Hacker Beats – Music to Code To

By
Lancelot Carlson
– Posted on December 6, 2011Posted in: General News, Opinion

Lancelot’s featured Playlist (on Spotify): Playlist – Hacker Beats

For many coders, a necessarily fuel for productivity is our background music. Filled with the right combination of tracks, I’m able to zone out outside distractions and build momentum as I code. For me, what is most productive day-to-day changes significantly. Sometimes it’s classical, sometimes it’s rap, but most of the time it’s electronic. I find lyrics can be distracting at times, but for the most part I can tune it out.

Some of my favorite artists for allegro coding include:

Sorta old school artists
- Orbital
- Prodigy
- Banco De Gaia
- Timo Maas
- Hybrid
- Enigma

Dubstep

- Nero
- Skrillex
- Bassnectar
- Rusko

DnB
- Dieselboy
- High Contrast
- AK1200

Other goodies
- Deadmau5 (dead-mau-5?) ;)
- Calvin Harris
- Squarepusher
- Avicii
- Paul Van Dyk
- Shpongle
- Booka Shade

I recently discovered the music service Spotify and paid for the premium subscription so I could listen to all my playlists in my car and while coding. It’s the best thing since Napster. What does everyone else listen to? I’d be glad to share more artists in my playlists if anyone is interested.
I’m also curious what gets other programmers in the (M-x) code mode?

About Lancelot Carlson

Lancelot Carlson is the cofounder of Healpay, an Ann Arbor, Michigan startup that makes innovative applications for collecting money. Lancelot co-authored the 2nd edition of the book "Ruby on Rails: Up and Running." Prior to HealPay, Lancelot has worked for Engine Yard and several other projects while living in San Francisco.

  • http://www.growdetroit.com Alex Southern

    Nice shirt, Lancelot. Is that a smiley face?

    • http://twitter.com/lancecarlson Lance Carlson

      Thanks! Yes, the shirt is basically a wavelength of a dubstep song. Where the beat drops is where the arrow is pointing from a smiley face. :)

  • http://twitter.com/lancecarlson Lance Carlson

    BTW, here is my electronic playlist on spotify: http://open.spotify.com/user/121501283/playlist/2gbxil0zCEaYm3V3iQTX9K

    • http://twitter.com/Settlementapp Settlementapp

      you forgot to add Justin Beeber on your list… 

  • http://twitter.com/stevenRobert Steve Robert

    Great list Lance, when I code (which is less and less these days) – I also enjoy electronic, house & trance, but increasingly mashups.  Check out Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) on Spotify, albums “Feed the Animals” & “Night Ripper” – combine rap & pop.  

    Also met these DJs a few years ago at a Mashup Conference in San Fran: http://bootiemashup.com/blog/  – can listen to their music free at the website.

    • http://twitter.com/lancecarlson Lance Carlson

      Thanks Steve! Girl Talk is great! Him and Fedde Le Grand were here in Ann Arbor Wednesday (Girl Talk was at the Blind Pig, Fedde Le Grande was at The Necto). Unfortunately I had to pick one to go to so I only got to see Fedde Le Grand… :)

      Will def. check out the SF artists too!

      • Anonymous

        I’m a big Fedde Le Grand fan. I’m sure the crowd went nuts when he played “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit”.

        • http://twitter.com/lancecarlson Lance Carlson

          Oh you know it!

  • http://twitter.com/KoryKaai Kory Kaai

    Awesome tracks Lance! Nero is a must along with “The XX”, “Blackmill”, “Flux Pavilion” and “The Glitch Mob”.