I prefer slow and melodic music by the very best. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Muddy Waters, and so on. Also jazz and Warren Zevon, I like ballads. If I'm on a deadline however, I listen to dramatic movie music - the Matrix Revolutions, Beowulf, 300.
I usually go with music that's thematic to the typeface I'm working on. For example, when I worked on Glyxonite, a Yes/Galaxian typeface, it was a month of non-stop 1970s progressive rock. With Syndra, a Y2K themed design, I went through a Britney Spears and Janet Jackson phase. With some of the more technical aspects, like kerning, I listen to Comedy Bang Bang podcasts to quell the boredom.
Font first, then music, except in the case of Telemachus because I was on a Carole King kick, and was inspired by the font used on the Tapestry album cover.
30% of Jazz, 20% of Bossa Nova, 20% Classical Music, 10% Funk and 20% the sound from movies; from Qatsi trilogy & Piano to classics like Orfeu Negro, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Wizard of Oz, Paris - Texas, Shaft, Once Upon A Time In America...
I feel like I can't get anything done if music isn't playing. The New Radicals, I remember the title track, checking out the music video, it's so 1998, around the time I started my foundry, eeeek.
I listen to a lot of music, mostly new releases. These are my top 20 albums for 2023.
Kelela - Raven, Favorite Track: Washed Away
The Waeve - The Waeve, Favorite Track: - Undine
U.S. Girls - Bless This Mess, Favorite Track: Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)
Tennis - Pollen, Favorite Track: Let's Make a Mistake Tonight
Everything But The Girl - Fuse, Favorite Track: Run A Red Light
Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine, Favorite Track: Blades
John Cale - MERCY - Favorite Track: STORY OF BLOOD
Christine and the Queens - Paranoia, Angels, True Love, Favorite Track: Marvin Descending
Circa Waves - Never Going Under, Favorite Track: Living in the Grey
Lonnie Holley - Oh Me Oh My, Favorite Track: Kindness Will Follow Your Tears
Paramore - This Is Why, Favorite Track: This Is Why
boy genius - the record, Favorite Track: Not Strong Enough
Caroline Polacheck - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, Favorite Track: Welcome To My Island
Slowdive - everything is alive, Favorite Track: kisses
Gina Birch - I Play My Bass Loud, Favorite Track: And Then It Happened
Taylor Swift - Midnights, Favorite Track: Lavender Haze
The Drums - Jonny, Favorite Track: Plastic Envelope
Cupid & Psyche - Romantic Music, Favorite Track: Angels On The Phone
PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying, Favorite Track: A Child's Question, August
Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, Favorite Track: The Grants
I'm looking forward to the new Future Islands release this year. 2020's As Long As You Are blew me away.
It was on the morning of June 6, 1938 in the city of Haarlem that the famous Dutch type designer Johannes P. Grypstuiver revealed to a stunned audience some of his secret harmonic and rhythmic rituals that preceded the mysterious process of letter-making.
I agree with Nick, Thomas, Mark and others that silence would be best, but since I had a hard time to concentrate as silence was "not so silent" in my neighborhood (and now I am forced, as they are restructuring my building and drilling!) I found that appropriate music can help to get immersive. Of course if you really need to concentrate and can't do it at home you'll have to resort to a library or the like, but I'd like to share the best single song I have found which helped me to become immersive (before the construction workers, that is! :-) ) and it's
· "Waiting for Cousteau" by Jean-Michel Jarre
Now I tend to make and test compilations of music I am familiar with. I find artists like Morcheeba or Thievery Corporation to be very good as background music, but of course it depends on tracks, one should test.
When I had an occasional barking dog in the apartment close to me, I used a mix of the aforementioned Jean-Michel Jarre track and natural noise provided by an excellent app called "Dark Noise": it's commercial, but worth the small fee, and if you use a Mac the desktop app is synchronizable with the iPhone and other devices. Great to use everywhere if you need to cover noise.
Lot's a classical mentioned above. I will try some. I usually prefer downtempo electronica, Zero7, Air, Tycho etc. But I can also listen to R.E.M. on constant repeat and not get distracted.
Lot's a classical mentioned above. I will try some. I usually prefer downtempo electronica, Zero7, Air, Tycho etc. But I can also listen to R.E.M. on constant repeat and not get distracted.
Agreed. Music labeled as "downtempo" is generally very good. Although I find some of Air's tracks more distracting, regardless of familiarity, but this of course goes also for some tracks of the others mentioned.
Comments
If I'm on a deadline however, I listen to dramatic movie music - the Matrix Revolutions, Beowulf, 300.
Akhnaten
is one of the pieces that can turn anything epic.Of course if you really need to concentrate and can't do it at home you'll have to resort to a library or the like, but I'd like to share the best single song I have found which helped me to become immersive (before the construction workers, that is! :-) ) and it's
· "Waiting for Cousteau" by Jean-Michel Jarre
Now I tend to make and test compilations of music I am familiar with.
I find artists like Morcheeba or Thievery Corporation to be very good as background music, but of course it depends on tracks, one should test.
When I had an occasional barking dog in the apartment close to me, I used a mix of the aforementioned Jean-Michel Jarre track and natural noise provided by an excellent app called "Dark Noise": it's commercial, but worth the small fee, and if you use a Mac the desktop app is synchronizable with the iPhone and other devices. Great to use everywhere if you need to cover noise.