Hiro11

I like to study to somewhat mellow electronica pop, stuff like Pantha du Prince, Lindstrom, John Talabot, Memory Tapes. Not necessarily ambient (although that's not bad), something with vocals and a good beat is fine. Any other recommendations?

van der graaf

Franco Falsini - Naso Freddo (Cold Nose)
Sensations' Fix - Portable Madness

story

I surprised myself in the last ten years or so and find myself listening to this style of music more often than others. Here are a few ideas, and I'm trying to think of artists you may or may not have heard of and that I've listened to a few times. Enjoy, and if you find something you think I'd enjoy based on what's below, please pass it along my way.

Blue States - I really like this guy, discovered him through eMusic. Four albums, all great, if pressed to answer I'd have to say Man Mountain and Nothing Changes Under the Sun are my favorites.

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Antosh - light piano-based music without lyrics.

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Royksopp - ensemble from Norway that I discovered through their song "Remind Me" when it was in one of the first Geico commercials with a caveman. Some stuff is more beat heavy, other stuff is pretty light.

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Washed Out - the following song is the theme song for Portlandia and that's how I discovered him. I think he has like two albums and an EP and I've enjoyed all of them quite a bit.

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Zero 7 - Maybe it's cliche, but I discovered them through Garden State (that whole soundtrack is nice and mellow) and I fell in love with their sound. Caught them on tour a few years back and was really impressed. Their earlier stuff is more ambient and light (Simple Things, When It Falls), then The Garden is half light and half up-tempo, and Yeah Ghost is pretty up-tempo. New stuff is on the horizon.

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Moby - people seem to love 'em or hate 'em for a variety of reasons but make no mistake, a bunch of his stuff is probably what you're looking for.

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Hiro11

Thanks for the recommendations. Here's an obscure compilation that I think is fantastic:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/puttin...y-mw0000261979

mndtrp

Carbon Based Lifeforms is my go-to, although maybe more on the ambient side.

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I also like Phone Booth Robbers.

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If you like the latter, they've released it for free on Ektoplazm's website. This site is mostly centered around psy-trance/dnb/breaks/etc., but has a great selection of downtempo releases. Free, high quality, legal.
http://www.ektoplazm.com/free-music/...lling-into-one

UAIOE

I'd recommend Orbital. Either Oribtal 1 or Orbital 2. Also Middle of Nowhere
Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants.

Thanks to Songza I've discovered what is called "luvstep" which is pretty much mellow, softer dubstep. I find much better than whatever is called dubstep. I listen to it whenever I have to work on homework.

fiver

I listen to a lot of psytrance, but in actuality I tend to the more psybient and/or tribal ends of the spectrum

Ektoplazm, as mentioned earlier, does have a lot of great albums to download for free:

Phone Booth Robbers, as mentioned, is pretty good.
Ekoplex - Discovering the Ancient
Easily Embarassed - Tales of the Coin Spinner
Easily Embarassed - Different Dimensions
Etnoscope - Drums From the Dawn of Time
Perfect Blind - Surfacing
Perfect Blind - Three Spires

Some albums you have to pay for, but are well worth it. All the artists below have great discographies beyond what's listed.

Phutureprimitive - Kinetik
Phutureprimitive - Searching for beauty in the darkest places, part 1
Shpongle - Museums of Consciousness
Younger Brother - Vaccine
Younger Brother - The Last Days of Gravity
Ott - Skylon
Entheogenic - Enthymesis

Michael