del

A few things to hear before we all blow up

When you're writing code it's sometimes helpful to keep some music playing in the background. I've found that the music creates a sound wall that blocks out interruptions that would break the deep, long running focus that programming requires. For me, instrumental electronic music works the best. Techno also works but as I've gotten older I've found it can get tiring and sometimes cranks up the stress level when the coding isn't going well. 80's metal, if it's not to fast, works about the same as techno.

I'm sure it's the repetitive, fairly simple rhythms and beats of ambient electronic music that make it the ideal programming music for me. Probably something to do with theta waves or something.

Anyway, here's a short list of my favorite electronic music songs for coding to:

• Anything by Williamson, namely
  • A few things to hear before we all blow up
  • The Trashcan Electric E.P.
• The Dream Factory channel on HBR1.com
  • hours and hours of stuff - some of it very strange.
• Most of the stuff by Enigma
• Cargo Cult
• Vangelis's Blade Runner soundtrack if I'm feeling particularly dystopic.
• Dj Ions's chill stuff on HBR1.com

Radio Nowhere

For various reasons I've been boycotting the whole music industry and getting most of my tunes from indy artists, streaming radio, and used stores. My motivations range from the heavy-handed tactics the RIAA has been using against their customers to the stupidly high prices for new CDs and the overall dearth of quality music in mainstream music. Just how many clones of Brittany Spears do we really need anyway? So I unconsciously decided I wasn't going to give any more money to the music industry and that's pretty much how it's been for two or three years now. Maybe longer.

I think I'm going to make an exception for the new Bruce Springsteen album Magic.

I'm a big Springsteen fan going back to the mid '80s (am I dating myself there a bit, hmmmm?) and I gotta tell ya, The Boss Is Back. Bruce's move into the folksy side left me wanting for a good electric guitars and pounding drums rock-n-roll tune. With the Radio Nowhere single I finally got what I'd been waiting for.

The lyrics speak so much about the current abysmal situation in radio and music:

I was tryin' to find my way home
But all I heard was a drone
Bouncing off a satellite
Crushin' the last lone American night

This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?

I was spinnin' 'round a dead dial
Just another lost number in a file
Dancin' down a dark hole
Just searchin' for a world with some soul

I won't quote any more for fear that I'll bring the wrath of the recording industry down upon my head. But... Wow! I hope the rest of the songs on the album live up to the promise of the first one.

If you want to hear the song you can find it on YouTube and there's a site where you can apparently download it for free if you're willing to give up your e-mail address.