New Age music is
music of various styles intended to create
artistic inspiration,
relaxation, and
optimism. It is used by listeners for
yoga,
massage,
meditation,
[1] and
reading as a method of
stress management[2] or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often associated with
environmentalism and
New Age spirituality.
[1]
The
harmonies in New Age music are generally
modal,
consonant, or include a
drone bass. The melodies are often repetitive, to create a hypnotic feeling, and sometimes recordings of nature sounds are used as an introduction to a track or throughout the piece. Pieces of up to thirty minutes are common.
New Age music includes both
electronic forms, frequently relying on sustained
synth pads or long
sequencer-based runs, and
acoustic forms, featuring instruments such as flutes, piano, acoustic guitar and a wide variety of non-western acoustic instruments. In many cases, high-quality
digitally sampled instruments are used instead of natural acoustic instruments. Vocal arrangements were initially rare in New Age music but as it has evolved vocals have become more common, especially vocals featuring
Native American,
Sanskrit, or
Tibetan influenced chants, or lyrics based on
mythology such as
Celtic legends or the realm of
Faerie.
Break Out The Incense: It's New Age Week!
Threaded Mode