The first thing I do in the morning: fire up Qobuz*.

Even before I check my mail, the music is on. Better fuel than coffee, and I honestly can’t work without it. Music kickstarts my day, gives me energy, and shapes the way I work.

What I play depends on what’s ahead, but I can focus surprisingly well on the loudest noise. When I design, I go for music with pace. That energy inspires me and keeps things moving. Without it, I sometimes get stuck visualising: what if I use this colour, or place that object there… and then never actually doing it, just running it in my head.

With bland background music I stall. But when Greg Puciato screams in my ears, I act right away and see instantly if it works. Much more efficient — with Dillinger in the mix.

It’s often metal, but in the end it’s not about genre. It’s about the energy that drives my work. A bit of David Carson-style grunge needs Dead Kennedys or Sleaford Mods. Something more business-like? Orange Goblin, Blood Incantation or The Black Angels. More colour? Wooden Shjips or Mastodon. And admin? That goes best with Iron Maiden. Try it — it makes the whole thing almost fun.

Curious about what I do at www.hellowow.nl, and into punk or metal yourself? On Tuesday, October 21, I’m giving a talk on branding at the Effenaar for the Metal Business Club. You can sign up here: https://metalbc.com/networks/events/158060

*Qobuz is a streaming service like Spotify, but with higher sound quality (no heavy compression) and on average up to four times higher payouts per stream.

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