I agree Mike, I have to have something to drown out background noise, especially when I worked in offices with chit-chatty coworkers. Floyds instrumentals are great, some parts of the wall are good for programming, but most of it just leaves me screaming like a madman while typing and trying to imitate that disturbing cackling sound in the live version of 'Run'. I used to have a coworker with a pink iPod full of heavy metal, Opeth was the only thing i could really listen to from his collection. It was actually pretty chill its own way...I can't understand him either.
I think the reason I cannot listen to music while working is because my inner rhythm is so variable. Music is sort of like the equivalent of unwanted Vsync.
I completely agree with the Beethoven, especially Moonlight Sonata. I find myself listening to that on repeat when I'm developing. Doesn't hog my brains resources, but is nice to listen to when programming.
Ah, Opeth... I forgot to mention that the one and only album of theirs that I find bearable is Damnation. The ones before... I'm just not into the growling and stuff Similar thing aplies to Floyds as you said - they have some absolute wonders, but some other songs are so psychedelic they will ruin your work day
I think about this thread now and then as I never did mention any names in particular. A few have mentioned Floyd, which I enjoyed throughout the 90s. Nowadays I like only certain albums from artists, or even only certain tracks. Examples would be Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea, Röyksopp - Senior (particularly 'The Alcoholic' which is one of the most mellow songs I've ever played...on loop), then there's more old favourites like Skin And Bones (Foo Fighters), or a random album which seems to have always been listened to The Higher Intellegence Agency - "freefloater"... There's many more of course, and the variety is huge but recently it's all mellow hehe might have something to do with my next game! I'm going to be trying some of the others in this cool thread.
+1 .. i prefer silence and open window for fresh air.. but then it also depends what i actually work on.. if its digging deep into code.. silence it is.. if its gfx or any other art related work music can actually help.. sometimes i wish i could listen to music while working on sound effects (which i very much dislike doing)
Oh wow parts of the Röyksopp track I mentioned are very reminiscent of Tubular Bells, no wonder I like it thanks for the reminder. Now I gotta go buy that for my friend who emigrated to Austalia! Those were the days, long live Amiga ;-)
I love Royksopp too! They have a way of using distortion which I try to emulate but never quite get. Must be all that lovely analog equipment they have. Sadly, my apartment and budget only allow me to conduct 1's and 0's I love Eno's stuff too, but I haven't heard that album. What track do you recommend? I love the Ghosts album he did with David Byrne. Those songs still sound fresh 20 years later, especially 'strange overtones', how was that song not hugely popular!?
I'm sure that you can emulate the sound which you seek if you keep searching. Add subtle noise if digital is too clean, you get the exact bucket of water you ask for in this world, I'm sure most people know that but maybe was worth a mention. I'm not a musician but have developed the equivilent of OpenAL (technology rather than content), and found that a sound texture/sample is as manipulable as anything else is. I guess Royksopp just found their sound and refined it, you might find that they once had a feedback loop running through a wireless passive speaker located on a turntable! ...which only works at 42 ;-) when the window was open. Manifesting sound #3... In that case reality will produce angular-Doppler better than I can at least! But the (virtual) positional stuff is interesting to play with, and can produce sounds which cannot be created (recorded) otherwise. I think of digital as an advantage. The Eno album is relatively new, 2010. I was only last year introduced to both artist and album. Was kinda shocked when I sat down to watch a TV program about him and figured there must be two Brian Enos lol! My favourite track on the album would be I think "Bone Jump", as it helps somehow with visualising the work before/during creation, the imagination somehow is enriched with details when I listen to stuff like that. Tweaking settings is so much easier too, I often find that I hone in towards the end of a good track. Not sure though, that the songs do the same when played solo - it's an album thing. Perhaps if picking out highlights then also "Written, Forgotten", but again it only works for me if I hear it in track order (after "Emerald and Stone"). I think the album would pass me by on YT, but I'm glad I mentioned it as overall it does feel like 'you' could make a game out of the whole album, kinda thing - whether listening to, or using for! But we're talking developing here, and not the end result. So, as a musician are you looking for inspiration of what to listen to, or what to produce! I thought like others that you guys didn't like to be influenced (or could even work with external 'noise'). Though I do know this is a myth and have evidence- which I am not allowed to post boo ;-)
I have only a few Eno songs, but I just listened to Bone Jump. Why does it remind me of Super Mario Bros? ...I think its the bass. Pretty sweet song overall. He had some eccentric things to say in Daniel Lanois' little documentary/video project thing. Oh yeah, there are definitely things i LOVE about digital. Not having to worry about things like line noise and background noise is great. I used to use more live instruments, and all that technical stuff just wastes time. I'm sure if I had the right tools, I could get the sound. I'm totally influenced by what I listen to. But I find that if I try to imitate it, something of my own creativity always leaks into it and it comes out unique. Sometimes I avoid listening to stuff that I know I'll accidentally copy. Especially when I do an orchestral soundtrack, which frankly, I find it very hard to be original with. With orchestral style music, I usually produce something that sounds similar to the basic movie soundtrack style, which is what most people want anyways. I'd say thats my current goal as a musician; do something truly unique with orchestral instrumentation. Its just easier to be original with electronics and rock (for me anyways).
