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.
Calm and positive music featuring traditional Japanese / Oriental instruments. Meditative and cultural. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 58 BPM]
An intense Japanese piece. Heavy, grooving percussion combines with traditional wind and string instruments to create a dark, adventurous, and dangerous overall vibe. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 70 BPM]
Passionate Latin music composition with authentic acoustic guitars, percussion, bass and drums. Great for films and videos, exotic dance, music for holiday and vacation, travel and fun. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 108 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]
Traditional percussion instruments combine with an electronic flair and mysterious background vocal tracks to create this grooving piece. [Tempo: Medium / 106 BPM]
A live performed recording of this traditional Celtic / Irish folk tune. Medieval / Pirate / Ballad Music. [Tempo: Fast / 114 BPM]
Dramatic and dark solo piano composition. Tragic but beautiful music full of nostalgia and dramatism about the memories of the past, reminscence of lost loved ones. This emotional composition can greatly enhance dramatic trailers, films, documentaries and videos. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 62 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]
Relaxed and laid back traditional African music with a contemporary mood and feel. Great for festive moments, culture and travel. Lots of mbiras [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 83 BPM]
This track is created in documentary style. It features Acoustic Guitars, flute, indian percussion, mandolin, gamelan bells, strings, organ and drums. Suspense and mystery lead to a feeling of hopefulness and positive Himalayan Spirituality. Section three feels upbeat, positive and a feeling of finality. Plenty of underscore to work with. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 110 BPM]
In the Hall of the Mountain King, from the Peer Gynt suite by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Fast, Very fast / 0 BPM]
Traditional Chinese music with a moderately serious edge. Good for culture and nature or documentaries. [Tempo: Slow / 57 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]
A peaceful, calm ambient track blending Japanese instruments (erhu, percussion) with strings, bass guitar and electronics. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 100 BPM]
A short Japanese Koto piece, with a mysterious vibe. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 0 BPM]
Calm and relaxing, this track features traditional Chinese instruments in a light and airy setting. Perfect for travel, culture or history. Meditative and noble. [Tempo: Slow / 60 BPM]
An ambient dramatic track of strings, piano, and pads, reminiscent of the American Beauty and Road to Perdition soundtracks. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 68 BPM]
A dark, ambient, electronic piece, with ominous bass and synth tracks. Elements of science fiction are present, with an overall sound that sits tensely just below the boiling point. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
This track features a traditional ethnic African ensemble. It has a dancelike tribal quality and is festive in nature. Great for documentaries, nature and cultural themes. [Tempo: Medium / 107 BPM]
An original piece stylized as a medieval era Eastern European folk music dance. Performed live in a studio by the Fleurdelis ensemble featuring authentic instruments of the time; the Hurdy-Gurdy, Bouzouki, Recorder and percussion instruments. Excited, busy, happy, celebratory. Early music / Medieval music. [Tempo: Fast, Very fast / 130 BPM]
Dramatic and elegant strings mixed with a chilled, ambient Hip Hop beat with catchy synth hooks and deep sub bass. Great for creating a cool, modern yet sophisticated vibe [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 70 BPM]
An original composition stylized as a medieval battle song. Performed live in a studio by the Fleurdelis ensemble featuring authentic, live performed instruments modeled on the instruments of medieval music times: Bouzouki, Rabab Kashgar (A long-necked Lute instrument) and percussion. [Tempo: Fast / 130 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]
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]
Calm and meditative Chinese music featuring Bawu (wind) and Pipa (strins) accompanied by Daikos and gongs. Music suitable for travel and culture. [Tempo: Slow / 68 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]
Featuring traditional African instruments, such as Cora and Kalimba this track is in a world fusion style and is very evocative and charged with an African spirit. [Tempo: Medium / 120 BPM]
A live performed recording of this traditional Celtic / Irish folk tune. Old Town / Medieval Village / Tavern Music. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 118 BPM]
Joyful, exciting trip into the jungle. Uplifting african chants and instruments (cora, percussion, kalimba) mixed with strings, occasional guitar and flute. Upbeat and motivating. [Tempo: Fast / 133 BPM]
A collection of 3 short Oriental / Japanese style stingers/jingles. Koto, strings, ethnic percussion elements. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
A slightly quirky and tense piece with ethnic percussion and piano. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 132 BPM]
A 16th century renaissance music dance that originated in France; originally composed by Claude Gervaise (1525–1583). Danced at courts all over Renaissance Europe. Performed live in studio by Fleurdelis, featuring traditional percussion, Rabab Kashgar (An Arabic long-necked Lute), bagpipe and renaissance recorders. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 102 BPM]
An exuberant, mystical, orchestral piece that relies on its own unpredictability and, after a wild tumult, finds itself in tranquil strings. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 80 BPM]
Suspenseful, dramatic, ethereal, epic, spacious, moody, atmospheric cinematic rock track that gradually builds in intensity. Starts with dhol drums & various synths join in as it goes. Exciting, tense, thrilling, rhythmically hypnotic & climactic. Would suit action / thriller / sports / combat / crime type projects. [Tempo: Medium / 119 BPM]
A very positive and uplifting World / Travel / Exploration track. Upbeat, happy and fun, this track will go well with travel programs, hiking and exploration, culture and discovery. Slightly African feel, but can also go well with other world regions. [Tempo: Medium / 136 BPM]
Combining stylistic elements of traditional Indian music and western film music, this colourful and textured track gradually builds up to an emotional yet resolute and satisfying climax. [Tempo: Medium / 105 BPM]
Joyful and picaresque, fun and nice Latin music. This song played with bandoneon and guitars evokes landscapes and costumes of the country people in Argentina. 100% authentic & live performed. No computers, no samples. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 155 BPM]
Inspired by the Salburun Eagle Hunting Festival of Kyrgyzstan, this music track begins solemnly but has a lively mid section that feel like a true celebration of the festival and all that surrounds it. Oriental / World / Travel Music. [Tempo: Slow, Fast / 96 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]
A music track that celebrates the diversity, the singularity and the joy of the different peoples, countries, and customs of the world. Motivating, optimistic and hopeful. Authentic & live performed. [Tempo: Medium / 100 BPM]
An atmospheric, searching piece of music. Ethnic / World influence, combined with a magical, swirly, ethereal feel. [Tempo: Very slow, Slow / 120 BPM]
Symphonie fantastique in G minor, Op. 14 IV. Marche au supplice (March to the Scaffold), by Hector Berlioz. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Nostalgic and intense. Deep and Honest. The Milonga is a Latin musical genre that originated in the Rio de la Plata areas of Argentina and Uruguay and represents in a reliable way the feeling of the people in those lands. 100% authentic & live performed. No computers, no samples. [Tempo: Slow, Medium / 67 BPM]
Mysterious, dark and ethereal soundscapes with a hypnotic, tribal influenced, repetitive drum beat. Dark / Eerie / Mystical. [Tempo: Slow / 0 BPM]
Beethoven's 5th Symphony, 1st movement. Recorded exclusively for Shockwave-Sound.com by D Hamilton. [Tempo: Slow, Medium, Fast / 0 BPM]
Middle East, Ethnic, Choral, Intimate, Emotive, Melancholy Music. [Tempo: Slow / 120 BPM]
An original composition stylized as a medieval folk dance. Lively and authentic historical music. Performed live in studio by Fleurdelis, featuring Lyre, traditional percussion, Bagpipes and Renaissance Recorder. [Tempo: Medium, Fast / 105 BPM]
Modern trance groove features authentic African percussion, kalimba and ram's horn. [Tempo: Fast / 126 BPM]
Emotional and Dramatic Cinematic music piece great for films, trailers and documentaries in the drama genre. Featuring instruments like solo Cello, Orchestral Strings, Acoustic guitar and Piano. [Tempo: Slow / 90 BPM]
Authentic Russian folk song / wedding song. Traditional ancient Russian folk music, arranged by Dmitriy Lukyanov, conducted and recorded by Evgeniy Kalyukin. [Tempo: Medium / 0 BPM]
