Alex Ploughright:

At Electronic Music Library

Alex is a freelance composer and a classically-trained pianist. He read music at Oxford University and he has produced music in a wide variety of styles for short films, TV shows and music libraries. He is currently producing long ambient soundscapes which incorporate 'binaural beats'. These binaural tracks are designed to assist with relaxation and meditation, and need to be listened to on headphones for full effect.

Binaural beats are produced when two tones of slightly different frequencies are presented independently (one in each ear). The result is a low-frequency pulsation, perceived by the brain as if the two tones were mixed together naturally. Binaural beats are believed to have an influence on brain function, synchronizing the frequency of brainwaves to match the frequency of the binaural 'beat'. These tracks aim to lower the frequency of the listener's brainwaves to the 'theta' range, which is associated with deep relaxation and hypnosis. Theta waves are also widely believed to have healing properties.