The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Playlist Thread

Wavy_Blue · Jan 16, 2010

So, if you are like me (and, let's face it, why wouldn't you want to be?), you sometimes listen to music while you are writing. I find that listening to a certain piece of music can help me nail emotions that I'm trying to focus on, especially with my sci-fi/fantasy writing.

So, what are some of the music in your sci-fi/fantasy playlist?

I frequently listen to music by Eric Whitacre. Guy's a freaking genius. If you haven't heard his music, I strongly recommend it.

Kateness · Jan 16, 2010

VNVNation typically feature heavily for me

Fenika · Jan 17, 2010

I typically just turn on Pandora radio.

But among other things, I enjoy listening to Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy tracks. It seems fitting

ChimeraBell · Jan 17, 2010

I listen to just about anything but lately I've been listening to a bit of Weird Al when I write XD

Fenika · Jan 17, 2010

Fenika said:
I typically just turn on Pandora radio.

But among other things, I enjoy listening to Nobuo Uematsu's Final Fantasy tracks. It seems fitting

Zomg, have to share. I just combined the two and made a Nobuo Uematsu station on Pandora. If you like FF music and don't have Pandora, the basic membership is free. As an added bonus they play similar bands.

Google Pandora radio.

JMBlackman · Jan 17, 2010

Pandora is badass; I also enjoy Last FM from time to time.

As far as what I listen to while writing, it really varies according to character and scene, most often. My two current MCs' theme songs are:

Running Up That Hill--Placebo
Help I'm Alive--Metric
Most of the Swoon album from the Silversun Pickups

J. Koyanagi · Jan 17, 2010

Lately I've been listening to Explosions in the Sky and God Is An Astronaut.

maxmordon · Jan 17, 2010

Legend of Zelda soundtracks for me, but a lot of soundtracks really help, I think, you know since they are mostly instrumental.

I tend to like longer pieces of music since it allows someone to submerge there without paying much attention, Pink Floyd really helps me with this one, especially Atomic Heart Mother.

Wicked · Jan 17, 2010

I wrote a story while listening to Metallica's cover of Turn the Page. The same song, over and over, for two days.

Nightwish gets a lot of play while I am working.

soapdish · Jan 17, 2010

JMBlackman said:
Pandora is badass; I also enjoy Last FM from time to time.

As far as what I listen to while writing, it really varies according to character and scene, most often. My two current MCs' theme songs are:

Running Up That Hill--Placebo
Help I'm Alive--Metric
Most of the Swoon album from the Silversun Pickups

LOL, these three are all on my current playlist as well.

I am also a huge fan of Pandora and just started getting into Last FM recently. I'm undecided which I like best...with Last FM I think you can skip a head without limitations. Yet Pandora seems to "know" me better.

Also on my list:
The Walk--Imogen Heap
Percussion Gun--White Rabbits

The Black Ghost · Jan 17, 2010

Any soundtracks for me...anything with words distracts my attention. Usually I dont like to write while music is playing (unless it is background music) because I cant focus entirely on what I am writing, since I sound everything out in my head as I write it.

Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, James Horner, Masamichi Amano are my top soundtrack artists.

Wavy_Blue · Jan 17, 2010

Adding Joe Hisaishi to the list.

Pthom · Jan 17, 2010

Xelebes · Jan 17, 2010

I listen to trance and techno. Just how I flow. Particular favourites include Luke Slater's, Patrick DSP's, Go Hiyama's and Android's livesets. Sometimes I can get into the mood and write along to some electrobass.

Canotila · Jan 17, 2010

I can't listen to songs with lyrics when I write. My favorites to work with are:

Anything by Dead Can Dance, The Serpent's Egg is my favorite of their albums.

Infected Mushroom for trance/techno

Yair Dalal does some awesome instrumental work, I love his album Al Ol

Circus Contraption, for creepy vaudevillian/dark burlesque stuff

Yoko Kanno, for nifty jazz

Ali Hassan Kuban, not in a language I understand so it works

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Imbroglio · Jan 18, 2010

Lol, it's kind of weird, but for some reason I really like to listen to Avril Lavigne while I write.

Either her, or Imogen Heap. And other various instrumental music from video games, like Xenosaga (mostly Yuki Kajiura since she's a genius).

Me&BacchusGoIntoABar · Jan 18, 2010

maxmordon · Jan 18, 2010

SoloArtist said:
Recently I've been playing "The Hazards of Love" by The Decemberists non-stop. Incredible, amazing album.

I had a really intense fight/vengeance scene where I had to put on some Jesus Lizard, though

Must say you have a great taste.

Recently, I have been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mahagonny in German, since I understand kaput of German, is not distracting but nonetheless awesome music.

Me&BacchusGoIntoABar · Jan 18, 2010

AlterEgox5 · Jan 18, 2010

Soundtrack junkie here. I support some of the names mentioned above (Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, James Horner, etc.), but would like to add in Steve Jablonsky (I killed the Transformers Score while writing my SF novel) and Murray Gold (Doctor Who goodness cannot be denied).

District 9 by Clinton Shorter is pretty sweet, The 10th Kingdom by Anne Dudley has proved very useful with my current WIP. There are many more soundtracks and their creators I could list, but it would take too long, haha.

Bands/artists:
Within Temptation
Linkin Park
Korn
Loreena McKennitt
Enya
Muse

Looking at this now, I see for F/SF I tend to lean toward three styles: soundtrack, hard rock, and semi-new age. Interesting.

Mr Flibble · Jan 18, 2010

Motorhead, Metallica and AC/DC et al are the soundtracks to my life

Unforgiven III could be credited with giving me the inspiration for my current WIP. I have it on a loop at the moment. I'll be sick of it by the time I'm finished

AlterEgox5 · Jan 18, 2010

IdiotsRUs said:
I'll be sick of it by the time I'm finished

Don't you hate that? I've killed entire CDs doing that. And I still do it even when I know I'll end up killing it... Oh well. Sacrifices to the Muse, eh?

Mr Flibble · Jan 18, 2010

Well I did it with Nothing Else Matters and Orgasmatron for my first book ( along with Wicked Game by Chris Issacs and a couple of other tracks). After a rest, I can listen to them again. Just not so often

knight_tour · Jan 19, 2010

I don't generally like to listen to music while I write, but I will sometimes when I edit. My favorites for this are actually quite different from my standard taste in music (very hard rock).

The Blade Runner soundtrack is amazingly beautiful and relaxing, though I had to get a copy of Main Titles and Prologue from elsewhere as it wasn't on the CD.

I also love my version of Enya's 'The Council of Elrond', where I have it fade out just after the last vocal. I can put that on repeat and just let it go over and over again while I work.

Wavy_Blue · Feb 20, 2010

The Coraline soundtrack is great, also. Anytime I need to really get my mind focused on writing I'll turn on that soundtrack and I have an easier time paying attention to what I'm doing.

The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Playlist Thread

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