Unprecedented times we are living. 2020 has been a year full of unprecedented challenges on a global scale. Not that humanity hasn’t lived darker times throughout its tumultuous evolutionary past, of course. Still, the viral loudness of social media and the sheer extent of our overpopulated capitalist culture makes any catastrophe seem like an omen to the end of times.

Global Warming, Mass Pollution, Politics, COVID-19, Racism, White Supremacy, Police Brutality, Cancel Culture, Big-Pharma, Conspiracy Theories, Nuclear Competition, Unemployment, Inflated Real-Estate, Patriarchy… the list could go on. All these issues play a role in creating an ever-growing ball of anxiety that weighs on our shoulders, a weight that can be extremely toling to one’s psyche.

Depression and anxiety are very much rampant among humans and are as deadly as most airborne viruses. And even though the degree of stigma surrounding mental health has been decreasing, it’s still very much a taboo for most. Its silent character separates it from typical physical illnesses, so we tend to devalue the pain it afflicts. A good friend of mine took her own life back in September. She was a beautiful, sweet, and extremely creative person, and none of us will ever know what kind of pain led her to commit suicide. It made me realize our most threatening global pandemic might be, in fact, depression.

During this summer, I’ve made a list of 52 albums that, throughout the years, helped me find my light and see hope in the despair. They did, and always will, save my life. This selection, spanning from ambient to experimental electronica, classical to new age or even post-rock, is purposely un-ordered as I can’t precisely order their emotional significance to me. The records I chose are all executed and recorded in a state I consider beautifully pure. In their vast majority solely instrumental, they provided me the capacity to appreciate life when life itself seemed insufficient.

I hope this selection can bring you some light in these dark times and slow up your mind’s pace. We need to slow down to listen to slow music.