What Do Engineers at Arcanys Listen to While Coding?

It can be quite difficult at times to ignore distractions, get to work, and stay the course long enough to be able to tick off tasks on your to-do list. Thankfully, we have coffee breaks, and of course, that good old Spotify playlist!

For many of us here at Arcanys, music is one of our greatest allies to create a positive environment that encourages productive work (you simply have to watch our Try Not to Sing video series to understand what I mean). Some like it loud. Others need some steady beats. Still, others prefer mellow tunes to stay focused. A few years ago, we asked the whole team to share the songs they love to play at various moments of their workday. And we came up with 6 awesome playlists then.

Now that many of us are working from home, we've decided to update some of our playlists and compiled yet another one to share to fellow music lovers out there. You're welcome... and of course, enjoy!

Now press play, if you dare.

Morning Vibes

Drag yourself from REM sleep, shake off that bedhead, and nod along to these upbeat, pop-esque, and sometimes downright jazzy tunes to start your day. This playlist will get your blood pumping, help summon that mojo, and get you ready for that morning frenzy! A perfect combo with that steaming cup of joe and just lively enough to help shake that morning fog, don't you think?

Deep Focus

Resonant with mellow acoustics, some bluesy tunes, beautiful ballads and instrumentals, and even a spot or two of cool house music, this collection is great for stimulating those synapses for complex coding "Eureka" moments. A bit of caution, it will sneakily compel you to sway, sing, and bob along with its melodious chords and lyrics. A dash of karaoke and slow dancing, anyone?

Hard Style

A fierce playlist for hardcore rock fans, this collection will take you on a rollercoaster ride through most, if not all, of the sub-genres of modern rock music. From alternative and heavy metal to super-hyped punk rock to some downright poignant emo tunes, these "guitar riff and percussion saturated" tunes will undoubtedly keep you wide awake… and help you boldly fix all those bugs and deliver those updates.

While in a Rush

This spirited mishmash of ska, punk rock, and alternative rock is the perfect soundtrack for those busy schedules and tight project deadlines. And much like the pink Energizer bunny, this collection will urge your fingers to write code and keep them going and going and going...

Pinoy Touch

A collection for the "true blue" Pinoys among us, it's full of OPM (Original Pinoy Music) favorites that will make you passionately belt out with local rock stars, happily sing along to local love songs, or break some dance moves to new hits. This will certainly lend your testing or bug fixing sessions a touch of that famous Pinoy pride!

Late Coding

A fusion of old and new hits, as well as a dash of some ballads, boy band pop, and dance music, it may very well be the most diverse playlist in the bunch. It certainly seems like it has a bit of everything for everyone. The perfect tunes for bona fide night owls during those late-night coding sessions, don't you think?

Arcanytes 2020-2021 Faves

This may not be as diverse as "Late Coding" or as patriotic as "Pinoy Touch". Still, it's certainly an equally eclectic collection and a perfect reflection of Arcanytes—a bunch of tech experts and creatives from different cultures and backgrounds. Quite an interesting list, it ranges from alternative indies to classic jazz & pop tunes and mellow acoustics you can sing along to, with a smattering of jazzy Jpop and danceable Kpop hits that you can't help but move your shoulders and hips for. It even has a few choice RnB beats, pop hip hop, and lo-fi house tunes for those who might be missing the energetic live music scene of Cebu City. Music really is therapy for the soul, eh?

Now, how about you? What type of music do you like to listen to while working? And what were your fave tunes from 2020 up to today?

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