Decoder Ring That Seattle Muzak Sound
Jun 29, 2021
Benjamin Frisch, a producer and writer with a knack for storytelling, dives into the intriguing world of Muzak, the infamous elevator music creators. He explores Muzak's origins from wartime innovations to its role as an industrial background sound. The discussion reveals how changing musical trends in the 60s reshaped public perception, turning Muzak into a cultural punchline. Frisch also uncovers the surprising connections between Muzak and Seattle's grunge scene, illustrating how artists navigated this once-dominant musical institution.
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Muzak As Industrial Music Service
- Muzak was a company that industrialized background music and treated it as a commercial service.
- It deliberately used instrumental, sanded-down arrangements to keep music in the background and influence moods.
Stimulus Progression Shapes Worker Moods
- Muzak developed 'Stimulus Progression': 15-minute blocks that ramp tempo and instrumentation to shape worker moods.
- They marketed it as a quasi-scientific productivity tool to keep workers on task.
Cultural Shift Undermines Muzak
- The 1960s recast popular music as artist-driven expression, undermining Muzak's anonymous instrumental covers.
- Muzak's adaptations began to clash with new expectations that originals mattered for authenticity.
