Suggestions for easy listening music. Examples in the post.

[Zone36]

Hi guys.  I've been away from anime and games for quite some time now and I'm sure that I'm missing out on some great music out there.  Can anyone please recommend good BGMs/OSTs from games or anime?  Or if you know just good easy listening music in general.  I already have a ton of classical music, but it's just different to me.  Also if you know a song that sounds very similar in style to what I posted below please tell me.

I typically try to get easy listening music while I'm relaxing or trying to study.  As of late though.  All my music is getting old and I'm getting bored with my playlist.  It is about 15 hours long, but it's gotten repetitive.

Here are some examples of some of my favorite tracks on the whole list.  Hopefully after hearing some of them.

From games I got a lot out of the entire Final Fantasy series.  I tend to lean towards the piano arrangements.
-FF4 Main Theme   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfaY6tMHBRc
-FF8 Blue Fields     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3loF8NmCtLE
I like many of the songs from the albums and the other FF albums as well.

I also liked the music from the Legend of Zelda series.
I have the orchestral arrangements of most of the games which I do enjoy, but there are a couple songs that really stick out to me.
-The Wind Waker Makar's Prayer   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW02tfzK3Tg
-The Wind Waker Medli's Prayer    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjGyZDV5GtM
For these songs in particular I would be very interested to find some albums similar these.  They are a bit upbeat and just like it's sound.  I got the 'Brave' album recently and it had a similar feel, but just wasn't there.  I've also looked for lots of Celtic music, but never found anything I was looking for.
- The Blood of Cuchulainn  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TezgCpPuys
It's almost perfect background music.  It's not overbearing, but not too quiet either.

The last thing from a game even though there are so many others out there is from the Touhou series.
-Diverse System - 蓬莱伝説 Hourai Densetsu  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ns5PLXyod0
This is a guitar arrangement.  It's so classy.  It's like classic Spanish guitar, but you can still hear the original Japanese feel to the song  (which was played on a shamisen, or at least a synthesized one).


Finally onto anime which there countless amounts of music.  I'll start at the top with one of my favorites.

-Pretty much the ENTIRE album the Sketchbook ~full color's~ OST.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWBIAfAkLw&list=PLA0766C99AE415C2A

This is all easy listening music.  It makes sense considering what kind of show it was made for.  Some of the music reminds me of the music made for Peanuts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPgewHpf-q4    Vince Guaraldi
This is kind of stretching it, since this is more like jazz in some ways.


Just so I'm don't have to stretch this out longer than I have to I'll just list a bunch of songs from some anime.

Girls Bravo Season 1 OST  http://searchmp3.mobi/kokori-ni-fueru-atatakakusa-mp3-hashimoto-miyuki  (player is in a grey box)
Maria sama ga miteiru OSTs
Rozen Maiden Piano albums
The Twelve Kingdoms OST 1 and Piano Memories
KareKano OSTs
Binchou-tan Soundtrack

The list goes on and on.

There are so many anime and games coming out every year.  I've missed at least 3-5 years worth.  Please let me know what is available.

Thank ya

[Al_Sleeper]

Mushishi OST

[Ozzaharwood]

My three favourite OSTs are probably from Guilty Crown, Ghost in the Shell and Natsume Yuujinchou.

The first two have quite a bit of classical but mostly focus on a little bit heavier stuff, but they truly are amazing soundtracks. Natsume Yuujinchou has some really solid, calm tracks as well.

[gimdah]

Samurai Champloo OST, especially the track titled aurarian dance, very mellow beat that can be listened to on repeat for days (instrumental)

Sakamichi no Apollon OST, especially the track titled my favorite things, subtly happy n cute

Bleach's track titled never meant to belong, smooth yet somewhat depressing (instrumental)

edit: possibly the OST from Katawa Shoujo (VN) lolz

[Mcgreag]

I would recommend just about anything by Joe Hisaishi. Mainly his non anime soundtracks like Ano Natsu Shizukana Umi and Hanabi.
Other than that I think both the Spice and Wolf and Bartender soundtracks might fit your tastes.

[genimac]

If you like piano some of the Aria OSTs will do, also many other tracks there are nice to ear, at least for a mediterranean as me.
As you say you have classical music maybe the Nodame ones can make you play some of those, its a nice way to get a good classics collection. Escaflowne is another OST I like a lot, some pieces are like classic and then others are simple joyful "anime" kind.
I second Mushishi and Ghost in the Shell, the other ones sugested are good too, I'll add Trinity Blood. Try also a "random" test on not so known series, you can find some nice ones. I found Separation from Angela, Soukyuu no Fafner ending, that way and it hits me instantly. I ended watching the series only for it. Kurau have also some nice instrumental ones.

[MrIntruder]

Since you like Blue Fields, here's the Archylte Steppe from FFXIII.

I can leave this on repeat.

[Al_Sleeper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSc3gdl364Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ-pCdZakSM

[rostheferret]

Does it have to be OSTs? Something like Ryuichi Sakamoto's "BTTB" (like this) or Akira Kosemura's work (Linky) is very much in line with the FF material, but that's just neoclassical ambient. Ain't no shortage of that. Look, Here's a Swedish singer I like doing a violin/vocal combo. How about Neo-classical ambient/glitch? Or a folkier offering? I wish I knew the subject better, but yah. Certainly sure someone else around here can give you a trolley list of ambient artists to look into.

[Subterra]

If you're down with smooth jazz, the music they play on Weatherscan is pretty relaxing. I enjoy listening to it late at night when I'm still awake but in near complete zone-out mode (which seems like the right time to be watching The Weather Channel) . Youtube user ImBoredIIDeath ripped most of it. There are also some download links in there as well.

[Zone36]

Does it have to be OSTs?

It doesn't have to be OSTs.  I'm just curious since I've been out of the anime loop for so long.  I'm sure I've missed some great music out there.  I also usually tend to find anime background music just entertaining enough to keep me going, but not intrusive at all. 

[AceHigh]

Røyksopp has some chilled out tunes like for example So easy and Eple

[metro.]

Nujabes, Uyama Hiroto, FORCE OF NATURE, Emancipator, Tom Day, Ganja White Knight, NZCA/LINES, XXYYXX, bvdub, Fake Blood, Gold Panda, Mister Lies.


If you want specific examples, feel free to ask.

[Fool010]

Or a folkier offering? I wish I knew the subject better

That's already good enough, it has that 'movie without pictures' vibe I long for but only seldom find in music. The Kokoro Toshokan soundtrack has a slightly similar vibe : Kiseki ga Okoru Basho. I second the suggestion about the Aria soundtracks, most of it -if not all- is pretty lighthearted and relaxed. Bands like World's End Girlfriend Unfinished Finale Shed or Lights Out Asia Shifting Sands Wreck Ships should be worth checking out. Loreena Mckennitt mixes celtic, arabian and newage influences into a style of her own that might be of some interest to you. Ozric Tentacles have a fair share of trippy stuff scattered along their pretty extensive discography Eternal Wheel.

[rostheferret]

Or a folkier offering? I wish I knew the subject better

That's already good enough, it has that 'movie without pictures' vibe I long for but only seldom find in music.

You ever listen to Alamaailman Vasarat? They're an Avant-Jazz band that started out making their own music scores to B&W films. Bit more upbeat so doesn't quite fit with the OP, but fun music nonetheless. See!

Or you could try Yann Tiersen who, y'know, actually does end up writing a load of film scores. Here's one from Amélie for example. Or I know he did a collaboration with Sage Francis, though I don't know the name of the track he composed (he released it independently as well I believe), so here's the Francis version. Vangelis is another one to look up, seeing as he's done everything from Blade Runner to Chariots of Fire. You know that epic chariots of fire track? Vangelis.

[Fool010]

I've known Vangelis since his Aphrodite's Child days. Tiersen does little for me, possibly because I didn't enjoy Amélie.

I've been browsing post rock lately, and bands like 65daysofstatic, Long Distance Calling, Bark Psychosis and M83 have a couple of tunes that fit perfectly what I'm looking for. Alamaailman Vasarat sounds like a crossbreed of After Crying, Apocalyptica and Zappa, while reminding me of Estradasphere at times (possibly because they seem to throw in some klezmer in the mix). That's definitely a band I'll look into.

The more I explore music, the more I realize how far I moved from my 'all metal' days.