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

Some Good Train Songs by Paul Asbury Seaman

 

More than 8 years ago, Paul Asbury Seaman came to me with an idea for a mix. He would provide the theme and tracklist, and I would man the faders and knobs to create his first guest mix. Of course that first mix was a train-themed set.

Now, after 9 railway mixes & many hours traveling on the audio tracks, Paul brings us his tenth train-themed mix. This one is a bit different than the others so I'll let Paul tell you about it:

"To celebrate my tenth train mix for Low Light Mixes I’m doing a collection of vocal tracks. There are way too many great train songs to call this set a “Best Of,” thus the qualified title. (I have five CD-length train song mixes for my own use.) These are some of my favorites. And here’s several more to start your own playlists, that didn’t make the cut only because of time limitations: “People Get Ready” (several good versions), “City of New Orleans” (Arlo Guthrie), “Locomotive Breath” (Jethro Tull), “Long Train Runnin’” (Doobie Brothers), “The Midnight Special” (CCR), “Downtown Lights” (Annie Lennox version) and of course “Hear My Train a Comin’” by Jimi Hendrix (from the Winterland LIVE box set)."

LINKS TO PAUL'S OTHER TRAIN MIXES:

• 2017 - THE MEMORY OF TRAINS
• 2018 - GALAXY EXPRESS
• 2019 - PLACES I'VE NEVER BEEN TO - AN ODE TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL
• 2020 - LULLABIES FOR A NIGHT TRAIN
• 2021 - MYSTICAL TRAIN
• 2022 - TRAIN SIX 56
• 2023 - LAST TRAIN HOME 
• 2023 - TRAIN NO. 8 - AUTUMN EXCURSION
• 2024 - MORE TRAIN TRACKS

Thanks, Paul, for another thoughtful collection of songs. Here's to 10 more excursions on the rails.

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   Gary Clark Jr. - When My Train Pulls In (Gary Clark Jr. Live 2014 )
• 07:07   Bruce Cockburn - Night Train (The Charity of Night 1997)
• 13:10   The Hooters - 500 Miles (Zig Zag 1989 )
• 17:23   Leonard Cohen - The Stranger Song  (The Essential Leonard Cohen 2002)
• 22:15   Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia (The Best... 1990)
• 26:44   The Neville Brothers - Mystery Train (Brother's Keeper 1990)
• 31:02   Cat Stevens - Peace Train (Teaser and The Firecat 1971) 
• 34:56   Neil Young & The International Havesters - Southern Pacific (A Treasure 2011)
• 42:39   Soul Asylum - Runaway Train (Grave Dancers Union 1992)
• 46:54   Bruce Springsteen - Downbound Train (Born in the U.S.A. 1984)
• 50:19   Patty Smyth - Downtown Train (It's About Time 2020)
• 55:00   Tab Benoit - Night Train (Night Train to Nashville 2008)
• 59:45   Bob Dylan - Slow Train (Slow Train Coming 1979)
• 65:32   Peter, Paul & Mary - Freight Train (In The Wind 1963)
• 68:12   Paul Simon - Train in the Distance (Hearts & Bones 1983)
• 72:19   Arlo Guthrie - Last Train (The Best Of Arlo Guthrie 1977)
• 75:25   end