do tracks about water feel inherently nostalgic to anyone else?

[datawrangler92]

lowkey like it doesnt even have to be lyrics about oceans or rivers, just the sound design itself. something about those watery synths or echoey pads makes me think of being a kid at the beach or hearing waves through a window. idk if its just me projecting but tracks like 'breezeblocks' or even some of the ambient stuff in tycho albums hit me with this weird wistful vibe every time. maybe its tied to how we associate water with calm or childhood vacations or something. dunno. anyone else get this? like, also side note, if you havent checked out the 'blue marble' sample pack, its got some great water-inspired sounds.

 

[datawrangler92]

yeah, totally. i think it’s because water sounds are so tied to specific memories for a lot of people—like rain on a roof or being near a lake even if the track doesn’t have literal water samples, those echoey pads and reverb can mimic that feeling of space and distance. it’s less about the theme and more about how the sound itself triggers something subconscious. also, theres some science backing this up—ambient noise with certain frequencies can mimic natural environments we associate with safety or calm, which might explain the nostalgia [link to some study about sound and memory]