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Guitar solos and dubstep breakdowns are all fine and good - but it's not what you want to hear at 2am in the morning when you can't get to sleep and you've got a 9am start the next day. We've all been there before and will be again. Check out our essential tracks for insomniacs below.
Amiina 'Sogg'
Stepping out of the shadows of their days as Sigur Ros' percussion section, Icelandic four-piece Amiina released their debut album Kurr in 2007. A collection of fragile, ethereal tracks unlike that could never have been recorded anywhere outside of their remote homeland, 'Sogg' is one of many standout tracks of chilled out perfection from the album.
Birdy 'Shelter' (Owsey remix)
UK youngster Birsy divided opinion with her debut album, a collection of covers, with her cover of The xx her most controversial on the release. Her cover was unadventurous at best, but the Owsey remix takes the young singer's vocals to a delicate extreme, blending thunder rolls into the barely-there beats.
Sigur Ros 'Svefn-g-Englar'
No late-night playlist is complete without a Sigur Ros track, and this 1999, nine-minute epic is one of the band's greatest releases. Translated as 'Sleepwalkers' or 'Sleep Angels', 'Swefn-g-Englar' is a template for Sigur Ros' success - mixing Jonsi's haunting vocals with heavy guitars and moments of absolute bliss.
Tsunami Wazahari - 'Believe Yourself'
Lovely oriental tinged dub music that'll make you sleepy in the middle of the afternoon, let alone the middle of the night. Given that it's supposed to take seven minutes to fall asleep, this nine minute track is ideal. The gentle, clinking rhythm and winding, whistling melody line scream relaxation.
Thievery Corporation - 'So Com Voce'
Thievery Corporation have established themselves as masters of the blissed out chill-out ambience track. So Com Voce sees them at their dreamy best. The gentle click of a snare rim and the resonance of the bassline make the perfect back drop for the fragile vocals.
Emancipator - 'First Snow'
A rolling soundscape covered in pristine snow that is entirely appropriate for the early hours of the morning. Emancipator’s knack for composition is on obvious display with this track of delicately balanced parts sending the listener tumbling through simple piano lines and echoing drum sounds.
Fleetwood Mac - 'Albatross'
One of the most peaceful songs ever written (if we forget when it was co-opted for those M&S adverts, that is), 'Albatross' did ambience before ambience was a thing - at least in the mainstream consciousness. Spacey and relaxing, there's nothing better to help you nod off.
Jimmy Eat World - 'Goodbye Sky Harbor'
Taken from the flawless Clarity album, 'Goodbye Sky Harbor' is over fifteen minutes long - which gives you plenty of time to fall asleep. Sparse on the lyrics, aside from a dreamy refrain, the song stretches out to a repetitive and almost hypnotic ending. Almost worth staying awake for.
Porcelain Raft - 'Put Me To Sleep'
Stripped down and electronically enhanced, 'Put Me To Sleep' manages to retain the intimacy amongst the ebbs and flows of the synth beat - down in no small part to Mauro Remiddi's tentative whisper. Beautiful and strange in all the best ways, 'Put Me To Sleep' will cradle your head and allow you to drift off - but be careful of nightmares.
DJ Shadow - 'Midnight in a Perfect World (Extended Version)'
DJ Shadow is probably the master of late night listening. The original version of 'Midnight in a Perfect World' came from the first ever album to be entirely comprised of samples. The extended version was released as a B-side to the single, and was given even more space. Cuts of ambient orchestral sounds over a raw sounding hip-hop beat make it essential bedtime listening.
Kode 9 & The Spacescape- 'Glass'
Glasgow musician, Kode 9, is the owner of infamous label Hyperdub records. He is recognised as one of the founders of 'chill-out dubstep' after signing artists like Burial and Darkstar. 'Glass' is a collaboration with dub reggae vocalist, The Spacescape. The track takes the BPM right down and combines it with a croaky spoken-word vocal that is eerie yet beautiful.
Sprirtualized - 'Cop Shoot Cop'
'Cop Shoot Cop' closes Spiritualized's seminal album 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'. The track is built around a truly infectious bass-line that propels the song through guitar freak-outs and clanging piano- while retaining a feel of serenity throughout. Despite its 17-minute duration, most chill enthusiasts are likely to tell you they wish it went on for even longer.
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