Monday Muzak III: The Lull

When I was younger I used to wake up tangled in my headphones, knocked loose from my ears after listening to music as I went to sleep. My mind tends to wander, so at night a steady, atmospheric rhythm helped focus my thoughts and lull myself into dreamland. Below are a few of those songs that kept me on the right path.



Whenever great game music is brought up, Nobuo Uematsu is a name bound to hit the conversation's table. While he is the "Final Fantasy Music Guy", several other composers that work with him have hit my proverbial mind strings, namely Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Hamauzu brought us Wandering Flame from FFX's soundtrack, creating the backdrop for a very thought-provoking soundscape.

Hit the jump for more.



The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion's soundtrack was done by Jeremy Soule, who also created soundtracks/songs for anything from Unreal II to Guild Wars. While the majority of the town and exploration backdrops are outstanding, "All's Well" stands out. It is difficult not to picture slow, swaying trees under a beautiful blue sky to this song.



"A Lush Load" brings a soft steady pace and a unique sound, which I associate with crystal clear waters and sunlit canopies. And those damn Lily plants that shot big balls of death at you (See: Megid).



"Village of the Sacred Beast" is another hit from Masashi Hamauzu, serving as the BGM for the Samurai Legend Musashi's main HUB. While the game didn't do so hot, the soundtrack is quite memorable. I once left my PS2 on all night just to listen to this track when I went to bed.



World of Warcraft has a variety of noteworthy tracks from its soundtracks, but "Azuremyst Isle"'s mystical notes, ethereal vocals and soft drumming made it magical.

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