Reducing Stress

MUSIC CLIP: Virginia Astley – \’From Gardens Where We Feel Secure\’

Taken from her 1983 album of the same name, released on Rough Trade records.

It’s worth trying to track down on Amazon to bring the sound of the English summertime into your home whenever you need a touch of calmness.

MUSIC CLIP: Air – \’les professionnals\’

One of their first ever releases.

This track features ‘that’ guitar hook at the end, which they ended up re-using on ‘all i need’ (sung by Beth Hirsch on their 1998 ‘Moon Safari’ LP).

There’s also a version of ‘Les Professionels’ in which a member of Air sings “And I used to seek pleasure…” gently in the background – perhaps the track is an ode to calmness re-discovered, within?

MUSIC CLIP: Sufjan Stevens – \’Redford (for Yia Yia and Pappou)

I’ll try and keep this short (Sufjan Stevens remains a favourite musician of mine; I could ramble).

For me – he continually delivers music of a melody and message to uplift the listener.

This is taken of his 2003 LP, ‘Michegan’ – his home state.

MUSIC CLIP: Pausal – \’lapsing\’ (2010)

Taken off their beautiful ‘lapses’ LP, released earlier this year. 

I have been listening to this album most mornings of late. I find it helps me to start the day feeling calm and controlled, rather than rushed and stressed.

MUSIC CLIP: Jan Johansson – \’Visa Fran Rattvik\’ (1964)

Jan Johansson (16 September 1931 – 9 November 1968) was a Swedish jazz pianist. He is little known outside Scandinavia, and his records are not widely available, though Jazz på svenska (Jazz in Swedish, from which this track is taken) has sold more than a quarter of a million copies, and is the best selling jazz release ever in Sweden.