human-experience-filter-art/docs/music-candidate-pool.md

Music candidate pool — mellow chordal synth (2026-07-02)

The chosen direction for the Music audio option: mellow, soothing synth music with real chord movement ("many chords" — progressions that evolve, not static drones or binaural tones). Supersedes the binaural exploration (binaural-candidate-pool — parked). We'll use several tracks and crossfade between them (not loop one).

All CC0 or CC-BY (verified by fetching each page + a live HTTP 206 check on every audio URL). Local review gallery (gitignored, like the other review pages): simulator/static/review_music.html → open /review_music.html with the sim server running.

Honesty flag: licenses + URLs are verified; the "harmony" notes are inferred from genre/reputation, not a by-ear check — audition before final selection.

Two license families

• HoliznaCC0 = CC0 — zero attribution burden (simplest for the credits page).
• Kevin MacLeod = CC BY 4.0 — must credit, e.g. "Chill Wave by Kevin MacLeod — incompetech.com — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0." The credits page already exists, so this is fine.
• Self-host everything on R2 for the install — the files.freemusicarchive.org and incompetech.com URLs are live/hot-linkable now but shouldn't be depended on in prod.

Candidates (ranked by chord movement)

Lo-fi / dreamy — HoliznaCC0 (CC0)

id	title	source page	mp3 (verified 206)	dur	harmony
tokyo	Tokyo Sunset	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/tokyo-sunset-lofi-peaceful-soft/	.../Xnd9Hr5AVzB68IlWcImKtXPlwCePD2G2m8ZFSVj4.mp3	2:18	jazzy extended-chord progression
reverie	Dreamy Reverie	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/dreamy-reverie-lofi-nostalgic-chill/	.../Bo2XWazV4kHpnPksjJGRRLr16EmOE44NZnMITZaB.mp3	2:23	moving 7th/9th chords
complic	Complicated Feelings	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/complicated-feelings-lofi-dreamy-relaxed/	.../jEFkzWNxxtz76vjPoUOjZALHvdK3HkVMQAnGpgTn.mp3	2:39	bittersweet changes
drift	Peaceful Drift	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/peaceful-drift-lofi-nostalgic-calm/	.../SQvtLguk6S1VSthv0oXWycoB6ipUS0pt8jzAxxPq.mp3	2:08	calm nostalgic progression
currents	Calm Currents	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/calm-currents-lofi-relax-calm/	.../4rKapZUMNnNSPAOvpjlfSH6B5Ib8rgEWdvjnM7C6.mp3	2:27	flowing chords
moon	Moon Unit	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/moon-unit-lofi-reflection-dreamy/	.../CbNZO1QUuJq1f50RHzZ5kykNj1hdqT04UaWOYSNf.mp3	2:52	reflective dreamy chords
mist	Into The Mist	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/into-the-mist-lofi-calm-relaxed/	.../cI5iv9Xga0OOvGsS7mGZn9BlTshZdzAqLW7bmArA.mp3	2:09	calm progression
wave	Wave Maker	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/wave-maker-lofi-dreamy-retro/	.../SbPJTWMnBmT5yBsXP4jLfp6RsvWLhfOnbw2PxXol.mp3	3:05	warm analog retro chords

(mp3 host: https://files.freemusicarchive.org/storage-freemusicarchive-org/tracks/)

Calming synth — Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0 — credit required)

id	title	source page	mp3 (verified 206)	dur	harmony
chillwave	Chill Wave	https://archive.org/details/ChillWave_781	https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Chill%20Wave.mp3	3:57	clear repeating 4-chord cycle
enchanted	Enchanted Journey	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming	https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Enchanted%20Journey.mp3	4:29	many changes, warm major
dreamcult	Dream Culture	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming	https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Dream%20Culture.mp3	3:34	evolving chord sequence
silverblue	Silver Blue Light	https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming	https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Silver%20Blue%20Light.mp3	5:50	slow, deliberate changes

Spares

• Clean Soul — Kevin MacLeod — CC BY — 5:06 — https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Clean%20Soul.mp3
• Old Age — HoliznaCC0 — CC0 — 3:33 — https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/only-in-the-milky-way-part-1/old-age/
• Deja Vu — HoliznaCC0 — CC0 — 2:04 — https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/only-in-the-milky-way-part-1/deja-vu/
• More Kevin MacLeod (all CC BY 4.0, incompetech): Dreamer, Reawakening, Lightless Dawn, Almost New, Angel Share. The whole HoliznaCC0 "Public Domain Lofi" album is 42 CC0 tracks in this vibe — a ready-made rotation if wanted.

Rejected / not used

• Kevin MacLeod baroque/classical "public-domain" pieces — the composition is PD but incompetech states the recording is CC BY 4.0; harpsichord/orchestral, off-brief anyway.
• NC finds (great but non-commercial): Scott Holmes "Ambient Meditation" (CC BY-NC), ccMixter chordal ambient (Jeris/Quarkstar/duckett — CC BY-NC).
• "Hang Binaural" — Mindseye — CC BY-SA (ShareAlike), excluded per the CC0/CC-BY rule.

Next

Operator auditions review_music.html, ticks keepers (Copy picks). Then wire the Music source to a multi-track set that crossfades between the kept tracks (replaces the single ethereal loop; see audio-music-option). Kept CC-BY tracks get a credit line on credits.html; all kept files self-hosted on R2.