In Praise of the Saddest Chord (Mix)

[Videos by Dave Michuda / image by midjourney]

 

Could this be ‘the saddest mix of all time’? I don’t think so myself, I would rather call it melancholic – in a pleasant way. But it’s a fact that all of these tracks are in D minor (Dm), which is said to be ‘the saddest chord’:
“The D minor chord (often written as Dm) is a chord that evokes a sense of melancholy and contemplation on the negative side of situations. Like many other minor chords, Dm can create a heavy, serious atmosphere — and sometimes even creates an almost otherworldly sense of drama.”

There are many ambient moments, but (like most Ambientblog mixes) this is not a pure ‘ambient’ mix, since it includes many ‘post-classical’ strings and piano moments.

One advantage of selecting fragments based on the chord is that the tracks are selected regardless of the release year. Which feels like ‘as if time were the easiest thing to walk’ (The Dwindlers).

I am honored that this mix is also featured on Dave Michuda’s Low Light Mixes. Dave also created the beautiful promo videos for this mix. Thanks a million for that, Dave!

 

Tracks included:

 This mix is created using bits, pieces, fragments, samples & edits from the following tracks:

start time sample length Artist – Title
album, year, label

• 00:00 0:38 Erik K Skodvin & Rauelsson – The Return
  A Score For Darling, 2018, Sonic Pieces
• 00:30 4:47 Erik Wøllo & Michael Stearns – Ruins Of The Past
  Convergence, 2020, Projekt
• 03:49 2:19 Zoviet France – Amber Rose Hand
  The Tables Are Turning, 2013, Soleilmoon Recordings
• 04:40 2:28 Monolake – Allure Publison
  Archaeopteryx, 2020, Imbalance Computer Music
• 05:56 2:42 Mark Tamea – Tower Ch1 Rearranged
  Five Augmented Locations (Vol. 1), 2014, EQ:RA
• 06:51 3:52 Trans Alp – Gymnopédies No. 1
  Après Quatre Pièces D’Erik Satie, 2013, Camomille Music
• 09:32 1:59 Luc Ferrari – Presque Rien No. 2 Ou Ainsi Continue La Nuit Dans Ma Tête Multiple
  L’Oeuvre Électronique, 2009, INA-GRM
• 10:14 2:15 Madeleine Cocolas – And Then I Watch It Fall Apart
  Spectral, 2022, Room40
• 10:40 03:53 Chihei Hatakeyama & Good Weather For An Airstrike – Lost In The City
  Falling Sun, 2014, Rural Colours
• 12:42 3:26 Luke Howard – The Closing Of The Gates (with Budapest Art Orchestra)
  All Of Us, 2022, Mercury KX
• 15:01 3:55 Jacob Kirkegaard – Chasm Chant
  Pod Tune, 2018, Not On Label
• 16:20 5:19 Mendel Kaelen – Light Of Nature
  Remembering What Was Forgotten, 2010, Self-released
• 20:12 4:33 Jon Hopkins – How I Live Now
  How I Live Now OST, 2013, Just Music
• 24:02 2:37 The Dwindlers – Dekuji Praha
  Beautiful Unfamiliar, 2019, self-released
• 26:04 2:13 Simon Fisher Turner – Nanda Devi
  The Epic Of Everest, 2013, Mute
• 27:26 1:51 Jeremiah Cymerman – From The Metaphysical To The Transcendental (for Bill Smith)
  Citadels & Sanctuaries, 2021, 5049 Records
• 28:52 1:40 Don Hill (with Blast Theory) – WRGO (Lunar Lander)
  WRGO (What’s Really Going On), 2019, self-released
• 29:48 4:54 Roger Eno & Brian Eno – Obsidian
  Mixing Colours, 2020, Deutsche Grammophon
• 34:09 3:17 Mike Lazarev – When You Are
  When You Are, 2022, Slowcraft Records
• 36:37 4:11 London Docks – Violin Improvisation – La Lluvia
  Tangaróa, 2014, self-released
• 38:47 3:43 Agate Rollings – 1.12 AM – On The Fingers Of A Heat Which Is Burning Out
  Meantime/Elsewhere, 2021, Midira Records
• 41:31 3:52 Gareth Davis – Stone
  Souvenirs Van De Woeste Grond, 2014, Esc.Rec
• 41:38 2:11 Endless Melancholy – Broken
  An Introduction To Soft, 2014, Soft Recordings
• 44:21 1:57 Arve Henriksen – First Life
  Chron, 2012, Rune Grammofon
• 46:12 5:01 Ketil Bjørnstadt & Svante Henryson – Reticence
  Night Song, 2011, ECM Records
• 48:09 1:26 Loscil – Ma.Org (Seque) Re.Mx
  Ma.Org Pa.Git.Re.Mx, 2015 Crónica
• 48:11 2:36 Ben Lukas Boysen & Sebastian Plano – Glacial Sunbeam
  Everything, 2017, Erased Tapes Records
• 50:38 2:54 Anne Chris Bakker – Droesem
  Reminiscences, 2014, Dronarivm
• 52:51 1:23 Greg Haines – Birthday Scene
  Touched 3, 2016, Touched
• 53:26 1:01 Clara Engel & Bradley Sean Alexander – Sleeps Again
  Ghost Bird, 2021, Polar Seas Recording
• 54:26 1:42 Eleni Karaindrou – Adagio
  Concert in Athens, 2013, ECM Records
• 55:59 1:49 Hans Zimmer – The One
  Dune OST, 2021, WaterTower Music
• 57:31 4:00 Voces8 – Ola Gjeillo Still (Arr. Lawson)
  Infinity, 2021, Decca Classics

Download In Praise of the Saddest Chord now 138Mb (60 min.)

 

Alternative download from Archive.org (check here for lossless downloads)]

 

[Surround-version (DTS.wav/WMA 5.1) here]

 

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