What music do you folks like to listen to while working, if any?
I’ve found I prefer instrumental stuff, as it’s less distracting. Most recently I’ve found that using production music is good, especially the epic cinematic stuff - for example the multi-hour ‘epic music mix’ videos on Youtube are great - though the more electronic/dubsteppy stuff is cool too. It’s stuff which is deliberately designed to create a mood and add to stuff, but explicitly without attempting to take your attention away from the ‘main activity’ (the trailer / commercial / movie / game / whatever). Deliberately exploiting my responses to musical cinematic tropes to make myself more productive, omg hax
It’s funny how listening to the same music a lot while working on a project can create a lasting association (particularly lyrical stuff I think). I’m never going to be able to listen to Eminem without thinking of creating maps for Duke Nukem 3D back when I was 14…
Depends on the mood, i don’t listen to anything specific. It can range from classic music, trace, rock, pop 70’s, 80s, jazz, 50s, it really depends on the creativity and task.
Here are some
I’ve listened to so much stuff that listening to random Pandora stations is like watching re-runs.
Depends on what I’m doing though. Coding, design or logic stuff I prefer instrumental and classical… Level layouts, environments, etc probably more dubstep/glitchhop/electronic stuff… Regular art stuff I handle more rock/metal/big band/punk/alternative.
I find myself turning the music off or going with more quiet stuff like Yo-Yo Ma when I have to think hard, but crazier, loud, random stuff when its just regular design/art.
I listen to music that fits the level I am making in question, or type of game…
I love ambient medieval music that can effect emotions from happy to sad, to heroic…
I know it’s odd, but it makes me feel in the mood.
Like rap, how the freak is that even considered music?
Rap = Crap. A friggin 6 year old can do it, slap on a few beats on Fruity Loops and record your voice, oooo so hard.
but I prefer what I said above, the music that fits the type of game I am making, but ultimately, I prefer Traditional Violin music, as that’s my favorite instrument, that and the Armenian Duduk.
I love the Instruments our ancestors played, so much emotion filled in the music of them times.
Wish there was a radio station for ancient music lol.
I prefer somewhat new-age music, space music, native american, but also like instrumental guitar or other such ‘tinkly dinkly’ stuff… to get into more of a meditative, relaxed state, which I feel puts me more in touch with inspiration.
See, I used to do that, but I think I’ve come to the conclusion that instead of letting my mood dictate my music (and a bunch of other things, including my productivity), I’m better off attempting to have my music dictate my mood.
Yaz, Erasure, Information Society, OMD when programming. It has to be something bleepy and boppy and buzz ping doop boom. If I don’t know the lyrics like the back of my hand it’s too distracting to code to.
Kylesa, Sleep, Skinny Puppy, Pigface, Psychic TV, Swans, Pearl Jam, Neil Diamond, etc. when doing art. Really anything that’s heavier or deeper and reminds me of how much I used to like tripping.
The Beatles, Iron Maiden, Baroque, Zappa, Carlos Montoya, Julian Bream’s Guitarra and other flashy classical styled acoustic guitar (not John Williams…please), classical piano like Hungarian Rhapsody, things akin to Mussorsky’s Night On Bald Mountain…no driveling, moaning, washes of new age crap…it just get’s me pissed. I need to respect the musicianship or out the window and silence occurs. Rap will make me want to punch the idiot who thought it was appropriate to play it in my presence. Hip hop? Gimme a frikkin’ break and learn how to play at least three chords. Dub step?? WTF…for dance…yeah…if you think dance is like being jerked on marionette strings but a puppeteer in the throes of a grand mal epileptic seizure. I turned off the radio in 1990 when they started the pissing, whining and moaning in rock and metal. My son turned me on to John Zorn and I knew the boys from Mastodon when they were drywall and house painter guys. I can listen to them.
I don’t want to get distracted by good music, so I’m either in silence or if that’s getting old I’ll listen to a selection of music I’m considering for my game.
I usually find listening to the game music to be inspiring, but I don’t let it loop.
I typically listen to Blackmill’s album, Miracle, because it’s really calm but somehow upbeat at the same time (Blackmill is often referred to as “chillstep”). Occasionally though I’ll listen to Queen Sea Big Shark (Chinese Electro band).
Game music for certain (Skyward Sword, FF7, Mega Man, as of right now), as it helps set the tone for my creativity, and brings me to that place in the game I was playing at the time, being excited and all. I also throw on some meditation/relaxation type music, like David & Steve Gordon, Johnathan Goldman, Steve Halpern, ect. Usually save my regular music for another time, but occasionally pop it on when I’m bored of the music I’ve been on. Always my favorites though, stuff like Incubus, Jeff Buckley, The Police, Radiohead ect. Anything I deem as being unique, creative, expirmental, and inspiring.
Personally I like to listen to Trance or Techno when working. I don’t really want to be hearing words or singing as this often interrupts my thought process.
Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, KISS, AC/DC actually many different artists. It’s not so much the groups like listening to full albums as it is the individual tunes themselves. Just a couple tunes from here, a few from that one, etc. I like “energetic” tunes the most but occassionally throw in some slower stuff. Honestly lately the background noise I listen to most often is the tv because I develop while watching movies or sy fy or tonight it will be WWE Monday Night Raw.
Mostly, I like the sound of silence. Whenever I’m programming, I get hyper-focused and find that if I put an album on, the album will suddenly be over without me having noticed a second of it.
I will admit to occasionally playing the Hackers soundtrack while programming.
