Minimalist music is about stripping back music to a simpler form by using a limited or minimal amount of musical materials. It was developed on the West coast of America in the 1960s by composers like Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Terry Riley.
Minimalist music can sound very hypnotic! This is because of the repetition of patterns, phrases and rhythms throughout the pieces. For example, one minimalist piece by Steve Reich repeats the phrase’ ‘it’s gonna rain, it’s gonna rain’ over and over again.