So, I updated my profile (fka 'brouwpieter') and listened to the great episodes about the story by Jeff Vandermeer. Unfortunately I don't have time anymore to listen to the episodes and read along as frequently as in the past, because I now have a paid (or as some call it 'real') job, being a mail deliverer, next to the more intense writing on my novel, but that's okay I guess.
I really really enjoyed reading 'City of Saints & Madmen', my first Vandermeer, where postmodern writing meets the eerie and the weird (and some humor as well). This book, and also the episode about the writing of Vandermeer, the meaning of the Künstlerroman as a format, but especially about the world building (and 'new-weirdism') really helped me out of the stagnation of my own writing: proofreaders thought my world building was faulty and should be more clear. I tried to improve it by setting it in my own realistic world complete with Dutch history, but that didn't work because it couldn't capture the atmosphere I was trying to reach (something like the atmosphere in Ligotti, Kiernan or Miéville - or even like Edvard Munch (not only the Scream, but other great stuff like The Sick Child) or Dave McKean, who were rightly mentioned in the show). Reading Vandermeer helped me on track again, as I now totally rewrite my novel into a slightly different and more magic realist world with an alternative (socio-economic, political and cultural) history and geography. So I'm really glad I've read the book and listened to the show - thanks!!
As for the music: I listened to a whole aray (or should I say collage) of music while reading the story and the rest of the book, from drone to Satie, from film and game music to ambient and jazz.