Our Development Playlist

We know… Development gets tough. Sometimes it takes a minute to get settled in and get working on that project, so I’ve rounded up the other developers here at Papercut and we’ve collaborated on a playlist! Travis, Ben, Michael and I have picked our top five songs that help us through our workday and we’d like to share them with you. Check them out and feel free to recommend a song in the comments!

Michael

  • Holy Forest – Africa Calling’
  • The Menahan Street Band – Three Faces
  • Troubleman – Change Is What We Need (Progress)
  • Ilum Sphere – Near The End
  • The Cinematic Orchestra – Man with the Movie Camera

I tried to pick some songs that I can enjoy both with standard listening and subconsciously while I’m coding. Africa Calling is a great little afrobeat/soul number with a horn melody I find myself humming through the day. Three Faces switches up a few times to keep things interesting. Change is What We Need is a long, more upbeat track to keep you going. Near the End is one of those tracks that could be 20 minutes long and still be too short. Sometimes I put it on repeat and let it play for ridiculous amounts of time while I drift in and out of listening to it. Man with the Movie Camera is another long one, and I prefer the even longer live version.

Ben

  • I Will Rise – Chris Tomlin
  • Come Thou Fount – Jadon Lavik
  • The River – Jordan Feliz
  • You Are – Colton Dixon
  • Build Your Kingdom Here – Rend Collective

These songs resonate with my heart and have a good message.

Travis

  • The Ship – Black Rivers
  • Born Under Punches – Talking Heads
  • Irganda – Songhoy Blues
  • Night – John Carpenter
  • La Villa Strangiato – Rush

I find I do my best work when I’m able to zone out. To help me do this, I tend to listen to tunes that have a more repetitive quality. The Ship by Black Rivers is a great warm up song. Personally, I could work to the entire Talking Heads Remain in the Light album on repeat for months. Born Under Punches is great song to get lost in. The musicianship kills it. When it comes to driving repeated beats Songhoy Blues really delivers. Last year, horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York) put out an album of unused movie themes he had written. Night is pure 80s synthesizer gold! Last is La Villa Strangiato by Rush. I mean, what’s a play list with out Rush?

Tony

  • Can I Kick It – A Tribe Called Quest (J. Cole Remix)
  • Sober – Childish Gambino
  • Teardrop – Massive Attack
  • Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
  • Swing Life Away – Rise Against

I personally think I do my best work when I’m jamming through my day. Can I Kick It? is a well-known one but I chose the J. Cole Remix here to continue celebrating the 25th anniversary to ATCQ’s album. Sober continues that vibe and the breakdown makes me smile every time. Teardrop is that familiar theme that you just can’t get out of your head. You can never go wrong with Queen so no explanation is necessary for Don’t Stop Me Now. As my day falls to a close I usually listen to something like Swing Life Away. The upbeat acoustic sounds make me feel creative when I need to hunker down for a deadline.