The study music genre has become increasingly popular of late, so I felt it was time to finally jump on the bandwagon myself! Whilst this musical style has a link to the lo-fi hip-hop genre, there’s a lot more to it than that, with a range of different styles present in this list. If you’re looking for the perfect playlist for playing in the background when working or studying, the playlist at the end of this article should also be of use!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Juliano
Juliano – Flowing River
First up is Juliano, a composer who has worked with many bands and orchestras within his lifetime. Flowing River is a beautiful piece of classical music, showing just how talented a pianist this artist is! It’s quite slow at first, seeing the main melody meandering in lovely style as the track progresses. However, it sounds utterly beautiful throughout, seeing Juliano building upon the main melody in a lovely way over the course of the piece. It’s also extremely relaxing – just check the track out below and see if you agree!
Juliano – Lamento
We’ve actually got another song from Juliano for you – his music is that good that I couldn’t help but share his track Lamento as well! It’s another classical-based song, although it actually sounds rather eerie at first, with the way the strings build up over the piano. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but when the strings finally explode onto the track, they do so with a beautiful crescendo of sounds. It’s a haunting piece of music – just try and listen to this without feeling something!
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Ronald Van Deurzen – Seashells
Ronald Van Deurzen is another pianist and composer, although his track Seashells has more of an ambient quality than being a straight up classical track. The music builds up slowly as it progresses, with some interesting backing effects and percussion elements creating a lovely texture in the background. The piano is fairly minimalist, with guitars and strings appearing to push the main melody along. It’s a really euphoric piece of music, perfect for relaxing to at the end of a long day!
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DoosC – Lost In Sigiriya
We’ve featured Luxembourg-based producer DoosC before, so it’s great to share his latest track Lost In Sigiriya with the world! DoosC’s music has more of an EDM vibe, with a fast beat pushing the track along. However, it’s fairly subtle at times, with a range of intriguing background effects appearing as the music progresses. Tribal style drums, flutes and haunting backing vocals are the name of the game here, combining into one fantastic overall package. It’s a slightly different sounding track from DoosC, but that’s one of the reasons I love it so much!
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Lior Holzman – Labour
Labour is a little different to the other songs already presented on this list, as it’s much more folky, featuring a selection of gorgeous acoustic guitar melodies played by Lior Holzman. Several melodies play at once, intertwining with each other in a beautiful way – it really is an astounding sounding piece of music! It’s obvious just how talented Lior is, as his songwriting skills are both technical and emotional. The track has a slightly faster tempo than you might expect from the genre, but it really works!
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Raynald Grenier – Doux Instants
Raynald Grenier is another artist we’ve featured here in recent months. Doux Instants is a beautiful classical piece, perfectly designed to get under your skin with its beauty. Raynald has a really soulful way of playing, showing just how talented he is. The main note sequence played by his right hand is stunning to behold, with the left hand complementing it perfectly. Doux Instants is one of my favourite tracks on this entire list, due to how hauntingly beautiful it is as a whole.
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The Missing Note – A Song for Jase (2022 Redux)
The Missing Note is an artist that creates haunting compositions with an ambient theme – there are also some elements of the drone genre present, mixing things up a little. A Song for Jase (2022 Redux) is a truly astounding piece of work, as it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in a long time. The strings are particularly gorgeous, moving through the music in a lovely way. Little piano motifs also emerge occasionally, adding more of a texture to the tune. The track reaches a gorgeous crescendo towards the end, seeing the strings rise up ever higher.
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Courtney Nord – Like Rainbows
Like Rainbows is one of the few songs on this list that actually features vocals, but Courtney Nord’s release definitely fits the study vibe, as her music is really dreamy! Ethereal guitar melodies flit through the verses in a lovely way, although the choruses are a little heavier, raising the tension further. Courtney’s vocals weave their way in and out of the music, with a selection of backing vocals adding additional layers. A piano motif leads the outro, changing the track once more.
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Jade Ashtangini – Heart Touching Moments
Jade Ashtangini is another artist that we’ve featured before, with her music having more of a classical bent to it than anything else. A slow piano melody opens up Heart Touching Moments, before Jade’s lovely cello makes an appearance, acting almost like a vocal line in this piece. It really is achingly beautiful to behold, making you feel utterly relaxed at the same time. Keep your ears peeled for more from Jade in the near future, as she’s one of my favourite modern classical artists at the moment!
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Mardi Lumsden – Slow Emotion
Australian musician Mardi Lumsden takes things in a completely different direction, as Slow Emotion is more of a funk song than anything else. The rhythm is infectious, with some cool guitar notes mixing well with the groovy bass. Mardi’s vocals are soft yet soulful, drawing you into her world instantly. Slow Emotion is a little more upbeat than you might expect from the study music genre, yet the bass and synths will help to relax you, making this the perfect song for background listening.
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Simon Boyd – Ask No Questions
Ask No Questions is a slightly different type of song, as it’s much more electronic than most of the other tunes on offer here. Simon Boyd’s track is atmospheric and experimental, with intriguing drum beats and saxophone solos melding together in an interesting way. The synths bubble along in the background, adding a great deal of character to this interesting piece of music. The vocals float along in the distance, appearing at opportune moments. This is one for those of you into your more experimental music!
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Claire Bigley – Embodiment (duet)
Claire Bigley is another fantastic artist that we’ve featured a few times – her own brand of classical music just keeps getting better and better! Embodiment (duet) starts out with a meandering piano melody, as occasional orchestral elements appear over time. The track has quite an evocative quality, making you imagine vibrant pictures in your mind. It really is a beautiful piece of work and one that shows just why Claire is so good at what she does – if you haven’t checked her music out yet, this is the perfect introduction!
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Tim Lea Young – DEVA
Closing this list out is the fabulous DEVA by Tim Lea Young. It’s another classical piece of music, with the piano taking the forefront of this track. The piano lines build up around a set of chords, with some backing elements also present at first. A gorgeous set of strings appears around halfway through, creating a beautiful crescendo that is haunting in all its glory. DEVA is a track full of textural beauty, seeing Tim use lots of different layers used to create this amazing tune.
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