Mix tunes for power coding sessions

by jv2222 • 17 years ago

81 57 17 years ago

catch23• 17 years ago

do all coders listen to techno? I find myself much more efficient when listening to jazz.

jmtame• 17 years ago

If I'm trying to learn new concepts, classical is good--or no music at all. When I'm coding (and the most I'll have to do is look into documentation), I listen to techno and electronic stuff. A lot of stuff I do is iterative (especially when I'm doing design work), so the music keeps me creative.

calambrac• 17 years ago

Yes, all coders everywhere listen to techno, no exceptions.

[Edit: it's a little known fact that, in addition to starting the FSF and the GNU project, Richard Stallman was the first to sample the Amen Break.]

davidmathers4• 17 years ago

For anyone who doesn't get the Amen Break reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac

_pius• 17 years ago

hip-hop

vorador• 17 years ago

I don't listen to anything because I think that music is something much more important than background noise.

eelco• 17 years ago

That's funny, I listen to music because I don't like background noise. (In fact, listening to music you're familiar with can help you focus since it shuts out other, irregular, distracting sounds.)

nocman• 17 years ago

Your statement seems to imply a couple of different things. Perhaps I have misjudged what you meant, and if I have please correct me. However, for the sake of discussion, here are the things your statement seem to imply to me:

1) the fact that you are playing something in the background suggests that you don't feel it it important.

2) Having something playing in the background, where full and undivided attention is not being given to it can have no positive influence on a person.

I don't agree with either of those things. In fact, I would say that in many cases the opposite of both is most certainly true.

As to the first, what a person has playing in the background at work or at home often very rightly defines the character of the person, and gives you great insight into what they believe, and what they hold dear.

Regarding the second, I believe there is ample evidence to show that non-primary stimuli (call it subliminal, if you wish) can have a profound effect on the minds of people (either for good or for evil).

I would be very interested to here your view on this, as well as the view of others on HN.

philwelch• 17 years ago

It depends. I might listen to ambient or trance when I'm working because it's designed to fit in the background, or I'm not interested in listening to it as music. But when I'm not working I listen to a lot more prog rock or metal. Or prog metal.

Scriptor• 17 years ago

Pretty much the only band I listen to while programming is Apocalyptica. I just like the driving-ness of their songs. For those who don't know, they're a cello metal band. Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptica

die_sekte2• 17 years ago

Whoa. Listening to the first thing I found on YouTube. They sound awesome.

socratees• 17 years ago

I mostly listen to hard rock, or grunge. And sometimes Marilyn Manson.

die_sekte2• 17 years ago

I despise techno when coding it's often irregular, sometimes too loud – trance is so much more regular and works a lot better as background music. Alternatively, minimal/post-rock (Stars of the Lid, Explosions In The Sky) is regular, non-disturbing and generally nice.

medearis• 17 years ago

I think he was using "techno" as an umbrella term for electronic music. Lets be honest -- techno, trance, electro, progressive etc. it's all ultimately pretty much the same thing.

tel• 17 years ago

Seconded on the prog rock. A recommendation also goes out for godspeed you!\? black!\? emperor!\?

(escapes represent the regex-uncertainty of where they put that damn exclamation point)

mziulu• 17 years ago

Mmh, I don't. I'm not really into it, so if I really need music while coding (it happens, although it's not the standard for me) I go for classic rock or something like that. Nothing too 'extreme' but at the same time something that I enjoy, just to take some weight off my brain. Oh, and also Meshuggah, although they don't fit in the description I just gave :)

chunkyslink6• 17 years ago

>> do all coders listen to techno?

I'm sorry to tell you this is trance not techno.

If this (trance) is a little cheesy for your tastes you could try something a little more grown up and housey. Still with a decent pace (125bpm) but with more of a groove.

http://chunkyslink.com

"Playing with complex patterns of synthesised layers and intellegent beats" is how I describe it to my dad who would also think that this (the link above) is techno.

I can also highly recommend this site http://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast.aspx that has a new podcast each week - all electronic music. But definatly no cheesy trance there either.

Technophilis2• 17 years ago

Can you recommend a link where we can learn to differentiate the various eletronic music styles ?

jamesjyu• 17 years ago

+1 on the jazz! Miles Davis is my favorite to listen to while coding.

qeorge• 17 years ago

These are really good, thanks for posting. I generally listen to LTJ Bukem during long sessions, so this will fit right in.

lyime2• 17 years ago

You can also use Mugasha, I have been working on this for the last 9 months. http://mugasha.com/ use FB connect or hackersftw as invite

absconditus• 17 years ago

I prefer bands such as Talkdemonic and This Will Destroy You.

http://www.myspace.com/talkdemonicmusicmaking

http://www.myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou

jwb119• 17 years ago

TWDY just got added to my "work time" playlist. Sound similar to another one of my go to bands, Explosions In The Sky: http://www.myspace.com/explosionsinthesky

rkischuk• 17 years ago

Totally agree with This Will Destroy You and Explosions in The Sky as solid coding music.

I'd also add Mogwai to that list.

Sikul• 17 years ago

Another good place to get good electronic coding music is http://www.di.fm They have a bunch of different radio channels and very few commercials.

lyime2• 17 years ago

This is better http://mugasha.com/ [they are our competitor :)]

Dilpil• 17 years ago

Yes, but even one commercial will completely break your flow.

Poiesis• 17 years ago

Another two sources:

DJ Bolivia has programming-inspired mixes at http://www.djbolivia.ca/bolivia.html

And, I can't recommend the Podrunner podcast enough. If you can, throw a few bucks his way as it's almost entirely listener supported. They're made for runners of course but work excellently for coding.

chunkyslink6• 17 years ago

Here is my site. There are 6 mixes i did earlier this year. I use them for running to.

http://chunkyslink.com

cool-RR• 17 years ago

I recommend Squarepusher.

chaosmachine• 17 years ago

Analord!

davidmathers4• 17 years ago

Just discovered analord a few months ago. Love love love it.

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3573820/AFX_(Aphex_Twin)_-_A...

(it's a vinyl release people, so unless you have a turntable this is the only way to get a copy)

dan_the_welder• 17 years ago

Daft Punk gets me going

antdaddy• 17 years ago

Death From Above 1979 works for me...

dag• 17 years ago

The discordance in some DFA will instantly distract me.

zen53• 17 years ago

Limbik Frequencies is another great source for coding music (slightly more leftfield) http://limbikfreq.com/

dimarco• 17 years ago

For power thinking sessions, plug 'Edith Piaf' into Pandora and rejoice.

stse• 17 years ago

Spotify :)

chunkyslink6• 17 years ago

I've never been able to find anything on there. They seem to have lots of commercial music but not much for my tastes.

rw• 17 years ago

I'll chime in. What gets me in the zone is a combination of: power noise, electro and classical/romantic arrangements.

oomkiller• 17 years ago

Nice list, listened to it while coding tonight and it works pretty well. This is my first time really using music while coding, and I'm pretty satisfied. Only learning new concepts requires me to turn it off, anything iterative it works great to drown everything else out.

fno• 17 years ago

How about some truly free music? Mixsets are a grey area.

Give http://www.professorkliq.com/ a try (if you don't like IDM just like me, don't worry about the "kliq"). http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Professor_Kliq

moe• 17 years ago

Player doesn't work on linux.

dan_the_man• 17 years ago

Great mixes, thanks - I can recommend the Gareth Emery podcast if you don't mind a bit of talking: http://www.garethemerypodcast.com/

rgrieselhuber• 17 years ago

If you're into metal at all, Tristania is a great band to program to.

yread• 17 years ago

I absolutely have to listen to music when doing pretty much anything. I usually start with something jazzy or even classical (ever listened to gregorian chants? awesome) then move on to progrock (or what else should Mars Volta be called) and I end up either at minimalism or some techno. Silence is distracting!

ajtaylor• 17 years ago

Thanks for the link. These are great mixes. I signed up for a cloudsound account. :-)

I find that words distract me - I want to sing! - so techno/trance/dance/whatever is great for me to code by because it's mostly repeated rhythm.

Mix tunes for power coding sessions

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