A soft passage to sleep

Amid the hustle and bustle of daily life, people live, work, and push through each day. But late at night, some find themselves lying in bed, wide awake. Their minds race with unfinished tasks, memories of lost friends and lovers, or the worries of their children's school struggles.

It is during those seemingly endless silent nights that they may notice the "rainbow" lamp light refracting on the TV screen across from the bed, hear the gentle hum of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould in his iconic interpretation of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria, or drift into unspeakable thoughts. In those quiet moments, they may even recall Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Bai compared moonlight to "hoary frost on the floor".

As anxiety over sleep grows, insomnia becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, one that leaves people starting their day groggy and drained.

With more and more people grappling with sleep issues, as shown by growing public conversations and increasing reports of disturbances, the appeal of ambient music is rising.

When British musician and producer Brian Eno released his pioneering album Ambient 1: Music for Airports in 1978, he introduced a genre that could be actively listened to or just fill the background. This music fosters an environment of introspection and calm reflection.

Inspired by Eno's therapeutic vision, electronic music producer Wang Lu and his circle of sound artist friends have been exploring ambient music's aesthetic appeal and healing potential for years.

"We're not seeking silence," Wang says. "Silence can be deafening — the mind rushes in to fill the void. But gentle sound can provide a sense of safety. It can ease stress, loneliness, and gloom."

It is in this light that Wang Lu, singing bowl therapist Lu Qiming and guitarist Wang Wenwei recently unveiled Resonant Stillness, an album launched on Apple Music to help listeners ease into a night's rest and recharge.

Its Chinese title, Youxin Xinyou, stems from a line in the Taoist classic Chuang Tzu (The Book of Zhuangzi) that emphasizes mental freedom and harmony with external circumstances.

The album has two parts, one focusing on emotional regulation and the other on improving sleep, centered on a "dialogue" between guitar and singing bowls.

"The play of guitar is warm and lingering, like the flow of a river, while the sound of the singing bowls resembles the occasional bubbles in the water," says Wang Lu.

Originating from the Himalayan region and usually made of metal, singing bowls emit a harmonic sound when struck and are often used for meditation, relaxation and healing.

The sound of singing bowls forms the main thread of the album, around which the orchestration of other instruments and audio elements revolves, Wang Lu says.

For the album, Lu applied aged singing bowls to achieve a softer, more enveloping sound, with subtle fluctuations in texture delicately interwoven into the soundscape.

Nature sounds — chirping insects, bird calls, rustling leaves — were recorded in suburban Beijing and woven into the album. These non-referential ambient elements draw listeners into a wilderness-like atmosphere without overwhelming their attention.

This immersive experience is enhanced by Apple's Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which makes the sound multidirectional.

According to Ruan Xiangbo, the album's producer, with the technology they can now place sound precisely such as that of insects and the wind. They positioned the sound of rain above the listener and made the vibrations of singing bowls ripple out in all directions, enveloping the listener with surround sound.

For both chapters, an alternative version with guiding narration is available. As the music flows, the narration guides listeners into relaxation, beginning at the scalp, moving down the face, cervical spine, shoulders, and eventually enveloping the whole body.

Wang Lu says that the sound is crafted not just for the ears, but for the body to physically experience.

Lu, also a psychological counselor, notes that the resonance of singing bowls can help slow heart rate and breathing, clear mental clutter, and enhance concentration.

He says, their album with accompanying music aims to help the audience pause and step back from stress to examine its origins and figure out how to release it.

Healing involves addressing persistent discomfort by navigating one's relationship with the external world and with the inner self. It's about tapping into your own strength, he adds.

He believes the benefits will last, expressing hope that their album can offer a pleasant space where the listener can return in stressful times, armed with the awareness, strength and methods for self-adjustment.

To Wang Wenwei, both sound and healing are quite abstract, leaving room for suggestion. "Healing is essentially suggestion," he says.

Wang Lu has nearly two decades' experience in pop and electronic music production. His works include the arrangement for singer-songwriter Li Jian's household Feng Chui Mai Lang (The Wind Blows the Wheat Waves). In recent years, he has increasingly explored how traditional Chinese musical elements can be merged into modern production.

In 2020, Wang Lu worked with Wang Wenwei and the ambient music label Sound Blanc to release their first ambient music album, Blanc Live Vol. 1.

An insomniac plagued by long-term anxiety, Wang Lu started his collaborative exploration with Lu several years ago to wean himself off sleeping pills, whose efficacy was inconsistent and came with chronic side effects.

During this process, Wang Lu and Lu, together with Sound Blanc and other therapists, jointly launched ambient music albums Deep and Qi (Life Energy) in 2021 focused on easing sleep and waking up.

Not many are venturing into this niche field, and in Resonant Stillness, their third attempt, Wang Lu invited his two longtime friends to join hands and push further into the therapeutic use of sound for stress relief.

Wang particularly points out that while people feel overwhelmed and alienated, rest is often ignored. Instead of relaxing, many turn to stimulants like caffeine.

"We're naturally endowed with the ability to relax. It's due to the prolonged exposure to high stress and fast-paced lifestyles that we forget how to relax," Lu says.

"What we're offering is a way to reclaim that natural skill."