In general I tend to write code a lot more than I design for the web. Depending on the task at hand I can find my playlists change and maybe even go away entirely. The music I like to design to is the music that makes me dream, good and bad. It is music that travels and taps into emotion. Sigur Ros, Aphex Twin, Xiu Xiu and Cinematic Orchestra would feature well on that list.

Classical music is not always my first choice though and I revert to it when nothing else seems to work. Instrumentals or anything that isn’t lyrically demanding is a safe bet. Ratatat, Four Tet, Mulatu Astatqe, Battles and Fat Freddy’s Drop works wonders. I prefer listening to entire albums rather than creating a hand picked playlist if I can avoid it. A good album tells a story and there is a familiarity and continuity that runs through it. It should be punctuated with a couple of songs that break the mould and keep things interesting. From experience, these songs often coincide with breakthroughs on the coding front.

Then there is the music that does not quite fit the requirements but it is music I love and listen to often. Like that old blanket you don’t pack away in the summer, it stays on my playlist. Andrew Bird, Yeasayer, Antony & the Johnsons, Joanna Newsom, M. Ward, Vetiver and many more who should make it to another post. Music is essential to my coding habits and a good playlist has often improved my work. What is your experience with music and code? We’d love to hear from you.

Ratatat - Wildcat (Classics)

Battles - Tonto (Mirrored)

Fat Freddys Drop - Ray Ray (Based On A True Story)

Yeasayer - 2080 (All Hour Cymbals)

Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left (The Mysterious Production Of Eggs)

Vetiver - Farther On (Vetiver)

Chopin - Nocturne In C Minor