For me, music can have a deep and profound effect on my mood and my imagination. I have experienced moments of pure bliss – lost and sunken into daydreams, sometimes for hours, whilst listening to music. Hours may sound like an exaggeration, but I’ve spent a fair number of hours of my life on airplanes, with nothing really to do other than watch the entertainment provided by the airline, or read a book, or often my usual preference, lose myself in thought. 

In this scenario, you’ll find me, headphones on, ambient electronica flowing into my ears, as I watch fluffy cotton wool clouds or colourful endless sunsets pass me by through the porthole window. Slowly the view fades into a blur, transforming into images painted by my thoughts. And into the depths of my mind I transcend with the music as the soundtrack to the images I see. 

If the music has lyrics I’ll pick them apart and analyse them, finding a deeper meaning within the words. Sometimes lyrics can become the starting point of a pathway of thought. It’s a form of creative thinking, but it’s also a wonderful form of escapism. I’ve even gotten so deep into my daydreams on flights that I’ve forgotten I’m on an airplane. For me this is beneficial for the anxieties I have about flying. Although I am far less afraid of flying than I used to be, it still makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. The thought of being 35,000 feet up in the air is both mind-blowing and unnerving. Something about it just feels so unnatural and so surreal. Music can help me escape my fear for a little while. Thinking about nature in particular is the perfect way to ground myself.

Many of the songs I listen to, whether I’m engaging in a daydreaming session, working on a project or cooking a tasty meal, are mostly ambient and chilled. However my genre preference is pretty varied. I love anything from melty soul and jazz to cool and collected Lo-Fi to faster paced liquid drum and bass. But whatever it is I’m listening to, it usually comes under the overarching genre of electronica – a genre I feel I have an almost spiritual connection to. It just seems to speak to my soul in a special, mystical way.

In this post I want to share with you some of my favourite daydreamy tunes. These songs in particular include some form of narrative relating to nature, whether it’s through the lyrics or the inclusion of nature sounds. I think music can be a really beautiful tool for winding-down and connecting with nature and to our inner earthling. 

Check out the Tellurian Treasures Spotify playlist to find the songs featured in this post, along with other mellow tunes to sooth your ears.

The songs I’ve listed below compliment the slow pace of nature and I think they offer the perfect soundtrack to contemplate the natural world and our human connection to it. I am not an expert when it comes to writing about music, so to any music experts out there reading this, I apologise in advance for my potentially amateur language and terminology when trying to describe these songs. 

Photo by Mike Giles on Unsplash

1) Back To Nature by Nightmares on Wax

Nightmares on Wax is the stage name of British DJ and producer, George Evelyn. He’s been making music since 1988, back when Nightmares on Wax was the group project of George Evelyn, John Halnon and later Kevin Harper. Much of Evelyn’s music is influenced by his love of soul and hip hop. 

I love the multiple layers in George Evelyn’s music and this tune in particular is a beautiful concoction of meaningful emotional words spoken by shaman Kuauhtli Vasquez, intertwined with a slow melodic beat and the sounds and singing of the Wixárika tribe – an indigenous people of Mexico. 

‘Back to nature’ is the product of George Evelyn’s experience of the ceremonial practices of Peyote and his visit to the Yucatan jungle. It is a reminder of our relationship to nature, that we are an inherent part of nature rather than separate from it. The music video below was directed by João Pombeiro, where the use of multimedia collage illustrates and explores a narrative around our human connection to nature.

2) Endangered Species by Nickodemus

Nickodemus is a well travelled American DJ. He produces electronic music inspired by his travels, spanning electronic sounds rooted in Latin, African, and Eastern instrumentation. His releases are filled with introspection. 

For me, ‘Endangered species’ conjures up images of a utopian paradise with the angelic vocals and intricate nature sounds, layered with the beat and guitar. It makes me think of where our species is heading. We’re at a crossroads where we can either choose to continue down a path of destruction fueled by capitalism, or we can change direction and move towards a sustainable future where we live in harmony with the natural world. 

3) The Sea by Morcheeba 

This song needs no real introduction. A radio favourite in the late 90s, this will forever bring back childhood summer holiday memories for me.

The lyrics ‘I left my soul there. Down by the sea.’ remind me of my own love of the seaside and how I feel like the nature of the ocean speaks to my soul through the senses. 

4) Behind the Sun by Skinshape 

I’m a huge fan of Skinshape and their echoey, flowey guitar sounds. ‘Behind the Sun’ feels totally sundrenched, warm and melty and reminds me of the beauty of summer. Memories of squinting into the light and the feeling of the sun feeding my skin vitamin D on a hot sunny day come flooding into the forefront of my mind when I listen to this song. 

5) River – Hiatus & Shura

I find the repetition of the lyric ‘steal your soul’ in this song to be almost prayer-like. The lyrics repeat at the beginning and then the song progresses into a beautifully uplifting instrumental. It reminds me of the many moments I’ve spent in nature where I’ve just felt completely submerged and in awe of my surroundings. The times when I’ve felt like I am part of something bigger and how grateful I am to live on such a beautifully complex and interconnected planet. Nature often ‘steals my soul’, so I have to go back often to find it back when I have been disconnected from the natural world for too long.

I hope you love listening to these. If you can, try to listen to them with no distractions and allow your mind to wander as you zone in on the sound of the music.

Have a beautiful day.

~ Faine

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