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"World's Most Relaxing Music" Composed

Musical group Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper, the UK's leading therapeutic sound practitioner, have released what they claim is the world's most relaxing music. They contend that the calming effects of "Weightless" are not subjective but are based on scientific evidence. The music was found to cause brainwaves and heart rate to synchronize with the rhythm, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In fact, Scientists played the song to 40 women and found it to be 11% more effective at helping them relax than songs by Enya, Mozart and Coldplay. The eight-minute track is so effective at inducing sleep, motorists have now been warned they should not listen to it while driving.

152 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Wha? by nman64 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sorry, I nodded off for a moment there. Not sure if it was the music or the Daily Mail article.

    1. Re:Wha? by Flipao · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's a shame you;re missing out, It's really good!, you can almost feel the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

    2. Re:Wha? by cooperka · · Score: 1

      My heart beat really does sync up to the music. Does anyone else experience that too?

    3. Re:Wha? by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

      That's a shame you;re missing out, It's really good!, you can almost feel the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

      I agree, it's zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    4. Re:Wha? by ottothecow · · Score: 3, Interesting
      What about trained athletes who have low resting heart rates? I am by no means trained at a high level (although more so than average and *definitely* more than the test subject pictured in the article) and when I checked my pulse after 5 minutes of the song, it was going slightly slower.

      My first thought when the song started was "hmm that feels fast like my heart beat is accelerating". The song seems to be at about 60BPM while any young healthy person with any sort of moderate endurance training could be below that.

      --
      Bottles.
    5. Re:Wha? by jitterman · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm so out of shape that I can't confirm that I even have a heartbeat. For my activity level, this is dance music.

      --
      For conscience is the wound, and there's naught to staunch it
    6. Re:Wha? by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

      It reminds me of pink floyd for the first minute or so. Then they go off in another direction and the instrumentation goes from relaxing to annoying.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    7. Re:Wha? by spazdor · · Score: 1

      The moment i saw the Daily Mail link, I knew the article was going to feature prominently the word "boffins".

      --
      DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
    8. Re:Wha? by GarryFre · · Score: 1

      After while listening to it I got so agitated charles manson sent me a note telling me I needed to calm down !

      --
      www.Migrainesoft.com - Computer giving you a headache? We can fix that!
    9. Re:Wha? by Walkingshark · · Score: 1

      Oh shit, where are my mod points when I need them? I haven't laughed out loud at a slashdot comment in a long time.

      --
      The world you experience is only a close approximation of reality.
    10. Re:Wha? by muckracer · · Score: 1

      > My heart beat really does sync up to the music. Does anyone else
      > experience that too?

      No. In my experience the music syncs to my heart beat. But then...I'm Chuck Norris and YMMV. ;-)

    11. Re:Wha? by KingBenny · · Score: 1

      It sounds like something from an ambient cd in the 2euro bargains-cos-we-just-cant-sell-it bin to me. Maybe i just don't get it but i suspect it's rated s for sly attempt at selling it

      --
      Free speech was meant to be free for all... how can anyone grow up in a nanny state ?
  2. Or not by suso · · Score: 3, Informative

    I find that any claim of "World's most ....." is usually just a case of people not doing enough research. Try Stars of the Lid - Even (Out)+ for some really relaxing music.

    1. Re:Or not by Missing.Matter · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I used to listen to stars of the lid while doing homework. I have trouble listening to music with words because I sing along in my head, and I have a trouble listening to classical music because I play along in my head (I'm a violinist). Ambient stuff like Stars of the Lid is great though. I find it doesn't actually put me to sleep, but gets my brain in a thinking rhythm.

    2. Re:Or not by nharmon · · Score: 2

      I too find music with words distracting when doing work that requires a lot of concentration (school work, coding, etc). I tend to listen to electronic music in those situations. My favs:

      Boards of Canada
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrBZeWjGjl8

      Tycho
      www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCOEg-iUK1U

      Ulrich Schnauss
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s50jAWtCdQ

    3. Re:Or not by FreonTrip · · Score: 1

      The aptly named SleepResearch_Facility's album Deep Frieze is a great place to start.

    4. Re:Or not by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 2

      I highly recommend both Daft Punk or Deadmau5 for those long coding/scripting sessions. Helps my mind keep a tempo with what I'm doing.

    5. Re:Or not by pwizard2 · · Score: 1

      When I'm doing work I've always been partial to Vangelis. My favorite tracks of his are Comet 16, Heaven and Hell (the theme from Cosmos) , 1492 (the whole album in general, but especially Conquest of Paradise) and Voices. What's really impressive is that a lot of his work was done back in the 1970s on analog synthesizers... no computers were involved at all and yet it still sounds great by modern standards.

      Those who like Enya should give Loreena McKennitt a try if they haven't done so already.

      --
      "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
    6. Re:Or not by Gunnut1124 · · Score: 1

      Deadmau5 is more my style.

      --
      America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt, 1936
    7. Re:Or not by pwizard2 · · Score: 2

      Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention Karl Jenkins.

      --
      "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
    8. Re:Or not by whereiswaldo · · Score: 1

      When trying to read or concentrate on a task, I usually opt for instrumental music, usually soft/ambient/downtempo. Vocals are distracting. Though I seem to have a higher tolerance of non-instrumental music when it's played through low-fi speakers (eg. an iPod's speakers).

    9. Re:Or not by whereiswaldo · · Score: 1

      The Boards of Canada song you linked is one of my favourites, too. Never thought to look up the video, though. :)

    10. Re:Or not by rossdee · · Score: 1

      IMHO "Oceanic" is the best Vangelis album for relaxing.

      I also like the works of David Arkenstone, Paul Speer , Gandalf , 2002 , Australis and The Luminous World Orchestra

      All of whom I found out about on the Soundscapes music channel

      Lets not forget Mike Oldfield

    11. Re:Or not by Chapter80 · · Score: 1

      WARNING TO MOTORISTS: Do not listen to AC/DC while driving, or you might nod off!

      OK, now we can make a similar claim about AC/DC music as this one:
      "The eight-minute track is so effective at inducing sleep, motorists have now been warned they should not listen to it while driving."

    12. Re:Or not by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      I recommend Chicane, Juno Reactor, and Tangerine Dream. For anything streaming, check out somafm.com

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    13. Re:Or not by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 1

      +1 Juno Reactor

    14. Re:Or not by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 1

      The Boards of Canada song is indeed great. I actually do find it way more relaxing than the song mention in TFA, since it lacks that oily harmonious quality that screams "I WANT TO BE RELAXING". The slightly broken sound of the Boards calms me down way better. You might wanna try anything from Godspeed You Black Emperor!. Don't mind the vocal parts, they are short, and the instrumental soundscapes between make for a great background. I probably linked their darkest one here, but hey...

      --
      Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
    15. Re:Or not by spazdor · · Score: 1

      The video's worth doing a little research on. It is the first-ever footage of a "man in space" - an arguable characterization, since he only went up to the stratosphere in a modified weather balloon and it isn't quite a vacuum up there - followed by a skydive from that great height. What's extra amazing is that the feat predated the 'Space Age' by over a decade.

      Cpt. Joe Kittinger was definitely one of the great American badasses. I used to have dreams about that mission.

      --
      DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
    16. Re:Or not by eulernet · · Score: 1

      I recommend a radio: Limbik Frequencies
      http://www.limbikfreq.com/
      which plays only trance-ambient music, with your mentioned artists.

    17. Re:Or not by NJRoadfan · · Score: 1

      This track is nothing new, if one wants a whole CD's worth, check out Dreamfish by Pete Namlook and Mixmaster Morris. Ambient and to a lesser extent, Trance, are genres of music typically composed with relaxation in mind.

    18. Re:Or not by hack++slash · · Score: 1

      Good call on Biosphere, for the old-schoolers amongs us, some 80s Tangerine Dream goes down a treat, such as: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZjCg5qKfCM

      --
      To do something right, you often have to roll up your sleeves and get busy.
    19. Re:Or not by Theodore · · Score: 1

      Thank You suso, this thread it full of good suggestions for relaxing music.
      Over on Archive.org, the Webbed Hand and Resting Bell netlabels have a lot of relaxing FREE albums.
      (Some of my favorites are Rain2 and Rain3 by Tribe of Astronauts).

      I'm gonna have to grab some Stars of the Lid now...
      My credit card hates you all. ;)

    20. Re:Or not by sqldr · · Score: 1

      at download festival, possibly due to one too many beers, I fell asleep in my canvas chair listening to System of a Down. Not sure how much of that I should attribute to the music :-)

      --
      I wrote my first program at the age of six, and I still can't work out how this website works.
    21. Re:Or not by tom17 · · Score: 1

      Basically had this looping in my headphones on & off for the last few months.

      We Fail

      Love Some Chords too. Love everything really.

    22. Re:Or not by GillBates0 · · Score: 1

      I have trouble listening to music with words because I sing along in my head, and I have a trouble listening to classical music because I play along in my head (I'm a violinist).

      I think whether you feel relaxed listening to 'worded' music is highly dependent on what the lyrics convey. For example, if you were to listen to Meditative chants (Vedic/Hindu/Buddhist/Sanskrit Peace chants as an example), whose sole purpose is to invoke Peace in the mind, you'd find them relaxing. Here's one such example of a 'Shanti Mantra' (Peace chant): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywdlxIIKiU4 .

      On the other hand, if you listen to hardcore Heavy Metal, or violent Hip-Hop lyrics, you'll find it has the opposite effect, and gets you all worked up.

      --
      An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
    23. Re:Or not by lupinstel · · Score: 1

      I prefer Brown Jenkins.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Cthulhu.
  3. Flawed study by fotbr · · Score: 1

    Coldplay as "relaxing" music? WTF? Sure, it's not 80s hair-band "metal", but still...

    1. Re:Flawed study by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

      It has the opposite effect on me. I find that Coldplay makes me angry, agitated, and likely to destroy any nearby audio equipment.

    2. Re:Flawed study by jdgeorge · · Score: 1

      Yeah, man. I used to play 90125 when I had trouble sleeping.

    3. Re:Flawed study by nwf · · Score: 1

      Coldplay as "relaxing" music? WTF? Sure, it's not 80s hair-band "metal", but still...

      Obviously, that was a control. On the other hand, I generally fall asleep to trance music while on airplanes.

      --
      I don't know, but it works for me.
    4. Re:Flawed study by interval1066 · · Score: 1

      If this puts me to sleep I will use it. I find that for the opposing effect I need only go to a match and listen to footballers screaming "Oy, wats all dis den? Wats all dis?" at each other.

      --
      Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
    5. Re:Flawed study by mooingyak · · Score: 2

      Probably a reference to the decidedly soporific nature of their music.

      --
      William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
  4. Uh...right by RobinEggs · · Score: 1

    An 11% improvement in a subjective, multifactorial category like 'relaxation' and they're calling it the World's Best Music for that purpose? Why are we reading this mumbo jumbo, even in idle?

    I don't know whose editorial judgment sucks more, samzenpus or Timothy. I'd say samzen just took a major lead for the day, though.

    1. Re:Uh...right by demonbug · · Score: 4, Funny

      An 11% improvement in a subjective, multifactorial category like 'relaxation' and they're calling it the World's Best Music for that purpose? Why are we reading this mumbo jumbo, even in idle?

      I don't know whose editorial judgment sucks more, samzenpus or Timothy. I'd say samzen just took a major lead for the day, though.

      Didn't you see the photo with the guy in a lab coat? It's science.

    2. Re:Uh...right by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Didn't you see the photo with the guy in a lab coat? It's science.

      For some reason I imagined Phil Myman saying that.

    3. Re:Uh...right by chad.koehler · · Score: 1

      Reminded me of this:  http://xkcd.com/699/

    4. Re:Uh...right by Blue+Stone · · Score: 1

      Worse yet - giving the Daily Fail hits.

      Here's the music so you don't make the Daily Mail money from their advertisers to spew out more hate:

      http://soundcloud.com/justmusiclabel/marconi-union-weightless/s-kttxT

      Personally I found the artificial synth sound annoying, not relaxing, but my system is calibrated to the Eno scale.

       

      --
      Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
    5. Re:Uh...right by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      Well, if I were to try to measure "relaxation", I'd measure heart and breathing rate, and possibly a few other factors of someone who considers themselves to be relaxed, and use that as a baseline for "relaxed", and similarly for not relaxed. I'd then see what proportion of people reach this relaxed state after different stimuli.

      I'd also fully expect the media to want to have an exact figure for how relaxing it is and publish any percentage they could get their grubby mitts on as how much more relaxing it is.

    6. Re:Uh...right by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 1

      Here's the music so you don't make the Daily Mail money from their advertisers to spew out more hate:

      Now there's a nice civil take on the matter. Someone needs to chill, and I know just where you can find the music to do that with -- in the Daily Mail.

      And obviously /. needs a Informative Toll mod at +/-0

      --
      "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  5. AARGHH! by bosah · · Score: 1

    This sort of lazy unimaginative half arsed drone ambient slop annoys me more than relaxes me. Make a bloody effort people. Still its an impressive marketing strategy they have here I suppose.

    1. Re:AARGHH! by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      Actually, the sad thing is that it's not uncommon to find people who have put in serious effort to create their ambient slop.

      By comparison, some of the experimental musicians of the 1970's (who were on all sorts of interesting drugs at the time, of course) created some really relaxing music with very little effort: For instance, a piece called "Humming" that effectively gets a chorus of people doing exactly what the title says, which creates much the same effect as the most carefully planned ambient music.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  6. Not subjective at all by Dunbal · · Score: 1

    Nope, 11% more relaxing than Coldplay. I'm glad that they used the Coldplay standard to calibrate their work. Sheesh when will humanities majors stop pretending to be scientists?

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    1. Re:Not subjective at all by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      I'm sure it has nothing to do with measuring objective things like heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. The sample size is a little small, but these *are* measurable quantities.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    2. Re:Not subjective at all by Dunbal · · Score: 2

      Yup, they are measurable. Measuring something does not give it meaning. Cortisol levels vary greatly in the same individual throughout the day. Heart rate and blood pressure changes constantly unless you are very athletic or take beta blockers. Etc. To claim that even an 11% variation (presumably in the same individuals) is significant is a bold claim indeed, especially when we're not privy to the methodology. Were subjects allowed to get up and go to the bathroom between songs? Was the order of the songs randomized? There are millions more questions like these. Occam's razor states that it is far more likely that this is just a marketing stunt based on some pretty hokey pseudo-science. "Sound practitioner" indeed.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    3. Re:Not subjective at all by gsslay · · Score: 5, Funny

      The Coldplay standard has been well established in the study of coma inducement for some years now.

      It's roughly logarithmic. 1 Coldpay is equivalent to the coma induced by band itself. 2 Coldplay is brain stem death induced by prolonged exposure. 3 Coldplay is clinical death. 4 Coldplay is sudden death at a Coldplay concert.

      "11% more relaxing" is therefore around 1.05 Coldplay. Will leave you woozy, but you'll be fine after a few cups of coffee and some fresh air.

  7. Just wait by Sarten-X · · Score: 3

    The techno remix will be awesome!

    --
    You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
    1. Re:Just wait by DigiShaman · · Score: 2

      Ya, and maybe they'll call it Trance. Oh wait...

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    2. Re:Just wait by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Renamed disco, and it still sucks.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    3. Re:Just wait by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 1

      The techno remix will be awesome!

      How about the retro disco version?

      --
      "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  8. If it's showing real results... by SchMoops · · Score: 1

    ...I wonder if it has http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats in it.

  9. Eh, Sonny? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

    I've always found "Intravenous Diazepam" by the Swiss/international group 'Roche' to be more relaxing, personally.

    1. Re:Eh, Sonny? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      Propofol is better. It causes death; regardless of what music you're listening to. You`re dead, Jim. You can't get any more relaxed than that.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:Eh, Sonny? by larry+bagina · · Score: 2

      Why is death relaxing? I did a lot of research for my master's degree in relaxation studies. Turns out, it's quite simple. I'm sure you're aware from popular culture and ribauld humor that upon death, you shit and piss your pants. That's the key. Think about it: is there anything more relaxing than sitting on the toilet, drawers dropped, taking a nice fat shit? Nope. (Unless you're getting a blowjob and smoking a joint at the same time!).

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  10. But sadly it was not complete. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1

    No matter how hard they tried, they could not complete the recording because someone or the other, the conductor, or the piano guy or the viola lady or the recording engineer kept nodding off and messed up the taping.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:But sadly it was not complete. by TxRv · · Score: 1

      It's not so much a news story, as a setup for a Monty Python skit.

    2. Re:But sadly it was not complete. by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

      Damn. Beat me to it.

      Best I can offer is a reference.

    3. Re:But sadly it was not complete. by tinkerton · · Score: 1

      In the end they'll still be able to weaponize it though, and put the enemy into a very deep sleep.

  11. Worlds most relaxing music? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Worlds most relaxing music?

    I want chicken,
    I want liver,
    Meowmix, Meowmix,
    Please deliver

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  12. It's relaxing enough... by Chysn · · Score: 1

    ...but I don't think I'd call it "music."

    --
    --I'm so big, my sig has its own sig.
    -- See?
  13. "Research" by ab8ten · · Score: 1

    "The study - commissioned by bubble bath and shower gel firm Radox Spa - found the song was even more relaxing than a massage, walk or cup of tea."

    The sort of sponsored bollocks that passes for science reporting in the Daily Mail makes the front page of Slashdot. I know the front page of Slashdot isn't run by the world's most incisive editing team, but come on!

    --
    I have no .sig
    1. Re:"Research" by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      Well, at least they admit it now, they didn't always. Stuff like "scientists have discovered the formula for the perfect ice cream" as the ice cream season starts in spring used to get published, without a word of who had paid these third-rate academics to come up with it.

      By now, people should realize that when Daily Mail writes "boffins discover..." it's a press release disguised as science.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    2. Re:"Research" by Jeng · · Score: 1

      Sometimes stories are posted for the express purpose for us to poop on.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
  14. Was it really scientific? by Hentes · · Score: 1

    This reminds me to those ads where a scientist or doctor tells yout that this is the best toothpaste or washing powder in the world. Also, anything is relaxing if you compare it to Mozart.

  15. Yeah...no by Eggbloke · · Score: 1

    The first bit sounds like the beginning of the Dark Side Of The Moon. The only difference being that the Dark Side Of The Moon is far nicer and more relaxing.

    --
    I care not for your karma and your mod points.
    1. Re:Yeah...no by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      Only more relaxing if you take in the whole experience and get high as a kite. I will agree on the far nicer even without additional chemical assistance.

      --
      Time to offend someone
  16. Proper listening position by SomeoneGotMyNick · · Score: 1

    If you listen to it on the "World's Most Comfortable Chair", will you launch yourself into some form of astral projection?

    1. Re:Proper listening position by whereiswaldo · · Score: 1

      Don't forget your pajama jeans and a flock of cuddly puppies!

    2. Re:Proper listening position by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      An Israeli trance group, Astral Projection is worth listing too. You can check out their website at http://www.astral-projection.com./ Trance is one of my favorite genres of course. Recently I've ran into some some good stuff from China too.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
  17. Reaver breeding by vaene · · Score: 5, Funny

    99.9% of the test subjects eventually just stopped working, talking, eating, and moving they were so completely pacified. The other .1% became insanely enraged and started slaughtering, eating, and/or raping the the musicians and producers. So the problem kinda worked itself out.

    1. Re:Reaver breeding by nwf · · Score: 1

      99.9% of the test subjects eventually just stopped working, talking, eating, and moving they were so completely pacified. The other .1% became insanely enraged and started slaughtering, eating, and/or raping the the musicians and producers. So the problem kinda worked itself out.

      Sounds like the plot to _Serenity_.

      --
      I don't know, but it works for me.
    2. Re:Reaver breeding by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      I don't know if it's a "wooooosh", an explanation of the joke itself, in which case you killed it, or a weird Seinfeld reference.

    3. Re:Reaver breeding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Two by two, read the gorram GP post's subject.

    4. Re:Reaver breeding by Jbcarpen · · Score: 1

      Thank you Ted, that was the joke.

      --
      GENERATION 667: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation
  18. Not bad by Windwraith · · Score: 1

    But what I'd like is the "world's most stimulant" music (or sound sequence). Or the "world's best coding companion" tune.

    1. Re:Not bad by uncanny · · Score: 1

      Listen to dragonforce and try to stay calm!

    2. Re:Not bad by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      When I was at Uni I did have a "Coding" playlist which did heavily feature Dragonforce. I also had a "Study" (or was it "Research") playlist that was mainly classical music (or calm music without words) to focus (without worrying about focusing on song lyrics) on reading while not sitting in silence.

    3. Re:Not bad by Rizimar · · Score: 1

      If you want a highly-stimulative track, turn up some Flashbulb
      Also, you can't go wrong with Squarepusher

    4. Re:Not bad by xyourfacekillerx · · Score: 1

      If you're still looking for stimulating music in 2011, then it doesn't exist, or you are under 15, or you don't know how to use the internet to find obscure music.

    5. Re:Not bad by V!NCENT · · Score: 1

      It eats up most of my 500km/h random-thought-train, leaving me very relaxed indeed.

      --
      Here be signatures
    6. Re:Not bad by lisaparratt · · Score: 1

      Pure essence of techno, of course!

      "Kickdrum" tends towards a pure, sinewave tone at 40hz, 0.429s in length. "Offbeat high-hat" tends towards white noise, 0.429s in length. Tune length: tends towards infinity.

      http://archive.museumoftechno.org/exhibitions/perfect_techno_100000.mp3

    7. Re:Not bad by Windwraith · · Score: 1

      Under 15? No, it's the opposite. I have burned out the songs that I did find stimulating in the past.

    8. Re:Not bad by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      But what I'd like is the "world's most stimulant" music

      I would vote for "Ride of the Valkyries", "In the Hall of the Mountain King", or "O Fortuna"

      --
      Time to offend someone
  19. Smooth jazz by derfy · · Score: 2

    ...will be deployed in 3, 2, 1

  20. Not as relaxing as: by SleazyRidr · · Score: 1

    Na na, na na, na na na na, na na, katamari damacy!

  21. My suggestions by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

    Most relaxing music:

    Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin, HR 8938 Cephei, Stop Dance, Clockwork
    Anything by Bob Marley

    Least Relaxing Music:

    Yuzo Koshiro - Expander
    Slipknot - The Blister Exists
    Chimaira - Six
    Mr. Oizo - Gay Dentists

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    1. Re:My suggestions by N8w8 · · Score: 1

      Though some wouldn't call it music, for me Speedcore is even more un-relaxing.

    2. Re:My suggestions by SleazyRidr · · Score: 1

      I actually find Slipknot kinda relaxing. Each to their own I guess...

  22. Taste in music is subjective by onkelonkel · · Score: 1

    Famous unknown usenet quote "I like music by men. Ugly, angry men who write their own songs and play their own instruments".

    Choose Motorhead for max. relax.

    --
    None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
    1. Re:Taste in music is subjective by ajlitt · · Score: 1

      By that measure, Richard D. James must make the most relaxing music ever, given that he also makes some of his own instruments.

    2. Re:Taste in music is subjective by TechMouse · · Score: 1

      Selected Ambient Works II. Point proven.

    3. Re:Taste in music is subjective by onkelonkel · · Score: 1

      Not bad. Relaxing indeed.

      --
      None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
  23. Touch Me, I'm Relaxed by Ol+Biscuitbarrel · · Score: 1

    Nice. But does it top Music from Some Guys in Space?

    Fun fact: in the late 80s various members of the Seattle grunge rock scene had day jobs in, of all places, Muzak.

  24. Its in demand by interval1066 · · Score: 1

    I hear Muzac is paying handsomly for license rights.

    --
    Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
  25. Stressful! by Alan+R+Light · · Score: 1

    I tried listening to this track, but it was far too stressful.

    It was fine for the first 30 seconds or so, as I waited for the introductory passage to give way to the music...

    ... but the music never kicked in, and there I was, waiting, waiting, the anticipation building up, waiting for something more interesting than white noise.

    I had to turn it off by the midway point. Too stressful. I'll stick to Enya, Vangelis, Devotchka or Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata if I want to relax.

    1. Re:Stressful! by duk242 · · Score: 1

      The lack of melody actually helps it, as you can't predict the melody to follow along with it.

  26. weapons grade music by nitehawk214 · · Score: 1

    Each composer only composes one note of the composition, so as not to be killed by hearing the the entire composition. One of them saw two notes of the composition and had to spend a few weeks in hospital.

    --
    I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    1. Re:weapons grade music by Cheerio+Boy · · Score: 1

      Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! .. Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!

      --

      "Bah!" - Dogbert
  27. Binaural Beats by virgnarus · · Score: 2

    A lot of confusion in here has to do with people and determining 'taste' or 'approach' of music, which of course are relative. What the article is describing is music utilizing binaural beats as a method for causing relaxation. I personally think binaural beats is one of those cases where it's claimed to do far more than its originally discovered effect, but there are no doubts that this - and music in general - have the capacity to stimulate an individual beyond a superficial and emotional level. Binaural beats is just merely focusing on sound and its ability to do such, which is no different to the therapeutic capabilities of just about any other sensation.

  28. Relaxing is subjective by justdiver · · Score: 2

    For years I have been listening to music my wife refers to as "screaming hell music." I don't know the exact genre but I guess you could call it metalcore. I find this far more relaxing than "Enya" and have been sleeping (headphones so as to not disturb the wife) to this for years.

    1. Re:Relaxing is subjective by gTsiros · · Score: 1

      screaming hell music? hmmm... do me a favor will you? can you tell me what her opinion is about music like... say... The Betrayal by Fleshgod Apocalypse. Or Vampire from Nazareth by Septic Flesh?

      just curious

      --
      Looking for people to chat about multicopters, coding, music. skype: gtsiros
  29. Science? Statistics? by thehodapp · · Score: 1

    Ever heard of the placebo effect? I'll admit though I think it's an excellent ambient track, but considering there's an enormous library of ambient music out there, I suspect this "Most Relaxing Crap" is not the best out there.

  30. Ew by Kotiya · · Score: 1

    Coldplay? Really? Whenever I hear Coldplay I want to stab out my eardrums. A chainsaw is more relaxing.

  31. GRRR! by oGMo · · Score: 2

    Relaxing? First the link takes me to a page that doesn't actually have the music, but has a link to another page with the music.. but it's flash. So, opening the music on the computer hooked up to actually play music .. launch firefox, and take advantage of Sync .. oh, but this causes Firefox to halt for about 10 seconds. Once the page loads, and flash stops spinning up (grrr), press play and BOOM BOOM ... high default volume! GRRRRRRRR! The page's design with the volume up in the corner is further annoyance!

    Screw the music, I think it'd be more relaxing to go shoot things in RAGE.

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

    1. Re:GRRR! by coolmadsi · · Score: 1

      Relaxing? First the link takes me to a page that doesn't actually have the music, but has a link to another page with the music.. but it's flash.

      The first link is to the Daily Mail website, which is often filled with rage-fuelled articles (and sometimes nonsense that can make rational people angry).

      The flash setup is a bit weird, I use flashblock, which usually replaces its usage with a big rectangle where it should be, and a "play" button, to enable that flash, but didn't see it so had to enable flash for the whole page to work. The song isn't even overly relaxing; its alright I guess, but I didn't think it was anything special.

    2. Re:GRRR! by duk242 · · Score: 1

      Your failure to adopt web standards and control your own computer volume is not our problem.

  32. Re:You're not the target market by nomadic · · Score: 1

    "I typically listen to it while at work,"

    If you're a drummer, how can you listen to it while at work?

  33. Space Music by sandytaru · · Score: 1

    Back in the 90s there was an NPR program called "Hearts in Space" that played this sort of stuff. It was great to fall asleep to, but I think I'll stick with my current trance and progressive for relaxation. Less danger of me nodding off.

    --
    Occasionally living proof of the Ballmer peak.
    1. Re:Space Music by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 1

      Hearts of Space is still going: www.hos.com

      Not every show is to my tastes, but it is a good way to hear a lot of different "space" music.

  34. Kept turning down the volume. by PenguinJeff · · Score: 1

    How can it claim to be relaxing when I keep on having to turn down the volume. Its like the people that created this where death or something.

  35. I never relax... by closer2it · · Score: 1
    ... with Coldplay. I'm always trying to find from who's song they ripped the new single this time. ;)

    The music was found to cause brainwaves and heart rate to synchronize with the rhythm

    It seems to me that the music's rhythm tries to stay in sync with the average heart beat rate and not the other way around.

  36. Download link by Crudely_Indecent · · Score: 4, Informative
    --


    "Lame" - Galaxar
    1. Re:Download link by Sara+Chan · · Score: 1

      Thanks for this!

    2. Re:Download link by MenThal · · Score: 1

      Thanks! I was just getting ready to burn a new MP3 CD for my car! Now I can add this to the remaining space on it!

  37. The Daily Fail by TxRv · · Score: 1

    Whoever says this is the most relaxing music ever has never heard Justin Bieber slowed down 800%. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry9vqMy6AwM

  38. Downloading the worlds most relaxing music by mr_stinky_britches · · Score: 1

    I just downloaded it using this site: http://offliberty.com/. Neato...will check it out on the way home tonight.

    --
    Censorship is obscene. Patriotism is bigotry. Faith is a vice. Slashdot 2.0 sucks.
    1. Re:Downloading the worlds most relaxing music by mr_stinky_britches · · Score: 2
      --
      Censorship is obscene. Patriotism is bigotry. Faith is a vice. Slashdot 2.0 sucks.
  39. not music by ca111a · · Score: 1

    This is white noise. Or generated sound. I wouldn't call it "music" if it's composed using science instead of talent and inspiration...

  40. Shades of the Animaniacs by ralphc · · Score: 1

    Anvilania...

  41. Music that lowers my blood pressure by laron · · Score: 1

    I guess I will have to bookmark this discussion fur future reference.
    Anyway, here is the balm for my nerves:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVUcjDO8-JM Venetian Lute Music
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVvqFqITYlY Luc Arbogast, a French street musician

    --
    "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master."
  42. Deep Thoughts... by mcspoo · · Score: 1

    What is the effect of the world's calmest music on a person whom is deaf?

  43. Oh my god! They discoved New Age Prog music! by Eightbitgnosis · · Score: 1

    Not like a hundred other new age prog songs don't exist

    Personally I find Boards of Canada much more relaxing than this

  44. Vangelis by dosun88888 · · Score: 1

    It sounds like a cross between the themes from Blade Runner and Cosmos, but not nearly as good.

    1. Re:Vangelis by pwizard2 · · Score: 1

      Actually, Vangelis wrote the themes for both.

      --
      "It is a denial of justice not to stretch out a helping hand to the fallen; that is the common right of humanity."
  45. Relaxed Math by Sir+Realist · · Score: 1

    So in this huge statistical study of _40_ women, we see results of an 11% improvement in "relaxation", according to the article.

    What do you empirically measure relaxation in anyways; ohms?

    If we assume something binary - like the ability to go to sleep, which the article also references - then an 11% improvement, in a sample size of 40 is... lesse here...

    That would be an improvement from 9 to 10, 18 to 20, 27 to 30, or 36 to 40. If their experiment was even halfway decently designed, they're not getting 100% success at any point, and all 3 of the other options are statistically insignificant by the chi-square method; go back and collect more data.

  46. Re:You're not the target market by johnlcallaway · · Score: 1

    You mean you actually sit back and do nothing but listen to this?? I think it would be great for background sounds for people that can't stand silence or white noise if someone wants to go to sleep, and I suppose it does fit into the category of 'music' since it has some form to it. But I 'listened' to it in about 30 seconds by skipping around and trying to find something of interest other than just pleasant sounds.

    I think that great music, like great art, should invoke emotions. All this does is make me more receptive to anything bright and shiny that might come into view. Does 'waiting to be distracted' count as an emotion???

    --
    I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
  47. Congratulations by bedouin · · Score: 1

    You just bored the hell out of me without even hitting the 5 minute mark.

    Relaxed? Not so much.

  48. It's just ambient by duk242 · · Score: 1

    The music is from a pretty common genre called Ambient. There's a LOT of music out there very similar to this, it's not some "magical track" that someone put together for this specific purpose, it's just a normal 60-50bpm soundscaped ambient track... Other artists in this category: Yellow6, Hybryds, Good Night, Gel Sol, Ishq, Kenji Williams, Ishvara, Ishq, Senzar, Grey Area, Lähtö, Foundation Hope, Our Sleepless Forest, Bluetech, Steinbrüchel, Aethenor, Steve Roach... And that's just the names I can think off the top of my head...

  49. Re:You're not the target market by Thing+1 · · Score: 1

    By drumming softly?

    --
    I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
  50. Pronouns by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

    Easy listening: A scientist monitors the reactions of one participant who listens to Marconi Union's song. It claims to be the most relaxing track ever made

    It's a song; it doesn't claim anything. Or is there actually a lyric that says "this is the most relaxing track ever"?

    --
    Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
    1. Re:Pronouns by TangoMargarine · · Score: 1

      Either that, or a listener is claiming to be a track on an album.

      --
      Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
  51. Another viral marketing campaign by MycoMan · · Score: 1

    The goofy picture of the 'scientist' in white lab coat costume looking at a display while the 'subject' is hooked up to wires. Plus, the whole 'Gosh, isn't it amazing what you can do with Science' tone of the article. This is just someone's idea of viral marketing. And apparently, it's working, too! Is there some connection between all the artists/albums mentioned in the sidebar?

  52. Re:You're not the target market by nomadic · · Score: 1

    In another words, you're not really a drummer, you're a waiter or office drudge who wants to be a drummer.

  53. Did I hear ... by PPH · · Score: 1

    ... someone say, "Hark! The cannons!" right near the end?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  54. Flower by travisco_nabisco · · Score: 1

    The most relaxing music I have ever heard is probably the soundtrack to the PSN network game "Flower".

  55. Re:And the world's most annoying music? by Hartree · · Score: 1

    I'll vote for "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky"

    "Kung Fu Fighting" is a close second.

  56. DAE by Ritontor · · Score: 1

    Does anyone else find that plodding kick drum in the background really annoying? Completely ruins it for me.

    --
    Perhaps the answer to the problem of teenagers dropping bricks from motorway and railway bridges is to sue Tetris.
  57. Xerxes Music is the definitive one ! by christophep · · Score: 1

    help, building software for a long time, I use relaxing songs for designing and coding. Most of my best experience have a label named chillout mixes. try this and enjoy : www.chilloutmixes.com Experiences with Marco Torrance, Xerxes and Cardamar EnJoy !

  58. Music for Airports by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 1

    Pretty damn relaxing.

  59. i recommend by AP31R0N · · Score: 1

    Love Spirals Downwards.

    --
    Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
  60. Musical Cloroform by arobustus · · Score: 1

    Why?

  61. Too fast by SST-206 · · Score: 1

    UGH, stupid BaceFook walled garden and Soundclod pages which don't play; I finally found it on YouTube:

    Marconi Union - Weightless (Radox) HighQuality Audio (most relaxing tune)

    The heartbeat is way too fast! Since at 60bpm it is half dance music speed of ~120bpm(+), the brain merely interpolates the extra beats in between. Remember the quote:

    "127 - disco heaven!" :-)

    Everyone knows slower reggae/hip-hop tempos around 90bpm are more mellow. So a tempo of 90 or 45 would work better, or if they'd wanted to relax people, use a steadily slowing down tempo say ranging imperceptibly gradually from 100bpm to 40bpm.

    The ever-changing randomly-placed sounds and panning are distracting, not relaxing. The drifty evolving analogue pad sounds are nice, but there is so much else wrong with this to know where to begin. There is nothing new here that Eno wasn't already doing in the late 1970's. But I guess it's all about the self-promotion and attention-seeking. Perhaps these so-called experts and scientists should come and visit my record collection. Or just check out artists like Oophoi.

    "the UK's leading therapeutic sound practitioner"

    Yeahright.

    --
    Co-operation beats competition