Music

There is a very sweet, quiet instrumental song we will recommend, 'Cold out there' by Jon Hopkins--it comes forth like a breaking dawn through the clouds. A more eerie piece from him is 'Fading'.

Another piece that's neat is a kind of hip hop, light rap rhythmic number by MC Solaar called 'La Belle et le Bad Boy'. In a faster vein, but with the same type of rhythmic appeal is the German film Run Lola Run's soundtrack--try the fast, exercise paced track 'Running One'.

If you like classical music or want to try some that's easy to get into, put this on in the background and see if you like it--the song 'Barcarolle' from the opera Les contes d'Hoffmann [Tales of Hoffmann].

The real long name of the song is 'Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour' [French: 'beautiful night, oh night of love'] and it is sung by the famous Anne Sofie von Otter on her album of songs by Jacques Offenbach [1819-1880].

Some people find this 'Barcarolle' sweet, and it is, but others see a more complex reality in its harmonies. See what you think.