Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Suggestions please....

Claire decided that the pile of cds on her desk was getting out of control so we have just downloaded itunes. Now we are in the long process of importing all our disks.

There are 3 of us in my office and we are all very easy going when it comes to music choice during the working day. (As long as it's not R.E.M I will listen to anything more or less) Even so, some music is more conducive to work than others. Our current favourite 'knuckling down' music is E.S.T, a Swedish Jazz Trio. What are your suggestions for the ultimate work music?

10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think it's your bag, but if I need to get my head down, I put on some post rock music (particularly those from the Montreal scene); bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky. Basically, long meandering music without lyrics that just sort of hypnotises me into focussing on whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing. Classical music is good to. I think it is something about the inherent order within classical music that helps focus the mind.
Currently listening to Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven. Brilliant album. YMMV.

3:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bach - Goldberg Variations - played on a piano by Angela Hewitt. Actually, this is great for any time; not just work.
By the way, what is R.E.M?

11:56 PM  
Blogger The Author said...

For your dad...REM is music to slit your throat by, as is James Blunt. If I'm doing housework or anything that requires me to be standing up (running round the office printing and laminating etc) then Aerosmith or Thunder is good, but sitting and concentrating would require some Paganini.

6:16 AM  
Blogger OboeJane said...

Housework should be done to Abba. Try scrubbing the floor to Waterloo and you'll be lucky to have any tiles left.

I can't have music on if I'm doing writing or analysis type work. If it's doing drawings etc, you can have anything on because it seems to use a different part of your brain. Does for me, anyway.

10:48 AM  
Blogger Christian Briddon said...

One of my favourites at work is Muse, especially the album 'Absolution'.

It needs to be played as loud as possible!!!

I have to agree with Bach as well. It does help focus the mind if you are doing something that required actual thought!!

2:19 PM  
Blogger Rach said...

Jane I totally agree - anything that involves words requires silence. Drawing definitely uses a different part of the brain from music. You can even gossip and draw successfully at the same time - somehting Claire and I are very practiced in.

2:44 PM  
Blogger Rach said...

Oh by the way Dad, REM is a terrible band with a lead singer that has the most annoying voice in the world.

2:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Many of us would desagree about REM, I think they are really good (I am sure Nick would agree), but here we are, there is no accounting for taste...

4:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, spelling mistake (I am foreigner as you know): I meant "disagree"...

4:20 PM  
Blogger Nick said...

Thanks Alex, and correct. I do like REM, even though I understand that Michael Stipe's voice could be annoying to some. And so, listening to REM at home is a pleasure which has now been closed off to me.

Similarly, I can't understand why on earth anyone could think Catatonia were, at best, unlistenable. But their records did somehow sell once upon a time.

Anyway - work music - for concentration I say generally avoid things that distract - which could be lyrics, noisy stuff... at desq we worked out that repetitive high frequency (e.g. hi-hats) irritated, so we listened to loads of chillout stuff like Boards of Canada, Royksopp, EST, Zero 7, jazz etc.

2:07 PM  

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