Music
Albums I keep returning to, and what each one is good for.
Music is the one thing I never play at increased speed.
Ordered by how often I listen, not by how highly I rate them. Some are working background; others require putting everything else down.
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Kind of Blue
Miles Davis · 1959
My default while writing code. Present without competing for attention — a balance very few records manage.
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The Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd · 1973
One of the albums that has to be heard end to end. Pulling singles out loses half of it.
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Blonde
Frank Ocean · 2016
Restraint in production is harder than filling the space. This is the proof.
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Goldberg Variations
Glenn Gould · 1955
The 1955 recording is faster and more alive than the 1981 one. Contested opinion; I am on the 1955 side.
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In Rainbows
Radiohead · 2007
Fifteen years of listening and I still find new layers in it.
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A Love Supreme
John Coltrane · 1965
Not background music. Put everything down for these 33 minutes.