I use music for fine grained mood modulation since at least 10 years now. Some progressions consistently work. I will typically start with Joy Division, Radiohe

I use music for fine grained mood modulation since at least 10 years now. Some progressions consistently work. I will typically start with Joy Division, Radiohead or equivalent post-punk classic albums, which tend to be really far out on the depressive/sadness spectrum. I will generally follow up with things like Swans, Godspeed! You Black Emperor (I also listen to a fair amount of noise). By this time, I'm usually getting focused in to something - either reading or coding. Before the ramp up, it would be virtually impossible for me to even start thinking of something. Post-rock type long noisy things work amazingly well for me to get into a certain flow state. At the end, after an hour or two, when I take a break from whatever I'm doing, I'm almost manic and hyper-restless (far away from the sad state I started from earlier), but in a good way. I really like my manic states.