Music is a great medium to help get away from all the stressors that dominant our daily lives. It triggers different parts of the human brain and is a well-documented method to improving productivity levels and academic performance. There are many great bands that release some awesome tunes to chill out to, whether it be over the weekend, at a party or while you’re on your way to work in the morning. Whatever your reason might be, these are some of the best bands with the most chilled music to tune into, whether it be on the chill out radio, YouTube or Spotify.
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Portishead
Based in Bristol in the United Kingdom, Portishead became well known for their jazz samples, where they even blended some nice hip-hop beats. They’ve collaborated with Beth Gibbons, a famous English singer-songwriter, who recently became the lead lyricist of the band. Portishead headlined at the Latitude Festival in the UK, which took place in July 2015.
Kiasmos
Based in Iceland, Kiasmos embody the definition of “chill.” In a similar vein to other Icelandic bands, such as Of Monsters and Men, KALEO and Minus, Kiasmos have been providing authentic, ambient tracks since 2009. Their music has been described as minimalist techno and electronica. They are currently signed with Erased Tapes and consist of two members: Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen. Arnalds won a BAFTA for his work on the soundtrack for the acclaimed tv series, Broadchurch, in 2014.
Sia
As one of the most mainstream and established names on the list, Australian singer, Sia, has been one of the most successful artists to provide chilled tunes in recent years. She started her career with local Adelaide band, Crisp, before the group disbanded in 1997. After this, she moved to London, before eventually signing with Dance Pool (part of Sony Music) in 2000. She released her third studio album, which featured in the final season of “Six Feet Under” (an HBO television drama) and then moved to New York in 2005 so she could start touring the United States.
After releasing a few more albums, she took a break from performing and focused on collaborating with other artists. This period saw her release some of her most famous contributions, including “Titanium” (with David Guetta) and “Wild Ones” (with Flo Rida). She returned to releasing her own music in 2014, starting with her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200.
Boards of Canada
Formed way back in 1985, Boards of Canada are an electronic music duo from Scotland. Having been active for over 34 years, Boards of Canada have released several studio albums including Music Has the Right to Children (1998), The Campfire Headphase (2005) and Tomorrow’s Harvest (2013). The group has had a significant influence in the ambient music scene and have developed an established, cult following over time. Their music has been used in a few episodes of CSI and as transitional music on the highly popular BBC program, Top Gear.
Gotan Project
Labelled an electrotango group, Gotan Project formed in Paris in 1999. They have released several studio albums, with many commentators describing the band’s sound as tango immersed in electronic elements, like samples and breaks. The origin of the band’s name comes from a form of wordplay known as vesre, which involves the reversal of syllables. Indeed, the word “tan-go” was inverted to become “go-tan”, thereby forming the band’s iconic name.
Conclusion
So, if you’re craving a new sound or are just sick and tired of listening to the same old tracks on your Spotify playlist, consider checking out some of the artists and bands listed here. You certainly won’t regret it!
