Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#1

Post by EJE » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 5:34 AM UTC

I am learning how to program, thought it would be interesting to see what music is best for programming. It was said that music limits your creativity in programming (Blink: Malcolm Gladwell, I believe).

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#2

Post by mishmash » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 5:40 AM UTC

I like rock so any band that has three or four consecutively good albums that I can just push play and listen to hours of good music is a must.

Examples, Tool, Pink Floyd, Rage Against the Machine, In Flames, etc.

edit: also, almost any station from SomaFM http://somafm.com/

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#3

Post by carbocation » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 5:45 AM UTC

Full albums by Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails. Try Ghosts I-IV and the Social Network Soundtrack.

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#4

Post by andrewjshults » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 5:48 AM UTC

Something I've listened to a lot, otherwise I get distracted by trying to pay attention (mostly to the lyrics). Lately, I've been listening to Girl Talk's All Day http://www.illegal-art.net/allday/ a lot, but I also like putting some NIN and Tool into the rotation as well.

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#5

Post by veb » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 5:48 AM UTC

Classical music! :-)

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#6

Post by Skywing » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 6:02 AM UTC

I have a tough time programming with music going. I'm more of a silence kind of guy. lol

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#7

Post by thristian » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 6:13 AM UTC

Things with interesting music, but without lyrics. Nine Inch Nails' "Ghosts I-IV" is a good start, as is the NIN ambient 'music' of the sound-track to the original Quake.

The Canadian indie label Constellation has a number of artists that make good coding music, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, and Do Make Say Think.

Other relevant artists include: Mogwai, Boards of Canada, Dirty Three, Explosions In The Sky, LCD Soundsystem, Monolake/Robert Henke, The Necks, Ratatat, The Flashbulb, The Samuel Jackson Five.

There's a few particularly good movie soundtracks I like, as well: Koyaanisqatsi, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, and Blade Runner.

Another good source of quiet, interesting, music is videogame soundtracks. I'm particularly fond of the soundtrack to Ōkami, and the OCRemix tributes to Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, and Doom: http://ocremix.org/albums/?&offset=0&sort=nameasc

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#8

Post by hajrice » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 6:35 AM UTC

carbocation wrote: post #3

Full albums by Trent Reznor/Nine Inch Nails. Try Ghosts I-IV and the Social Network Soundtrack.

+1 for The Social Network soundtrack. Definitely great coding music.

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#9

Post by sol2k » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 7:11 AM UTC

I just go to stereomood.com and pick the mood I want to get into.

Re: Ask HN: What is your programming music?

#10

Post by colbyolson » Fri, Dec 17, 2010, 7:17 AM UTC

Pandora radio on "Mr Scruff", lots of chill nu-jazz and such. Not much vocals, aside from samples here and there. Love it, stream it all day.