helsinki's Hannu, once again released via the Kesh imprint. Hintergarten twinkles into life with the sound of worn-out, lo-fi glockenspiel recordings rubbing up against strings and muffled bass samples. In fact, opening track 'Pop' serves as an excellent refresher course in what makes Hannu's music so distinctive and alluring: the sweetest of melodies seem to collide in a manner that isn't quite fully in tune or in time, sounding all the more lovable for their rundown, loose-fitting weariness. The album's sound palette is garnished with overspills of vinyl noise, cassette hiss and the various other side-effects of using battered old recordings for source material. On 'Theme For Grant' you might hear some parallels with something like Four Tet's 'She Moves She', carving mismatching string instruments into sparkling spliced together riffs set against a backdrop of shuffling beats - Hannu's music does sound as if it was made a good century or so before Kieren Hebden was even born though. For all the other records it might bring to mind (the music of Colleen and certain members of the Fonal camp offering particularly strong parallels) Hintergarten is unique for the continuous state of winter it plunges the listener into; from the album artwork to the frosted charms of tracks like 'Kimallus' and 'Unenvieja', Hannu evokes a veritable musical Narnia. Anyone for Turkish Delight?

Hannu - Hintergarten
Released: 2009
Genre: Ambient, Electronic, Modern Classical

Tracklist:
1. Pop
2. Lauttasaari
3. Theme for Grant
4. Valtameri
5. Kimallus
6. Maniac Moshers
7. Kaipaus
8. Tassunjälkiä
9. Hintergarten
10. Unenviejä
11. Valssi

I'm not familiar with Epic45's previous albums, but this new mini album is really lovely. Incredibly pleasing to the ears. I will have to check out their old stuff.

Epic45 - In All the Empty Houses
Released: 2009
Genre: Post-Rock

Tracklist:
1. We Were Never Here
2. Daylight Ghosts
3. In All the Empty Houses
4. The Future is Blinding
5. Their Voices in the Rafters
6. Ghosts on Tape

His electronic soundscapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener's mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Nosaj Thing creates nothing less than the sound mastery of beat driven, experimental electronics from a gifted noise constructor.

Nosaj Thing is Jason Chung (read "Nosaj backwards). Love the beats on this one. And I like it when Asian people in the US make electronic music. That makes me happy.

Nosaj Thing - Drift
Released: 2009
Genre: Glitch-Hop

Tracklist:
1. Quest
2. Fog
3. Coat of Arms
4. IOIO
5. 1685/Bach
6. Caves
7. Light #1
8. Light #2
9. 2222
10. Us
11. Voices
12. Lords

Luigi Rubino - A Theme for the Moon
Released: 2009
Genre: Modern Classical

Luigi Rubino; composer-pianist, started playing and studying piano and liturgical organ when he was 10, with both Italian and foreign teachers. Today he dedicates himself to original composition and loves 20th century classical music (Debussy, Poulenc)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I only discovered Luigi Rubino last week. Ever since, I've been listening to A Theme for the Moon quite a lot. At this point, I'm quite certain that it'll be included in my year-end Top 10 list.

A Theme for the Moon is stunning. The songs are composed with the piano being the main component, accompanied by the strings and well-used vocals. A Theme for the Moon isn't the happiest music; it gives you a deep taste of melancholy. The songs even make my heart ache a bit...

If you like this you should check out Ólafur Arnalds if you haven't already.

Tracklist:
1. Last Dance
2. Nostalgie
3. Fragments
4. Les larmes D'automne
5. Voices in the Eyes
6. Every Desire
7. Melancholic Lisbon
8. Before Love
9. Glace of Dust
10. Behind the Clouds
11. D’Inverno
12. He Is Her

Bark Cat Bark is the project of Josh Todd, a multi-instrumentalist from Paris, France. I think he's my age or a year younger (different sources cite different ages), and he's amazingly talented. I would describe Todd's music as Beirut-like, but without vocals.

Here are some of Bark Cat Bark's releases. The files are available as free downloads at here.



Bark Cat Bark - Cittadinanza
Released: 2009
Download here

Tracklist:
1. Antico Verrès
2. Benque Viejo
3. Deodoro Anthem
4. Barivia in Bálsamo
5. Hyksos
6. Viravira Fever
7. Berovo Berovo Bravo
8. Haipakka
9. The Panther in Zaventem
10. The Clock From Svanaasen
11. Obera Sundown
12. Draugur
13. Lac Fourchu




Released: 2009
Download Here

You can also hear simple yet beautiful piano tunes in Á Lífi.

Tracklist:
1. Verona
2. Lac Pavin
3. Galatia
4. Iceland
5. Hóp
6. Père Lachaise
7. Intervalle
8. Á Lífi
9. Palermo a Larino

Amiina - Re Minore EP
Released: 2009
Genre: Ambient, Electronic, Post-Rock

Amiina (formerly Amína) is a string quartet: María Huld Markan (violin), Hildur Ársælsdóttir (violin), Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir (viola) and Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir (cello). The group makes music with a great number of instruments - synth, piano, electric and baroque guitar, celtic harp, harmonium, melodica, celesta, glockenspiel, gideon harp, call bells (also called “office” or “reception” bells), glass harp, kalimba, mandolin, and musical saw played with a bow.

I really enjoyed this. I wish the EP was longer though.

Tracklist:
1. ásinn
2. þristurinn
3. tvisturinn