As I said last year, I like to listen to music while writing. It helps me stay focused and tune out any background noise. But if I’m writing (or reading) words, I find other words distracting, so I usually listen to instrumental music (mainly electronic/ambient). I listened to a lot of older albums, and I’m always discovering new artists (and old artists new to me), but these were my favorite albums (released in 2018) to write to:

1. Jon Hopkins — Singularity
2. The Field — Infinite Moment
3. Steve Hauschildt — Dissolvi
4. Max Cooper — One Hundred Billion Sparks
5. Tim Hecker — Konoyo
6. Szun Waves — New Hymn to Freedom
7. Jake Schrock — Tropical Depression
8. Shinichi Atobe — Heat
9. Simian Mobile Disco — Murmurations
10. Ross from Friends — Family Portrait

As for “regular” music, with “words,” my tastes are varied and eclectic (and apparently “adventurous”) — basically not mainstream hits. The radio used to be the only way to discover new music, but I never listen to the radio anymore (and was never a fan of radio hits, anyway). Today, most of the new music I discover is through Spotify: either their recommendation algorithm (which is getting pretty good) or by looking at the “Fans Also Like” list under the artists I already enjoy (which has also been fairly accurate). I’ve also gotten some recommendations from the music blog Gorilla vs. Bear.

1. Beach House — 7
2. Peaking Lights — Sea of Sand
3. Computer Magic — Danz
4. Parquet Courts — Wide Awake!
5. Animal Collective — Tangerine Reef
6. Makeness — Loud Patterns
7. Fascinator — Water Signs
8. Pastel Ghost — Ethereality
9. Milo — budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies
10. Frankie Cosmos — Vessel

That was my year in music. I also created a bunch of electronic songs myself in Garageband, which has become a hobby of mine. I may share those at some point (when they’re ready).