On a Good Playlist for Writing

for You (Hopefully)

I usually write to music.

If I’m on a bus or train, this is to blur uninteresting conversations. Interesting conversations I will, of course, listen to.

If I’m on holiday, or staying weekly in different hotels, I find that writing to the same playlist helps bring me consistently back to the page. For a novel, this is important.

It might be useful to put on some minimal techno in order to write a chase sequence, or a John Carpenter soundtrack or Ligeti’s ‘Atmosphères’ to write dread, but most of the time an evenness of approach is useful.

Fight-or-flight is not good for consistency of prose.

The same songs, again and again.

But if I’m home, at my desk, I often listen to new music, in hopes of finding something sympathetic to whatever I’m drafting.

Recently, I’ve discovered Sofie Birch’s VF Live mixes. Her album Behind Her Name Chestnuts Fall Forever has also been there or thereabouts. In the past, I’ve listened to - or glided over - Ravi Shankar’s ‘Morning Raga’, Steve Reich’s ‘Drumming’ and a lot of Hildegard von Bingen.

What I like best is no musical jumpscares, no comprehensible words, a slow change of mood and a sense of submergence.

As a thank you to you for reading the Diary, I’ve put together this Spotify playlist of a few of the most useful, work-friendly pieces I’ve found.

Some, like John Luther Adams’ ‘Become Ocean’ or Vladislav Delay’s ‘Anima’ are good because they’re a decent chunk of time; others hopefully change background mood but don’t obstruct.

I’m always listening out for suggestions, so please do share your favourites.