Do You Find "Depressing" Music Relaxing?

[Draehl]

My friends and family sometimes comment on some of the music I listen to as depressing...and I've never even looked at it that way. I always considered it relaxing.

*shrug*

You?

 

[cthulufhtagn]

i listen to depressing music when i'm depressed. i guess i listen to a lot of depressing music...but then i can be a pretty gloomy fucker most of the time. like now. vv

 

[Jon Snow]

I listen to Damnation to help me fall asleep. Not because it's boring but because it's so damn soothing. So yeah, I do find it to be relaxing.

 

[Kenneth R.]

i find depressing music interesting as any other emotion. to me, depressing songs are beautiful in the way that falling dead leaves are beautiful.

also, in a psychological sense, i hear about all these horrible depressing issues, and am thankful they are not mine. in that way, the depressing music makes me feel good that i'm not in that state. mostly its the first case though, because most music that i find i like most is melancholy or dark.

 

[Erich w/ an h]

I tend to prefer soft music in minor keys as my relaxation music of choice. Whether or not its seen as depressing to others, or myself, is irrelivent, as are the nature of the lyrics. Disintegration by The Cure is a perfect example.

 

[Dreadful]

depressing music is definitely relaxing and soothing to me, those were the two words that came to mind after reading the title of this thread. Depressing music is my favorite music of all time...I may be a die-hard old school death metal fan, but there's nothing more amazing than melancholic, painful, heartbreaking, whimpering, tragic music.

 

[Don Corleone]

opeth's dirge for november is both very depressing and heavy.

so ALL depressing music isnt one that you can relax to.

 

[Ermz]

I think there's a clear cut line between the two. Depressing music doesn't have to be relaxing, and vice versa. Strangely, they usually are entwined. I mean I love Portishead's Dummy.. which to me is a really chill-out record, but I think it gives off depressive vibes.

I'm still looking for the sort of lounge music that creates an ambient, laid back atmosphere without necessarily being downpouring and hard to listen to.

 

[[onyx]]

I'm still looking for the sort of lounge music that creates an ambient, laid back atmosphere without necessarily being downpouring and hard to listen to.

I bought a CD once by a group called Phobos. Self-titled album with a glowing figure in the fetal position on the cover. I couldn't find a link to it anywhere. The only reason I bought the album is because I was fascinated with the cover. Musically, the album is very simple, but it's great ambient music and has a distinct mood to it. In the booklet inside they stated that they recorded all of the tracks around 2-4am or something like that. Shpongle also has some cool music, particularly "Once Upon The Sea Of Blissful Awareness."

About the relaxing/depressing music topic, I don't really pay attention to lyrics if I want to listen to music to relax me. I did have someone comment at my work that they found Damnation to be depressing, though. It is, in a way, I guess.

 

[Arnold Layne]

I listen to stuff like Air, Pink Floyd and Coldplay when I want to relax it is emotive, but I dont find it depressing. But still like Anathema, damnation and Placebo its relaxing but its also rather depressing.

Its all about what mood im in, or what mood i want to be in.

 

[Arnold Layne]

I'm still looking for the sort of lounge music that creates an ambient, laid back atmosphere without necessarily being downpouring and hard to listen to.

Air - Moon Safari and Premiers Symtomes, they are loungy and not depressing

 

[Blackhorse_Experience]

I want some depressing music. I don't have enough... suggestions?

 

[Arnold Layne]

Anything by my dying bride
Alternative 4 by anathema

 

[Dark Thane]

I find most depressing music that i listen relaxing, mostly metal.
But i think the most depressing music ever is 80's love songs you would here on the radio

 

[Arnold Layne]

Its the cheesy synth that makes 80's songs depressing for me, the lyrics about love and lost love with this suffocating synth makes me want to tie bombs to myself and take out a mosque.

 

[shark22]

Someone said Damnation is soothing. I agree, I listened to it last night and I found my self yawning and ready to doze off by the end of "DWAL". As far as depressing music goes, not sure if I listen to it. Besides Damnation I like other soft jazz type music but other than that all loud metal or hip-hop.

 

[Kenneth R.]

my favorite song is actually quite depressing. Demise & Vestige by Zero Hour

 

[atrocity]

Discouraged Ones is the only album always depresses me whenever mood i am in. it literally makes me stomach ache, don't really know why.

 

[nizzon]

It can be relaxing sometimes. Most of the time I think it is beautiful and heavy as hell. Like the song im listening to right now (Saturnus - Starres)... starts slow and kinda sad, building an atmosphere, then exlpodes with agonising growls, it doesnt get heavier than that imo. Im a big fan of Anathema, very emotional music and some of their newer songs can actually make me a bit depressed sometimes, but mostly it is just beautiful, but also very heavy in a way.

 

[the_3_toed_sloth]

Yeah, depressing music can be great, mostly because of the emotion the artists put into it *resists the urge to put on Dirge For November again*. Buuuut i don't think i could stand listening to JUST depressing music - one of the reasons why, say, Katatonia - LFDGD is so great is because through all the sadness it manages to end on a high note.

Depression is an emotion/state of mind, and it sure has a place in music. And i can enjoy it for what it is. But no way do i set out to listen to just mournful music.

ps. my brother says that too...but he claims that every Opeth song is depressing, so just try ignore him