Pretty much the only band I listen to while programming is Apocalyptica. I just like the driving-ness of their songs. For those who don't know, they're a cello metal band. Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptica
If I'm trying to learn new concepts, classical is good--or no music at all. When I'm coding (and the most I'll have to do is look into documentation), I listen to techno and electronic stuff. A lot of stuff I do is iterative (especially when I'm doing design work), so the music keeps me creative.
I despise techno when coding it's often irregular, sometimes too loud – trance is so much more regular and works a lot better as background music. Alternatively, minimal/post-rock (Stars of the Lid, Explosions In The Sky) is regular, non-disturbing and generally nice.
I think he was using "techno" as an umbrella term for electronic music. Lets be honest -- techno, trance, electro, progressive etc. it's all ultimately pretty much the same thing.
> Lets be honest -- techno, trance, electro, progressive etc. it's all ultimately pretty much the same thing.
Electro sounds nothing like trance, even if you know little about electronic music. Compare Kraftwerk with Tiesto or ATB for example to see what I mean. You may need to listen to trance for a while to be able to distinguish between, say, Goa and Psychedelic, but saying that all genres of electronic music are ultimately the same thing comes across as ignorant. (I understand that any electronic music sounds like noise to some people, but it's a genre as rich and diverse as any other.)
I disagree completely. Those styles you mention are all completely different. You can still split these down further and still be able to tell the difference.
e.g. tech-house, progressive-trance, progressive-house, hard-house etc etc.
If this (trance) is a little cheesy for your tastes you could try something a little more grown up and housey. Still with a decent pace (125bpm) but with more of a groove.
"Playing with complex patterns of synthesised layers and intellegent beats" is how I describe it to my dad who would also think that this (the link above) is techno.
I can also highly recommend this site http://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast.aspx that has a new podcast each week - all electronic music. But definatly no cheesy trance there either.
Your statement seems to imply a couple of different things. Perhaps I have misjudged what you meant, and if I have please correct me. However, for the sake of discussion, here are the things your statement seem to imply to me:
1) the fact that you are playing something in the background suggests that you don't feel it it important.
2) Having something playing in the background, where full and undivided attention is not being given to it can have no positive influence on a person.
I don't agree with either of those things. In fact, I would say that in many cases the opposite of both is most certainly true.
As to the first, what a person has playing in the background at work or at home often very rightly defines the character of the person, and gives you great insight into what they believe, and what they hold dear.
Regarding the second, I believe there is ample evidence to show that non-primary stimuli (call it subliminal, if you wish) can have a profound effect on the minds of people (either for good or for evil).
I would be very interested to here your view on this, as well as the view of others on HN.
That's funny, I listen to music because I don't like background noise. (In fact, listening to music you're familiar with can help you focus since it shuts out other, irregular, distracting sounds.)
It depends. I might listen to ambient or trance when I'm working because it's designed to fit in the background, or I'm not interested in listening to it as music. But when I'm not working I listen to a lot more prog rock or metal. Or prog metal.
Mmh, I don't. I'm not really into it, so if I really need music while coding (it happens, although it's not the standard for me) I go for classic rock or something like that. Nothing too 'extreme' but at the same time something that I enjoy, just to take some weight off my brain.
Oh, and also Meshuggah, although they don't fit in the description I just gave :)
