Instrumental Music

[GundamSentinel]

I have no real preference. Sometimes I enjoy lyrics, but very often I listen instrumental (most often soundtracks, classical or just stuff like Joe Satriani). I tend not to be very picky about music that does have lyrics. A lot of metal has excruciatingly bad writing, but that doesn't decrease my enjoyment.

 

[Blue Musician]

Spoiler: Escala - Requiem For a Tower

This song and Pallatio, and every song made by Two Steps from Hell, Immediate Music, X-Ray Dog, Audiomachine and most of the music by Akira Yamaoka have the best instrumental music one can heard. Apart from Classical music of course.

 

[Enemy Of The State]

I prefer lyrics, but I like this:


Go on, listen to it. It's only 40 seconds.

It sounds better with headphones though, or with the volume up.

 

[Outright Villainy]

-snip-

*sniff* The end always brings me to tears.

-snip-

Also this.

They were both pretty sweet. I just started listening to Kyuss today co-incidentally.

Ot:

Spoiler: Explosions in the sky

Spoiler: Clare de lune

Spoiler: The Opened way

Also, if you can listen to Clare de lune and tell me music without words can't have emotion YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

 

[Jonluw]

I love instrumental music. Especially soundtracks, because of the connotations they carry. One such soundtrack can bring out everything I felt while watching a series.

For example, I've been listening to the Clannad soundtrack a lot. Sadly, doing so over and over has managed to kill all the emotion I felt when I listened to the songs the first few times.

Edit: I might edit in some of my favourite instrumental pieces later. Classical music should definitely be more popular.

 

[Queen Michael]

It's okay in the beginning, but after about a minute it gets awesomely beautiful.

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

I like instumental music. It gives the band a chance to let loose with fear of upstaging the vocals.

My favorite instumental is:

Listen to 3:37-7:50 Every thing inbetween is sublime guitar playing IMO.

 

[Berserker119]

I really really like instrumentals. I'm also one of the few people I know who actually really likes and appreciates classical music. Of course, when you have something like Apocolyptica, that's just awesome.

 

[Lordmarkus]

I've started to listen a lot to Billy Cobham. Fast-paced instrumental fusion jazz is extremely relaxing.

And I prefer instrumental music towards lyrics any day.

 

[Varrdy]

I'm with you to a degree. Music is a massive part of my life and whilst there's nothing wrong with lyrics in a song, I agree that instrumental peices can be something else.

My imagination is pretty vivid and loves stimulation (which is why I like Pink Floyd so much because, as the Live at Pompeii liner notes point out, "their music lends itself very well to visual interpretation") and I find that instrumental peices do this a lot more than songs with lyrics.

When I listen to something like "Lux Aerterna", I think of epic battles (usually in space) and/or something involving gauntlet-running. I can imagine a good Star Wars battle would suit that one.

I've a lot of classical music in my collection as well as various soundtracks and the odd soundscape (Tubular Bells) and each one can make my mind wander and become filled with all manner of scenarios, I just wish I could remember to write half the stuff down because my memory sucks and a lot of what I imagine can be good story-fodder!

Wardy

 

[similar.squirrel]

Godspeed You!Black Emperor
Mogwai
Red Sparowes
And So I Watch You From Afar
Pelican
65daysofstatic
Jonny Greenwood
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Venetian Snares
Autochre
Jeff Loomis
..
doesn't even begin to cover it.

I'm a post-rock nut, but I generally prefer most of my other music sans vocals as well. Jazz, classical, electronic, metal and so forth.
Happy listening.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

Instrumental has always been my favorite, as I believe lyrical pieces end up with the singer taking all the glory, rather than the professionally-trained band. You can't just step in and play a brass instrument without years of practice! Why do they end up more glorified?!
Anyways, here's my favorite Piece.

Spoiler: Jupiter, by Gustav Holst

 

[Alex Cowan]

snip

It's okay in the beginning, but after about a minute it gets awesomely beautiful.

I love you. Listening to that sent me into some kind of trance - just beautiful.

 

[mrpenguinismyhomeboy]

There are lots of good instrumental orchestral pieces, and also a good deal of electronica ones. In terms of Orchestral pieces, my favorites would have to be these.


Not just this part of it but the whole thing is really good. Listen to it loud. It makes it more epic. The second movement (which I couldn't find) is extremely beautiful.
I think this is a really interesting piece. It uses micro-tonality, and almost comes off as being kind of sluggish, makes you feel lazy, and sleepy. It kinda feels to me like it would be used in a cartoon.
This whole song could be the entire soundtrack to an Aliens movie or something. It's scUUUry. But it's incredibly brilliant.

Instrumental music actually sounds the opposite of bad-ass. Good-ass? It's just music without any feeling or passion. And being here in The Escapist , I'm predicting accurately everyone'll mention some obscure instrumental metal band

And as for you, listen to the above songs, and tell me if they have "no feeling" or "no passion". Especially the last one. These are not metal songs, as well.

 

[Shycte]

There is plenty of good instrumental music, just like there is plenty of good music with vocals.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Well, I like short instrumentals best.

like
Youtube's being a *****, but Gus G has a song called Divine D that's simply amazing, look it up.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Instrumental has always been my favorite, as I believe lyrical pieces end up with the singer taking all the glory, rather than the professionally-trained band. You can't just step in and play a brass instrument without years of practice! Why do they end up more glorified?!
Anyways, here's my favorite Piece.

Spoiler: Jupiter, by Gustav Holst

Holst is completely awesome, and Jupiter is my favorite. Internet high five!

I say that anyone who claims instrumental pieces are "unemotional" is clearly daft.