Give classic Clair de Lune a try – you’ve probably heard it on a call-wait line before.

Debussy’s most prominent (and yes, relaxing) works are his Préludes. The pianists’ experimentation with non-traditional scales and tonal structures were revolutionary for the time period, with Debussy introducing western musicians to eastern techniques like pentatonicism (5 note scales). If we venture back to the late 19th century/early 20th century, the origins of musical impressionism can be heard in Debussy’s mature compositions. Continuing on the cliché train, this record will put your head in the clouds and keep it there till the final breath. His ’50s LP Chet Baker Sings has aged like fine wine a treasure trove of irresistible crooning and tasteful jazz chops. Baker was eponymous with the ’50s jazz/blues scene and a master of the intimate, whether it be a restrained trumpet solo or sultry vocal performance. Chet Baker, the West Coast jazz pro who inspired his pseudonym. Serenity is achieved in just about all of Eno’s records, but our personal favourite is the piano-centric Ambient 1: Music For Airports. If you haven’t heard of Eno, you’ve probably heard his sonic contributions in films like Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, Traffic, Trainspotting, and Blue. The activist, producer, thinker, visual artist, and musician has a bountiful discography of immersive listening experiences, that shut down the body and open up the mind.

Arguably, to this day, no one’s been able to top his atmospheric, unstructured musical passages. Soundscape aficionado Brian Eno publicized the term ‘ambient music’ back in the ’70s. If Bon Iver Bon Iver is the muscle-relaxer of the folk-realm, then single Holocene is the metaxalone equivalent. An album so inebriating they named it twice, Bon Iver Bon Iver flows effortlessly, while still containing expansive, lush instrumentation and sophisticated arrangements. However, when seeking his most relaxing music, there’s one record a cut above the rest: his self-titled sophomore.

Soft soothing music for sleep