This is a pretty far reaching concept, because documentaries, culture and art can be of pretty much anything at all, but we've tried to put music in this area that you would expect to hear in documentaries about real world issues, as well as art and culture. The music in this area will be -background- music; music that is meant to just stay in the background, almost unnoticed, to provide a subtle atmosphere while the viewer concentrates on the matter discussed. Often used behind voiceover / narration and interviews, this music will not have any outstanding, loud, or attention grabbing melodies or effects. The music you find here should also go well with historical and cultural subjects.
A laid-back and pretty French waltz. Traditional French instruments and a nice, breezy waltz feel. Quintessentially French, Paris, Parisian, everything that is French. Also works well as old / traditional Fairground music, or an old musical box / Old market square etc. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 140 BPM]
Middle East, Ethnic, Choral, Intimate, Emotive, Melancholy Music. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
A beautiful and haunting track featuring piano and a full symphony that will work for scenes of mystery, intrigue and story telling. [Tempo: Slow / 80 BPM]
Influenced by the sights and sounds of China with a driving yet curious and mysterious feel, this track features an array of melodic and non melodic percussion, hulusi, strings and guzheng. Great for films, documentaries, travel, martial arts, history, culture and cuisine. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 125 BPM]
Ambient Indian music with an air of mystery and tension featuring sitar, percussion, flute and strings. Great for travel, movies, documentaries or any project in need of an exotic, asian underscore. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Dark, exotic and cinematic Tango with violin, piano, accordion and upright bass. Perfect for films, commercials and documentaries with scenes of dancing, international travel, fashion, passion, sexual tension, elegance and romance. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 110 BPM]
An earthy ambient track that will work for scenes of vast landscapes and eastern scenes. Available with or without the vocalizations. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Calm, exotic, peaceful, dancing, pretty & relaxing track mixing kalimba with beach percussion. Thoughtful, soothing, serene, simple, repetitive and full of tropical holiday / beach atmosphere. Would suit dramatic / romantic / documentary / travel type projects. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 77 BPM]
A classic Bedouin mood combined with more modern variety of sounds and instruments. Sincere and loving, nostalgic mood from the ancient world of the Orient / Gulf region. The quarter tones have been replaces with normal minor/major chords, the kanun and flute define the emotional parts. Eastern beauty and grace. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 85 BPM]
India or Arabia meets Rnb beat music, with cool Eastern / Oriental instruments, bouzouk, accordion, kanun and oriental percussion that reflects the essence of the orients. Groovy / Exotic / Positive. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
A typical Bedouin celebration style, with authentic percussions, played as the old tribes used to play. With strings, oud and kanun, this track featuress a middle dreamy section before going back to the groovy Eastern dance parts. Features live performed acoustic instruments. [Tempo: Medium / 108 BPM]
Typical Egyptian / Eastern folk music with synth and accordion, cool rhythm of folkloric "SAIDY" style from the region of "al said", in between features a synth bridge. [Tempo: Fast / 135 BPM]
A typical gulf oriental sound normally played in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain etc., with hand claps and a modern pop beat. Eastern / Travel / Discovery Music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 95 BPM]
Egyptian / Middle Eastern folk music with a modern melody. Exciting and exotic, normally used in festive events and modern songs. Accordion is a leading instrument, and a women belly dancer is often involved in such occasions. [Tempo: Fast / 132 BPM]
An ambient, reflective and nostalgic piece played with the ethnic oriental oud, combined with piano, pads and eastern percussion. A sense of longing and perhaps turmoil. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
This track starts with a dreamy flute and saz instrument. The scales & harmonies, which are used widely in all of the middle eastern region from Iran to Lebanon, are called "hijaz tune" and is very familiar to all that region. [Tempo: Medium / 105 BPM]
A Khaligy style track that brings a fusion mode between world music, and khaligy (emirates, saudi, kuwait, Bahrain) it has a dynamic chorus, then it goes back to to a reflective ambient dream. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
A waltz featuring authentic style of Arabic / international feel, played in a minor key and accompanied with oriental percussion. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 106 BPM]
Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 1st movement. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Pomp and Circumstance, March no. 1, by Elgar. There is also an "Alternative entry point" version which starts where the most famous melody first comes in. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Jupiter, from the Planets suite by Gustav Holst. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Die Moldau, aka The Moldau River, by Smetana. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Percussive, heartening, and with a touch of exoticism, this is a warm, mid-tempo jazzy track, with flutes, synths and organic percussion. Suitable for productions that require a heart-warming, yet somehow exciting backdrop. Great for commercials, features and shows with a touch of freshness and exhilaration. [Tempo: Medium / 112 BPM]
A traditional / classic French song that captures the spirit of France. Plaisir d'amour (literally "The pleasure of love") is a classical French love song written in 1784 by Jean-Paul-gide Martini (1741–1816); it took its text from a poem by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755–1794), which appears in his novel Clestine. We have this available as a Vocal version and an Instrumental version. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 140 BPM]
A traditional French folk song, arranged for us in a typical sound of France, rich and layered with accordeons, bells and strings. Emotional, passionate. The arrangement and sound is of slightly "grotesque" style and will go well in a historical setting, for French cinema, silent movie, historical footage and more. [Tempo: Medium / 150 BPM]
A passionate and emotive French / European accordeon waltz that captures the spirit of France, Paris and everything traditional French. Heartfelt and genuine. [Tempo: Medium / 192 BPM]
A classic Tango melody, performed on accordeon with light acoustic backing band. Traditional accordeon music, with a flavor of Europe, France / Paris. Could also be Italy / general European. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 130 BPM]
A fun a joyful modern Celtic track. A traditional Celtic/Irish sound with a modern Indie vibe. Acoustic guitar with Irish whistle Irish pop. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 121 BPM]
Chinese pop music with a traditional edge. Features traditional Chinese instruments bawu and pipa with Western pop style bass and drums. Mysterious and haunting music. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 90 BPM]
This track features a traditional ethnic African ensemble. It has a trancelike tribal quality and is festive in nature. Great for documentaries, nature and cultural themes. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 158 BPM]
Chinese pop music with a traditional edge. Features traditional Chinese instruments bawu and pipa. Happy and uplifting music. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Chinese pop music featuring a joyful traditional style melody with modern drums and synths. Bouncy and positive music. [Tempo: Medium / 96 BPM]
A very deep relaxation track with a mysterious / world feel. Tibetan bells, ethereal pads, distant strings. Suitable for hypnosis, yoga, deep stillness. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 60 BPM]
A wonderfully exotic track mixing traditional sounds of Africa and its islands in the Indian Ocean with a light, contemporary beat. Features gambri, marimba, electric kalimba, upright bass, ethereal vocals and drums. [Tempo: Medium / 110 BPM]
Hornpipe from the Water Music by George Frideric Hndel, recorded with a live string quartet.Arranged and recorded by the Allegro String Ensemble exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com. Live performance. No computers, no samples. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Elegant and stately arrangement of the Purcell Trumpet Tune recorded with live string quartet and trumpet. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Medium / 0 BPM]
Live string quartet performance of the Henry Purcell Trumpet Tune. Stately and regal. Arranged and recorded by the Allegro String Ensemble exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com. Live performance. No computers, no samples. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
Uplifting, happy, motivational brass band arrangement, with a strong melody and up-tempo drum beat. It has a New Orleans feel to it, with a slow build up and its improvisational-like final section. Great for productions that require a light, touching, warm feel. [Tempo: Medium / 152 BPM]
Relaxing, pulsing, mid-tempo track, with a remarkable flute melody and bouncing percussion, this is the perfect mix between excitement and relaxation. Suitable for presentations, commercials and other productions that require a soothing and uplifting soundscape. [Tempo: Medium / 104 BPM]
Dark, eerie, mystical soundscapes, with a tribal, ethnic, jungle feel. Mystery / Suspense / Tension. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
Mysterious, dark and ethereal soundscapes with a hypnotic, tribal influenced, repetitive drum beat. Dark / Eerie / Mystical. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
'Dark Ages' is a collection of 12 dark, ambient, semi-orchestral tracks. The music has a sense of history and mythology, making these tracks highly suitable as a soundtrack for historical drama, history / documentary as well as medieval/fantasy material, be it films, fantasy games, TV or installations. The music is mostly without any outstanding melody, making it highly usable as background texture and ambient underscore. It leaves room for dialogue and/or other audio elements, without competing. Some of the tracks carry a sense of mystery and danger, whilst others lean more towards horror and sci-fi. All 12 parts share a sense of lurking danger, impending tragedy, conflict and betrayal. The arrangements are dominated by dark drones and pads, piano, cello and resonant overtones. Also available are 9 seamless music loops from this collection. [Tempo: Slow / 58 BPM]
Cool and laid back chill out. Smooth beats, atmospheric synths and percussive fx over a deep sub bassline. Culture, Travel, Watersports, Youth, Videogames, Science and Technology, Architecture and Design. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 112 BPM]
Traditional tango. Passion, excited, retro atmosphere. Medium tempo. Violin, acoustic guitar, accordeon. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
Minimalist solo piano. Mysterious and reflective. Great for historical, factual, documentary, the arts, drama, fantasy, psychological thriller/horror and much more. [Tempo: Medium / 115 BPM]
Drone, tribal drum, wood flute and shaker in an earthy / earth / tribal track. Haunting, genuine, organic. Can be Native American, middle eastern / desert, south american / central america or other indigenous, aboriginal, tribe, primal. Also available in two sub-mixes: One with only the flute by itself, and one without the flute, leaving only the drone and percussion; great for media underscore use. Mysticism / mystical / ancient / cultural / historical / world heritage. [Tempo: Medium / 64 BPM]
Melancholic, reflective, open ambient soundscape, After about a minute a solitary acoustic guitar joins and plays a few expressive notes. Contemplative, solemn, tender/sore, but hopeful. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 109 BPM]
Scattered pulses of sound and signals from an unknown entity. Relaxing, dreamy, meditational. Outer space, space travel, science fiction. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
Romantic France. Easy and nice playing musette. Paris cafe. European. Love, Romantic, Delight/Bliss, Soulful. Piano, Accordion. Romantic/Melodrama, French. [Tempo: Slow / 93 BPM]
Classical/Contemporary. Exciting, Romantic, Pensive, Soulful. Strings, Symphony Orchestra, Violin. Epic/Historical. New classical. Feel of Europe. [Tempo: Slow / 69 BPM]
