T.S. Eliot was wrong – it’s January that is the longest month. Home to a New Year hangover, enforced sobriety, Blue Monday, and the longest wait for a monthly pay slip in human history, January is quite possibly the bleakest of our 12 months.

But fear not, dear reader, for help is at hand. The newly-launched Apple Music Chill is a balm for worried brows, with a number of special broadcasts helping to relieve pressure, and insert some much-needed calm.

Take Stephan Moccio’s ever-excellent show Feel More Radio. Proof that riveting listening doesn’t mean high tempos, the expertly curated broadcasts feel like a meditative journey, helping you to unwind at your own pace.

With January drawing to a close, Stephan kindly pieced together a chill out playlist for CLASH.

Here is a tiny slice of the tracks and music which have showered my world throughout the years. I seek introspection and music helps support this state of mind. As an artist and composer, I have dedicated a huge portion of my life trying to understand the mind, the heart and how they react to certain vibrations, tones, rhythms, and colours. This is barely the tip of the iceberg, there is no such thing as the “best” chill tracks, because everyone has different tastes. The medley I have concocted spreads across most genres and these pieces have been essentials in my chill collection. 

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BRIAN ENO  •  AMBIENT 1  •  MUSIC FOR AIPORTS 1/1 

Decades later, the piece remains a touchstone in minimalist and ambient music, influencing countless artists and listeners, including myself. The concept is brilliant, as airports are such a place of introspection, where we are often left with our own thoughts. ‘Track 1/1’ is a masterpiece of restraint and subtlety, creating a sonic space that invites calm and introspection, whether actively listened to or experienced passively in the background.

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RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS  •  THE LARK ASCENDING  •  IONA BROWN, SIR NEVILLE MARRINER & ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS

This remains one of my all time favourite pieces of music and it happens to be something which brings me solace as a classical composition. Many ingredients make up this tranquil and introspective piece. The pastoral atmosphere which captures the English countryside, the elegance, the emotional depth, the rich harmonic palette and the unhurried tempo all together make up for a timeless and calming jewel. It also helps that this piece was composed on the eve of World War I as an ode to a peaceful world that was soon to be disrupted.  

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NIGHTMARES ON WAX  •  LES NUITS 

When I first heard this mesmerising track in a furniture store, I was utterly transfixed from beginning to end with this stunning six and a half minute trip-hop masterpiece. The blend of lush sweeping cinematic strings, groove, minimalism and trip-hop elements are like tasting a new fusion cuisine.  

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MAX RICHTER  •  MOVEMENT, BEFORE ALL FLOWERS 

Max has a plethora of pieces which belong on this playlist, and I chose one of his more recent compositions because of its feeling of hopefulness and romance. I could listen to this gentle, tranquil and dreamlike moment for hours. It spins like a merry-go-round and I never want it to end.  

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JAKOB BRO  •  STRANDS 

Jakob Bro, for me, belongs to the new vanguard of chill artists. Their whole vibe keeps me locked in a zone. ‘Strands’ with the reverberant guitar, weightless atmosphere, muted trumped leaves ample space for introspection and mental clarity.

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HERMANOS GUTIÉREZ  •  CERCA DE TI 

Hermanos Gutiérez belong in the same fraternity as Jakob Bro. Whatever these guys do is a vibe. The feeling for me is as if they are just chill, sitting back, not overthinking anything, and allowing the moment to take over with the sound of their distinctive guitars.  

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NICK DRAKE  •  RIVER MAN 

This song is another classic one which is permanently on my chill list. The 5/4 time signature, combined with the gentle vocal delivery, lush muted orchestral strings which ebb and flow like waves and the melancholic mood all contribute to making this classic record sound modern decades later. ‘River Man’ feels like a quiet, reflective walk along a riverbank at dusk, making it (for me at least) a timeless piece for moments of introspection.  

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MOBY  •  RUSHING 

You can choose any track from Moby’s ‘Play’ as a chill piece, some of them like this one called ‘Rushing’ are atmospheric, dreamy, and expansive in nature. It feels endless, as if we are in a galaxy floating peacefully.  

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BILL EVANS  •  PEACE PIECE 

A classic jazz chill piece, by one of the genre’s giants, can play on forever and ever and ever. Built on a simple two-chord vamp that repeats throughout, creating a steady soothing foundation. The repetitive structure mimics the rhythm of gentle breathing, naturally inducing a calm state of mind.

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STEPHAN MOCCIO  •  OWL LIGHT 

I included one of my own compositions because my driving mantra as an artist, and as a composer, is to bring solace and chill into people’s lives. Inspired by my love of impressionism, namely Debussy and Satie, this piece is part of my Night Suite. It is a rêverie which paints a late twilight, the period just before dark. ‘Owl Light’ becomes a liminal space, a moment of balance between endings and beginnings, light and shadow, thought and silence—a musical representation of life’s quiet, transitional moments.

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Tune in to Feel More Radio With Stephan Moccio on Apple Music Chill // Listen to Apple Music Chill live for free, without a subscription, here // Stephan Moccio’s album ‘Legends, Myths and Lavender’ is out now.