What is the name for the feeling of nostalgia, loneliness, eeriness and liminality that comes when listening to songs like subwoofer lullaby?
Subwoofer lullaby from Minecraft: https://youtu.be/Gpd85y_iTxY
Please note that I'm not referring to nostalgia from having played Minecraft a long time ago. The song felt this way since I heard it the first time.
Here's another song that has a similar feeling to it https://youtu.be/usjnkZVshLc
Is there such a concept as 'liminal music'?
It's not exactly the same as frisson, I think, but it still makes me feel goosebumps sometimes
8 replies
I don't think the English language has a single word for it because it encompasses bits of different emotions. The closest single one I could think of might be "bittersweet".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade ?
Sort of a vibrant or vivid melancholy, maybe? Some songs by certain groups do that to me also - that song, "remind me" by royksopp always brings on those feelings. I think that listening to music makes you feel like everything in your body is opening up a little, loosening and relaxing and decompressing.
The Minecraft piece always reminded me of Eric Satie's Gymnopédie #1 https://youtu.be/TL0xzp4zzBE?si=-w9omSS-Xn_tnsZB
I'm certain you've heard it before. You may find the Wikipedia page on the compositions interesting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnop%C3%A9dies?wprov=sfla1
Anyway, I think the word you're looking for is melancholy.
Frission, maybe?
Just because you're making the same mistake I did for a number of years, frisson doesn't have a 2nd "i"
I'm not sure if there's a name for the feeling, but often, the reason we feel that way about certain pieces of music is because they feature minor keys instead of major keys.
Major keys = happy Minor keys = sad
That said, I don't think either of your examples are in minor keys.
In other Minecraft music news, this is pretty great.
There's a German term for nostalgia for a place you've never been, fernweh. Perhaps that has some connection?
Path of the Wind from My Neighbour Totoro gives me a similar feeling.