Genre

Minimalism

Minimalism on LoudQuietLoud: more than 100 artists, including Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt. It runs alongside post-minimalism, post-classical and tape music.

Yann Tiersen

instrumental · soundtrack · french

Erik Satie

classical · piano · impressionist

Ludovico Einaudi

piano · classical · contemporary classical

Max Richter

ambient · contemporary classical · neoclassical

Philip Glass

minimalism · contemporary classical · classical

Jóhann Jóhannsson

ambient · contemporary classical · icelandic

Nils Frahm

piano · ambient · contemporary classical

Michael Nyman

piano · soundtrack · minimalism

Eluvium

ambient · instrumental · post-rock

Arvo Pärt

contemporary classical · classical · minimalism

Harold Budd

ambient · minimalism · piano

Stars of the Lid

ambient · drone · electronic

Goldmund

ambient · piano · contemporary classical

Steve Reich

minimalism · contemporary classical · experimental

Peter Broderick

ambient · piano · contemporary classical

Arthur Russell

avant-garde · experimental · disco

William Basinski

ambient · drone · experimental

Moondog

avant-garde · experimental · jazz

Kronos Quartet

contemporary classical · classical · instrumental

John Adams

contemporary classical · minimalism · classical

Colin Stetson

experimental · jazz · avant-garde

John Cage

avant-garde · contemporary classical · experimental

Library Tapes

ambient · piano · contemporary classical

Chihei Hatakeyama

ambient · minimal · japanese

Hauschka

piano · ambient · instrumental

The Dead Texan

ambient · drone · post-rock

Terry Riley

minimalism · contemporary classical · avant-garde

Wim Mertens

contemporary classical · minimalism · piano

Alva Noto

glitch · minimal · ambient

Roberto Cacciapaglia

piano · contemporary classical · instrumental

Laraaji

ambient · minimalism · instrumental

Album art: Jon Hassell, Music Is Invisible (Pentimento Volume Three)

Jon Hassell

ambient · jazz · experimental

Meredith Monk

avant-garde · experimental · contemporary classical

Brian McBride

ambient · drone · electronic

Slow Attack Ensemble

ambient · electronic · canada

Bing & Ruth

ambient · drone · piano

Rafael Anton Irisarri

ambient · piano · modern classical

Morton Feldman

contemporary classical · minimalism · avant-garde

René Aubry

instrumental · french · composer

Gavin Bryars

contemporary classical · minimalism · ambient

Nico Muhly

contemporary classical · minimalism · experimental

Christina Vantzou

ambient · contemporary classical · cello

Greg Haines

ambient · contemporary classical · piano

Album art: Sarah Davachi, The Will of Tongues

Sarah Davachi

ambient · electronic · minimalism

Caterina Barbieri

electronic · ambient · minimalism

Laurie Spiegel

electronic · experimental · avant-garde

Album art: Oren Ambarchi, Cooked

Oren Ambarchi

drone · ambient · experimental

Bruno Sanfilippo

post-classical · contemporary classical · neoclassical

Josiah Steinbrick

experimental · ambient · instrumental

Kali Malone

drone · ambient · minimalism

Mark McGuire

ambient · drone · experimental

Julien Marchal

piano · contemporary classical · modern classical

Julien Neto

ambient · minimal · electronic

Minimal Man

post-punk · industrial · experimental

Ben Woods

ambient · piano · instrumental

Kyle Bobby Dunn

ambient · drone · minimal

Pauline Oliveros

experimental · avant-garde · contemporary classical

Album art: Emily A. Sprague, Cyano

Emily A. Sprague

ambient · experimental · minimal

Stephan Micus

ambient · world · world music

Vanessa Amara

ambient · experimental · modern classical

Lubomyr Melnyk

minimalism · contemporary classical · neoclassical

Bruce Brubaker

piano · contemporary classical · minimalism

Frank Bretschneider

glitch · minimal · experimental

Ian William Craig

ambient · electronic · drone

Pascal Comelade

avant-garde · instrumental · minimalism

Giacinto Scelsi

contemporary classical · avant-garde · classical

Horse Lords

experimental rock · math rock · krautrock

The Necks

jazz · experimental · ambient

Mario Batković

experimental · post-minimalism · contemporary classical

Gregg Kowalsky

ambient · drone · experimental

Erik Enocksson

ambient · instrumental · swedish

Motohiro Nakashima

ambient · japanese · electronic

Michael Riesman

contemporary classical · piano · soundtrack

John Luther Adams

contemporary classical · minimalism · avant-garde

Dustin Wong

experimental · minimalism · wave electronic

Carl Stone

ambient · experimental · electronic

David Borden

contemporary classical · minimalism · electronic

Alvin Lucier

experimental · avant-garde · contemporary classical

Daisuke Miyatani

ambient · japanese · electronic

Album art: Maxime Denuc, Club Imperiale

Maxime Denuc

ambient · drone · pipe organ

Klara Lewis

ambient · dark ambient · electronic

Final

dark ambient · ambient · experimental

Charlemagne Palestine

minimalism · drone · avant-garde

Ingram Marshall

contemporary classical · minimalism · ambient

Rhys Chatham

minimalism · drone · experimental

Daniel Brandt

experimental · electronic · germany

Louis Andriessen

contemporary classical · dutch · minimalism

Wacław Zimpel

jazz · post-minimalism · experimental

Phill Niblock

drone · minimalism · avant-garde

Peter Michael Hamel

contemporary classical · minimalism · ambient

Michael Tilson Thomas

classical · conductor · contemporary classical

Lunz

ambient · piano · chillout

MGR

ambient · drone · post-rock

Minamo

ambient · experimental · japanese

Robert Turman

industrial · electronic · dark ambient

Orthrelm

13 · experimental · noise rock

Press

Recently reviewed

LatestBeats Per MinuteOct 20, 2026

Album Review: Max Richter – While The Flood Rages (opens in new tab)

How does a classical music composer become a pop star in these modern times (let us leave Mozart and other ‘old’ classics aside)?

Shop Max Richter

PitchforkOct 16, 2026
Music Is Invisible (Pentimento Volume Three) (opens in new tab)
The final entry in a painting-inspired trilogy of records draws on the trumpeter and composer’s last live show before his death, highlighting his focused, distinctive musical presence.
Shop Jon Hassell
PitchforkOct 15, 2026
Cooked (opens in new tab)
Building an international band that includes Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, and a whistler, the Australian guitarist shapes longform spells of emotional and musical ambiguity.
Shop Oren Ambarchi
PitchforkOct 12, 2026
Club Imperiale (opens in new tab)
In an ode to the Mediterranean discotheques of yore, the French composer uses MIDI-controlled pipe organs to smear elements of trance and techno into a hazy state of ecstatic longing.
Shop Maxime Denuc
PitchforkOct 5, 2026
Cyano (opens in new tab)
The Florist musician’s latest ambient release blends her intuitive, associative songwriting with her increasingly immersive voice as a composer for modular synth.
Shop Emily A. Sprague
Aquarium DrunkardSep 7, 2026
Christer Bothen/Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werliin :: Serpentine (opens in new tab)
The Ghosted trio haven't changed much over the course of three albums, turning out sleek, skeletal jazz with deft regularity.
Shop Oren Ambarchi
PitchforkSep 1, 2026
The Will of Tongues (opens in new tab)
A mammoth compendium of compositions for choir, chamber ensemble, and pipe organ captures the minimalist composer’s work at its most gloriously austere.
Shop Sarah Davachi
Aquarium DrunkardAug 24, 2026
John Foxx & Harold Budd :: Translucence + Drift Music (opens in new tab)
Music to listen to with your eyes closed.
Shop Harold Budd

Labels

Labels in this genre

Nonesuch

Home to Philip Glass, Steve Reich & John Adams

Les Disques du Crépuscule

Home to Harold Budd, Wim Mertens & Gavin Bryars

RVNG Intl.

Home to Laraaji, John Luther Adams & David Borden

Related genres

Post-Minimalism Post-Classical Tape Music Modern Classical Contemporary Classical Electroacoustic Drone Progressive Electronic