Mundo 10: Ode to Instrumental Songs

Today we take a look at really great instrumental tracks that are not composed by Mogwai, Tycho or Explosions in the Sky. Many of these bands are plugging away and making really great instrumental songs that fall under the alternative umbrella but often remain unknown. We realize most people don’t listen to instrumental music 100% of the time which is why we feel this talented genre is often overlooked.

Here are a few artists and songs to add to your playlist of alternative instrumental whenever you are in the mood. Not every one of these bands are 100% instrumental bands, but they have produced instrumental albums or songs that are definitely worth sharing.

As always, this list is in alphabetical order.

BALMORHEA

Balmorhea is a six-piece minimalist instrumental ensemble that formed in 2006 in Austin, TX. “Masollan” is a track from their 2012 album Stranger and they recently released an EP titled Heir.

COLD COLD HEART

Cold Cold Heart is an instrumental band from London & Chichester and they currently only have three tracks available. So far their sound is very riveting and reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky. ‘Wolf eyes, you’re staring’ is their newest track and hopefully an EP or album will be coming soon.

DRALIENSMITH

DrAlienSmith is from Perth, Australia and when he isn’t mixing other people’s music, he is making instrumental tracks in the post rock/sludge doom arena. ‘Guth and Zeno’ is a trippy instrumental track for anyone loving experimental rock and a darker overall sound.

KAKI KING

Many are already familiar with Kaki King and in 2012 she came out with an all instrumental album titled Glow. ‘Great Round Burn’ is a stellar full on orchestral track with sweeping melodies and a great overall sound.

KRYSHE

Kryshe hails from Germany and is making some great ambient instrumental that can be compared to the likes of Tycho or Boards of Canada. ‘Africa’ is a great track from In Between which is the most recent release for Kryshe.

OCTAVE MINDS

Octave Minds consider themselves New Age-Electronic-Romance. The duo is from Germany and their newest self titled release is pretty great. All but one track off the album is instrumental.

RED SNAPPER

Red Snapper was formed in 1993 and have been playing instrumental tracks for a while aside from taking a few years hiatus. ‘Card Trick’ is a pretty cool track from the album Hyena. If you are into acid jazz, this band is definitely worth checking out.

RUMOUR CUBES

Rumour Cubes are pretty outstanding. They formed in London and can easily be utilized for full on movie soundtracks as they are that talented. With their most recent album release Appearances of Collections the track “Hiyat” is pretty stellar. This instrumental band is definitely one to keep an eye on.

SNOWMINE

Snowmine is by no means all instrumental but their track “Safety in an Open Mind” is one you can add to your playlist. With a definite ambient sound utilizing synths and beats it is a really good chill-out track. If you are not familiar with the band Snowmine but love a shoegaze and ambient feel, they are definitely worth checking out. Dialects was a great under the radar release this year.

STEREODYSSEY

Stereodyssey is a cinematic project that just recently released an album titled Memory Bank. The track “Into Existence” is a great instrumental addition to any playlist.