Favorite Instrumental Rock Albums of 2025

 

One of my favorite genre rabbit holes that I went down in 2025 was instrumental rock music. That title covers a lot of styles from post-rock to stoner rock to prog rock to cosmic country to fusion to psych rock etc. I've always listened to music that falls into this category whether it's Khruangbin or Causa Sui or Oren Ambarchi but this year my interest in this genre exploded. 

So I thought I would create a mix of some of my favorite instrumental rock albums from 2025. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the heavy stuff. This mix has a nice blend of a few heavy tunes with some Khruangbin-like tracks, a couple kraut rock style tracks, a jam band cut, a prog tune, even a dub track, and a bunch of other difficult to categorize music. 

>>>LINKS TO ALL THE MUSIC USED IN THIS MIX<<<

01 - https://actiontensionspace.bandcamp.com/album/new-dimensions

02 - https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/yawning-man-pavement-ends

03 - https://ambarchiberthlingwerliin.bandcamp.com/album/ghosted-iii

04 - https://elparaisorecords.com/product/causa-sui-in-flux/

05 - https://piotrkurek.bandcamp.com/album/songs-and-bodies

06 - https://elparaisorecords.com/product/edena-gardens-dispossessed/

07- https://barrywalker.bandcamp.com/album/barry-walker-unit-at-the-13th-moon-gravity-well

08 - https://jeffthebrotherhood.bandcamp.com/album/magick-songs

09 - https://kungensman.bandcamp.com/album/resande-i-rockmusik

10 - https://markusreuter.bandcamp.com/album/truce-3

11 - https://re-stoned.bandcamp.com/album/the-loom-maxi-single

12 - https://townportal.bandcamp.com/album/grindwork

13 - https://holmisanisland.bandcamp.com/album/behind-curtains

14 - https://yuuf.bandcamp.com/album/alma-s-cove

15 - https://eliwinter.bandcamp.com/album/a-trick-of-the-light

I know this isn't the usual LLM ambient fare but it is still somehow trance inducing. I hope you enjoy this deviation from ambient bliss.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

01)  00:00   Action & Tension & Space - Folkemusikk fra Kvala (New Dimensions 2025)
02)  04:47   Yawning Man - Bomba Negra (Pavement Ends 2025)
03)  09:45   Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin - Chahar (Ghosted  III 2025)
04)  15:49   Causa Sui - The Circus is Back (In Flux 2025)
05)  17:32   Piotr Kurek - Nothing Holds Still (Songs And Bodies 2025)
06)  22:26   Edena Gardens - Fills The Well (Dispossessed 2025)
07)  27:50   Barry Walker Unit - High in the Hummocks (At the 13th Moon Gravity Well 2025)
08)  32:51   Jeff The Brotherhood - Many Moons Dub (Magick Songs in Dub 2025)
09)  37:27   Kungens Män - Resande i rockmusik  (Resande i rockmusik 2025)
10)  42:40   Markus Reuter - We Have Your Back (Truce <3 2025)
11)  47:20   The Re-Stoned - The Loom (The Loom 2025)
12)  52:24   Town Portal - Gold-Plated (Grindwork 2025)
13)  56:18   Holm - Behind Curtains (Behind Curtains 2025)
14)  60:08   Yuuf - Alma’s Cove (Alma's Cove 2025)
15)  63:37   Eli Winter - A Trick of the Light (A Trick of the Light 2025)
       67:16   end

The Spirit of Talk Talk

 

Talk Talk is an interesting band. Their musical style evolved significantly over time, moving from synth-pop to a more experimental art rock and post-rock sound, particularly with the albums 'Spirit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock'. I like every phase of their career but I especially love the album 'Spirit of Eden'.

Those last two albums have grown in stature and influence over the decades, inspiring countless musicians with their innovative use of space, silence, and unconventional song structures. It's no wonder that an ambient focused person like me would glom onto Talk Talk when you consider band leader, Mark Hollis's often-quoted sentiment about the importance of silence in music – "Before you play two notes, learn how to play one note... and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to".

Recently a favorite podcast of mine, Discord & Rhyme, dedicated an episode to 'Spirit of Eden'. It's totally worth a listen. You can find here - https://discordpod.com/listen/155-talk-talk-spirit-of-eden-1988

After listening to that episode I decided to make a mix of tracks with a 'Spirit of Eden' feel. I used a few tracks recommended by the guys in the podcast - Bark Psychosis, Van Morrison, and Mile Davis. And combined those with 7 other cuts that fit the vibe. I always knew that Rain Tree Crow/Sylvian/Jansen/Barbieri would be a perfect fit. I was excited to use one of my favorite albums of 2022 - 'The Great Awakening' by Shearwater. I had forgotten how much I love that record.

Are there any Talk Talk fans out there? What do you think of this collection of Talk Talk inspired tunes?

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A C K L I S T :

• 00:00   Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri - Mother London (Stone To Flesh 1995)
• 05:52   Phil Clemo - Maze (Through the Wave of Blue 2024)
• 11:07   Bark Psychosis - Street Scene (Hex 1994)
• 16:20   Van Morrison - When Heart Is Open (Common One 1980)
• 22:33   Rain Tree Crow - Blackwater (Rain Tree Crow 1991)
• 26:44   Shearwater - No Reason (The Great Awakening 2022)
• 32:00   Tuxedomoon & Cult With No Name - Do It For Van Gogh (Blue Velvet Revisited 2016)
• 36:18   The Blue Nile - From a Late Night Train (Hats 1989)
• 40:01   Bed - The Whimps (The Newton Plum 2001)
• 43:10   Miles Davis - He Loved Him Madly (Get Up With It 1974)
• 62:37   end

End of Summer Noise by Black Brunswicker

 

This mix is another great example of why I enjoy guest mixes so much. This collection of tunes starts off rather noisy, hence the title. It's a style of music that I don't go to very often. But it's very cool to hear in this mix.

Our guest this time is Ethan Helfrich, who records under the name Black Brunswicker. They have a new album out called "Been Around Here Before" and you can find it here:

https://blackbrunswicker.bandcamp.com/album/been-around-here-before

Here's what Ethan says about the mix:

"This is a collection of some music that I've been listening to recently, as well as some old favourites. Having spent 2 months in the US this past summer visiting family and traveling for gigs, I spent a lot of time on the road. It brought me back to music I used to play on my daily commute, when my days were soundtracked by the incessant humming of Chicago's highways (listen to "I Think This Heat is Getting to My Head" off my new album for the reference). While most of this isn’t what people might consider ambient — and I don’t really listen to ambient music much anymore — it’s instrumental guitar music that shares a similar feeling. It transports you to different worlds and headspaces or, at the very least, keeps you company on your morning drive."

Thanks, Ethan, for the trip this mix takes us on.

Cheers!

[ s t r e a m ]    [ d o w n l o a d ]    [ a p p l e _ p o d c a s t s ]

T R A CK L I S T :

• 00:00    Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Fire at Static Valley (G_d's Pee AT STATE'S   END! 2021)
• 05:44    Russian Circles - Ghost on High (Blood Year 2019)
• 07:55    Wolves In The Throne Room - Dia Artio (Two Hunters 2007)
• 13:25    Sleep - The Sciences (The Sciences 2018)
• 16:10    Grouper - I Saw A Ray (A I A: Dream Loss 2011)
• 20:20    Black Brunswicker - Down at the Creek (Been Around Here Before 2024)
• 23:25    William Tyler - Highway Anxiety (Modern Country 2016)
• 32:20    Jack Rose - Miss May's Place (Dr. Ragtime & His Pals 2008)
• 34:53    John Fahey - America(Re-Recorded Version) (Death Chants, Breakdowns And Military Waltzes 1964)
• 39:48    Black Brunswicker - The Cave (Been Around Here Before 2024)
• 43:27    Fripp & Eno - Evening Star (Evening Star 1975)
• 50:45    Bobby Lee - Walking with Trees(Live) (Cosmic Country Revue Live at PDV 2023)
• 54:41    end