My go-to focus albums
Just a ranked list of my favourite music albums when I need to focus. Not just limited to coding, but even for things like chess, writing, and research.
1. Ágætis byrjun - Sigur Rós
It has a great calming effect. I used it for studying math back in university. The vocals feel like an additional instrument and it weirdly disconnects you from reality. It's perfect to remove any distractions.
2. Ascend - Illenium
Melodic EDM is one of my favourite genres of music. Illenium's collabs always have soothing and tuneful vocals. It pairs very well with his music style. There's a lot of emotional build-ups and cinematic drops which keep the energy going and helps you avoid mental exhaustion.
3. American Dream - LCD Soundsystem
This fits into the Synth-pop genre, which a lot of coders love due to its futuristic and ultramodern theme. Listening makes you feel like you're in a sci-fi movie, which helps you get into the flow state you need for deep focus.
4. Wide-Eyed - Said The Sky
Said The Sky is up there with one of the best producers of Melodic EDM. It's a bit more expressive than other artists and gives a good physical feeling. It helps especially with tedious tasks.
5. Valtari - Sigur Rós
Valtari has a very ambient and mellow tempo. Each track contains incredible Icelandic vocals which compliments the music and gives it a lot of texture. I found this album through the standout track "Varúð".
