For those of us who like to study or read along to music, finding the perfect balance of interesting instrumentals, minimal lyrics, and the ability to block out other people’s chatter is a difficult task. Here are just some of the many albums I think may fit the bill, conveniently organized into six different categories. 

Soundtrack Picks:

Minecraft: Volume Alpha by C418

My friends may make fun of me for having the Minecraft soundtrack as one of my most listened to albums of 2024, but that’s because they’ve never spent a six hour day at the library surrounded by nostalgic video game ambience. The slow, minimalistic sound of this album is perfect for when you want to block out some outside noise, but know anything too dynamic would distract you. Quite melancholic and bittersweet at times, this classic pairs great with a sad book or some sad homework.

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Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti

Twin Peaks is one of my favourite shows of all time, and the perfection in its writing and directing is matched completely by its soundtrack. The tracks manage to capture all the beauty, mystery, and surreal atmosphere of the series. Songs like “Laura Palmer’s Theme” are deeply chilling and unsettling, while “Freshly Squeezed” and “Dance of the Dream Man” are jazzy and fun. If you’re starting a new mystery novel, consider pairing it with this soundtrack, a slice of cherry pie, and some damn fine coffee.

Ambient Picks:

G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END! by Godspeed You Black Emperor!

If most music is truly too much when you’re trying to get stuff done, Godspeed You Black Emperor! is perfect. A post-rock classic, all of their albums are beautifully atmospheric and full of slow climbs that span across songs only to climax and fade away once again. This album specifically is much more hopeful than their previous records, containing chord progressions that seem to end on an uplifting note. Their first two albums can be a bit depressing for study time, so I find this pick a great balance between their ambient feeling drone rock and a great background record. 

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Promises by Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra

If the above picks were a little too minimal for your liking, Promises might be the right type of ambient music for you. While the album is still minimalistic, it features prominent saxophone in many tracks. The entire album is intended to be a single 46 minute song, which makes its track transitions on streaming entirely seamless and undistracting. This album transports you to a surreal, dreamlike place where jazzy brass instruments dance across a sparse background of synthesizers and harpsichords. One part minimalistic ambience, one part 60s jazz, this album is great for a chill study soundtrack and some caffeine.

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Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never

With its glitchy and repetitive samples, I’m sure some people would not agree with this pick. But sometimes, an ominous album that feels a bit like floating through space is exactly what I need to focus. The album creates a beautiful ambient soundscape that fully surrounds you with its weirdness. I find its minimalist sound really great company for doing my readings on a cold, foggy day. 

Dreamy Picks:

Dusk to Dawn by Lamp

This Japanese pop album is a great motivator for when the library walls are starting to get a little too familiar. When all you want to do is go home and take a nap, when you have overdue work that you just cannot bring yourself to start, or when an ambient album would surely put you to sleep, this record is a great pick-me-up. Its warm, twinkly, and jazzy instrumentals are great company for warm lights and old, wood, desks. The vocals are soothing and relaxing, but the Japanese lyrics ensure that they aren’t too distracting. The perfect balance between fun and focus, Dusk to Dawn is a great album if you have the time to have some fun while working.

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Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós

Although Ágætis Byrjun is equally as dreamlike, it feels completely different from Lamp’s Dusk to Dawn. Cold, melancholic, and slow, this album is much more prone to fade into the background. The ethereal singing is soothing and feels almost like a lullaby. If you need something subtle in the background while you write your next paper, check out this Icelandic post-rock classic.

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Windswept Adan by Ichiko Aoba

This album was created as a soundtrack to a fictional film about a girl on an island and its ethereal sound really does transport you there. Aoba’s vocals are light and airy, acting as just another instrument among the arrangements of strings and flutes. The sound of this album is incredibly lush, warm, and intimate, mimicking the fictional protagonist’s newfound connection with the flourishing island of Adan. With its soothing instrumentals and gentle singing, Windswept Adan pairs perfectly with a book about nature.

Electronic Picks:

Labyrinth be Doon Kanda

If instead of being transported to a fairytale island, you would rather go to another solar system– Labyrinth is my pick for you. Even down to the album artwork, everything about this album feels alien. The strings, pianos, and synths create a dark, haunting atmosphere that is truly unique.  The sound of this album is genuinely otherworldly, and creates the perfect backdrop for your next sci-fi read.

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2012-2017 by Against All Logic

A more classical dance album, 2012-2017 is a great house pick. This compilation album of various electronic dance tracks is perfect for both a house party and a study party. Its combination of synths, percussion, and repeated samples is atmospheric, lush, and so groovy. I find myself dancing in my chair whenever I put it on, and I’m sure you will too. Although its occasional lyrics may make it hard to read or write to, I find it perfect for anything STEM. 

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Semantics: The Benzo Chronicles by Goreshit

Enough with the fun stuff, it’s time to get serious. If you really need to lock in, breakcore is the genre for you. It’s high energy, has limited lyrics, and won't distract from whatever work you’re doing. This album in particular has all of the above, plus a really beautiful, ethereal atmosphere. The album is fairly intense though, with pretty much nonstop breakbeats throughout. While its runtime is only 40 minutes, it’s a very vigorous 40 minutes. This album is for cram time– racing through an online quiz half an hour before its due or writing a paper due in an hour by typing every word that comes to mind.

Wildcard Picks:

Fashion Week by Death Grips\

This section was mainly self indulgent: there are so many albums that I would personally study along to but would be hesitant to recommend others do the same. Death Grips is one of my favourite musical groups of all time, but even to me, their music can be a little much sometimes. When I’m craving their infectious energy and feeling just a little unhinged, their instrumental album Fashion Week is just the right choice. Glitchy, noisy, and industrial, this album feels a bit like being in the matrix. If you need to finish your work with the urgency of someone being chased down by robocops, this record is perfect.

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Crystal Castles (II) by Crystal Castles

I don’t consider this album too far from the dance or electronic picks above, but it can definitely be a bit harsh on the ears at times, like on the opening track “Fainting Spells”. However, if you don’t mind some occasionally grating sounds, this album’s electropop is really great. The noisy, layered, instrumentals are hypnotic and really fill me with the energy and motivation to get work done. The vocals are often distorted and repeated, allowing them to fade into the background for me, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. Do you wish you were at the goth club instead of the walls of Robarts? Find a dark place and put on Crystal Castled (II).

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Loveless by My Bloody Valentine

‍Shoegaze is a great genre to study or read to because of its distorted guitar and largely obscured singing. Loveless is the quintessential shoegaze album, and its cult-classic status is well deserved. If traditional pop songs would break your concentration, Loveless takes pop melodies and puts them behind a wall of noise. The layers of sound create a sea that you can easily lose yourself in. Plus, if the people beside you are chatting up a storm, the constant fuzzy guitars of Loveless is sure to drown them out.