25 ms·

How Did Elevators Lose Their Music?

118 points by Ariarule 4y ago

14 4y ago
Sounds like this would be a fun project to implement with a Raspberry Pi and cheap speaker and a sensor to detect someone in the elevator and just stick it to the roof in a little enclosure and play some music. Would be more fun if you added a camera and got footage of people’s reaction to music suddenly in the elevator.
- jackvalentine 4y ago
  Don’t want to be a downer, but installing surveillance devices elevators you don’t own is a pretty good way to have an uncomfortable conversation with the police.
  - amelius 4y ago
    In theory, yes.
- tzs 4y ago
  It's been done, except with live music instead of a cheap speaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCgRc0qveIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCgRc0qveIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXtC6LaDal0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXtC6LaDal0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoa9NCkt90k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoa9NCkt90k
kaashif 4y ago
> Britain seems especially resistant to elevator music—again, based on a small sample size of responses to my queries. Some claim never to have heard music in an elevator in the UK, and I can’t say that surprises me. Seems accurate. I'm from the UK and I've never heard elevator music anywhere in my entire life. For the longest time, I thought it was actually just a thing in American movies.
- seba_dos1 4y ago
  Same in Poland. Took me a while to realize that "elevator music" isn't an abstract name of a genre but is actually related to elevators.
cube00 4y ago
But the gas station owners are less interested in providing music, and far more excited about the prospect of force-feeding me advertisements. Elevator owners are already there, the ones I use all have advertising screens in them just like the gas pumps.
- function_seven 4y ago
  These have been a thing for years and years now in Las Vegas. A little screen shouting ads at you for shows, restaurants, etc. Somehow it didn't bother me then, because everything in that godforsaken city is loud and obnoxious. So it just kinda fit in. But if elevators at typical office buildings or apartment complexes start doing this? We're doomed.
  - cube00 4y ago
    Office buildings near me have them, they try to make them appear as "infotainment" to quote Otis in the article. A news headline and then ads for everything from food to cars to podcasts. Another headline, more ads.
    - function_seven 4y ago
      Oh my god I forgot about that. Yeah, the high-rise my old company was in had those as well. A cheery, "Here's what's happening in the world" with some quick headlines, then an ad for Jimmy Fallon or something. We were on the 45th floor, so there was plenty of captive time.
      - hammock 4y ago
        > We were on the 45th floor, so there was plenty of captive time. The biggest company that puts the TVs in elevators is literally called “Captivate.”
    - euroderf 4y ago
      Helsinki city transit does that, and there's zero attempt at sync. So an interesting headline pops up, and then maybe about 500ms in it cuts to a wildly animated ad for some crap or another. So it's not just irritating, it is aggressively obnoxious. You wanted to read this story ? HAH HAH, sucker!
havblue 4y ago
I suspect the current silent elevators will be mostly replaced by lobby advertisements that are already in a decent number of elevators.
noSyncCloud 4y ago
Can you imagine a world where every elevator you boarded started playing anodyne muzak? That world is coming.
silisili 4y ago
I'm nearly 40 and don't remember elevators in my area of the US ever having music. Oddly enough, I knew what it was - my parents told me the music playing at department stores was elevator music. So guessing it faded out somewhere between our two generations?
- jmclnx 4y ago
  I do nor even remember the last time I heard music in an elevator, But I think it started disappearing in the late 70s to the early 80s.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
The bit about using face recognition to customize the music is cool until you think about how it would be cloud based, your face would be associated with an advertising ID, and your day-to-day comings and goings in the physical world would be tracked. But hey, it starts playing the Gorillaz when you get on so totally worth it right?
- ekianjo 4y ago
  Your day to day comings and goings in the physical world are already tracked.
  - akomtu 4y ago
    The final battle in the lord of the rings: "My brave warriors! We have already lost. Freedom is not worth fighting for. Orcs outnumber us, and they are so cruel! If we surrender to Sauron, he might choose to burn us quickly. Let's give up our swords, bend to the enemy and show them how spineless we are!"
    - ekianjo 4y ago
      So you interpret my comment which is a purely factual one as willingness to giving up on Privacy? OK.
      - nonrandomstring 4y ago
        "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" [1] Not to pick on you for any reason, but I interpret it that way too. And FWIW I thought akomtu's comment was quite funny. Saying that a state of affairs already exists is no kind of moral or rational argument against the wrongs of bad circumstances. In it's most charitable interpretation it's just empty "whataboutism". A less charitable take is that it's tacit support for a situation by propagating morale-sapping defeatism. I'm glad that more people are starting to call out "Privacy is dead just give up" naysayers. Now, I'm not saying you are one or that is your intent, but please be mindful that statements that seem to normalise bad circumstances in an offhand way can can't help but be interpreted at lending assent. As Howard Zinn put it [1]: "The power of a bold idea uttered publicly in defiance of dominant opinion cannot be easily measured. Those special people who speak out in such a way as to shake up not only the self-assurance of their enemies, but the complacency of their friends, are precious catalysts for change." The same goes for bad ideas as for bold ones. So instead of simply amplifying what is in a rotten world, why not go one step further and say what should be if you wish to say anything at all. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn:_You_Can%27t_Be_Neutral_on_a_Moving_Train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn:_You_Can%27t_Be_Ne...
xhevahir 4y ago
I read a book titled Elevator Music by Joseph Lanza and am sad to say that I don't remember much about it other than that slaughterhouses played elevator music for the cattle to calm them before the slaughter, and an anecdote about an orchestra conductor who yelled at a hotel manager words to the effect of, "I'm trying to make my musicians more sensitive to music, not less!" Edit: I forgot that the book also mentions a German category, Gebrauchsmusik, or utility music: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrauchsmusik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrauchsmusik
quickthrower2 4y ago
I was on holiday recently with a resort that had elevator (aka lift) music and I just found it annoying. It played the same tune everytime.
dunham 4y ago
The elevators at Legoland Hotel play typical boring elevator music when then doors are open and switch to something upbeat, like disco when the doors close.
- InCityDreams 4y ago
  Isn't that a 'does the refrigerator light go out when i close the door' thing? But i guess you mean when the doors are closed and there are people in the elevator. ....how to know, how to know...
mherdeg 4y ago
Most of the elevator music I remember is designed to be memorable. Riding the elevator in the LAX Theme Building, up to the dearly missed Encounter rotating restaurant, it sounded like you were going on a space trip to visit a 1960s starship. (Looked this up just now and I guess it was more of a Jetsons vibe? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9tdeLHFRI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9tdeLHFRI )
TrueSlacker0 4y ago
My guess would be music licencing is why it's gone. Too risky. It's one of the only places I've ever had to deal with, where if you play ANY music the big 3 consider it stolen (1 rift is enough according to them) and your legally guilty (USA), with no one ever winning a case against them. It's just pay to play, even with originals.
- cortesoft 4y ago
  I don't think so, because elevators played licensed music... in fact, the term Muzak is actually a brand name, and they produced music for use in elevators and businesses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak
  - heelix 4y ago
    Years back, finally realized the elevator in our office was doing a Muzak cover of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Hit me as funny once my brain connected the tune to the originating source.
    - fuzzfactor 4y ago
      Decades ago I knew a piano player who got the gig at a nice atrium hotel piano bar. It was called Beethoven's and you had to be good, even though you were going to be playing instrumentals somewhat in the background. He didn't read music or play classical but he could play anything he heard, was wickedly good at faking it and amazed them at stealthily playing pop tunes in classical style. He would play from 4 to 8, five days a week. They had a beautifully-tuned well-polished Steinway featured in a corner area of the bar that was overlooking the open-air dining room below. The piano was on a little riser and the back walls were smoothly mirrorized other than a small stainless audio jackplate right near the piano stool. Every day he would come in wearing his tuxedo, sit down at the instrument, unplug the piped hotel Muzak from the jackplate, and plug himself into it instead. He could be kind of bold when taking requests from the bar patrons, but down in the dining area it was always a nice background effect. And of course when you used the elevators or the bathrooms, he was live for your listening pleasure. All beautiful, all music, all the time.
spike021 4y ago
I wouldn't mind if elevator music was specially-made similarly to how Japanese train stations have (mostly) their own special chimes. Obviously not every single elevator should have its own chime, but maybe regional or some other distinguishing factor could play a role.
- wizofaus 4y ago
  I think I'd go mad if I had to listen to the sort of music played at Japanese train stations on a regular basis. Which is odd because a lot of Japanese TV dramas have excellent background music, so there's no shortage of talent or capacity to produce it. OTOH what's with the sound effects on Japanese comedy shows (there's only about 2 or 3 such effects, clearly designed to induce auditory nerve damage, and they're used unsparingly in almost every such show).
- inglor_cz 4y ago
  Some Czech railway stations have short chimes inspired by local folk songs.
BoredPuffin 4y ago
The question is not How, but Why. In the world of non-stop info/commerical bombardment, maybe it's great to have a few seconds of silence? Also don't forget the entire idea could be a diminishing return - the better the technology, the shorter the time. If Otis intentionally lengthening trip time so that they can feed more entertainment until a state-level regulation comes in place, I would start to suspect they've hired Zuckerberg. I guess I don't need to mention the privacy concerns and consumer rights, considering this is HN. p.s. the author never heard music in Britain's elevator because elevator = conveyor belt, the little box thing that carry people up and down a building? It's called a "lift" (sorry I'll see myself out...)
- euroderf 4y ago
  Sorry but "a few seconds of silence" is the enemy. Likewise for air travel nowadays, as wi-fi colonizes that space. A moment to meditate ? There's gotta be a way to monetize it. "Silence(TM) - Ask for it by name! Not available in stores."
infofarmer 4y ago
In Mainland China a multitude of tech and ad companies are working to ensure that every elevator in the country has a screen and audio for a never-ending loop of commercials. Depending on the city, the coverage of premium office and residential buildings is around 100%. For older elevators that would not allow much modification, the hardware was a DLP projector mounted under the ceiling with a top portion of the doors covered in a reflective matte sticky film. All the new elevators come with some sort of flat screen pre-installed. Hardware is cheap, regulations are lax, it's a decent source of extra revenue for the property management companies.
- walrus01 4y ago
  Elevators with a flat panel screen with ads in them were already commonplace in many downtown Vancouver BC office buildings 16-17 years ago.
  - Sakos 4y ago
    I've never seen one in mainland Europe. But then again we don't have all that many highrises with regular foot traffic. It's almost exclusively office buildings.
    - inglor_cz 4y ago
      I recently saw such an elevator in a hotel in Valladolid, Spain. It was just a 6 story building. Hotels have a rather hard time behind them, plus competition with AirBNB, no wonder that they are looking for every income opportunity.
    - badwolf 4y ago
      From my last trip, my hotel in Budapest didn't have a screen, but almost every square inch of the interior of the elevator was plastered with paper adverts. My hotel in Luxembourg (8 floors total) had 2 screens on either side of the doors to select your floor from. There were static ads in place of floor numbers, to make the floor selection look longer. After the elevator starts moving, the floor selector collapsed to a condensed view with video ads playing on both screens and over the speakers.
latchkey 4y ago
One of my favorite elevators is The Standard Highline in NYC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOrgZN2CtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOrgZN2CtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tyn02-auMU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tyn02-auMU http://art-nerd.com/newyork/brambilla/ http://art-nerd.com/newyork/brambilla/
pjerem 4y ago
> According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard, and “the lighting, music or infotainment in the elevator cab will be tuned exactly to your preferences.” Oh no please … not this crap again…
- irrational 4y ago
  Well, thankfully about the only time I ever use an elevator is when I am traveling and stay at a hotel. So... about once every 2 years.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - 411111111111111 4y ago
    > about once every 2 years. I sincerely doubt it's only once, but your point stands i guess.
- nicbou 4y ago
  How about just taking me to my floor in silence? I have my own music. Let me choose the experience.
  - TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
    Silence is not an option. Silence must be silenced.
  - inglor_cz 4y ago
    Knowing people and their preferences, the staircase will be empty, silent and slightly dusty.
    - badwolf 4y ago
      Unfortunately, stairwells are often "emergency use only"
pwython 4y ago
As someone born in '83 in the US, I can't ever recall a time I've heard actual "elevator music" in an elevator. However, nowadays you might hear a jam like "Sweet Home Alabama" in a Casino/Hotel elevator. Going up to your room? No no, Lynyrd Skynyrd wants you to keep the party going at the slots!
mortenjorck 4y ago
When I lived in a 50+ story high-rise, I always liked to imagine subtle MIDI versions of Creed's "Higher" playing on the way up and Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" playing on the way down. Especially on the way to and from the laundry room ~40 floors away from my apartment.
kodah 4y ago
> I’ve consulted the websites of various elevator manufacturers, and am pleased to learn that they are planning next generation music for our high-rise journeys. According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard, and “the lighting, music or infotainment in the elevator cab will be tuned exactly to your preferences.” Time to start lobbying making privacy masks for the public. For now, my COVID mask will do.
- SllX 4y ago
  > Time to start lobbying making privacy masks for the public. It’s called a Guy Fawkes mask.
  - Vecr 4y ago
    Preferably a home made one, right? If you get the one from the film they either need to pay for the rights or it's an unlicensed knockoff. Not sure either is that great.
    - SllX 4y ago
      How you source your privacy protecting Guy Fawkes masks is between you, your God, a hacker named 4chan and the NSA who is probably listening in. I on the other hand don’t particularly care.
    - stop50 4y ago
      They existed before the film. There are no royalitie, especially since the owner died a long time ago. Anyone who wants royalities is ripping you off.
KingOfCoders 4y ago
I will never forget the calming elevator music from System Shock.
shever73 4y ago
> According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard I am unavoidably reminded of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation’s Happy Vertical People Transporters.
- taneq 4y ago
  Is that how you like it, Mr. Beeblebrox?!!!!
moomoo11 4y ago
Why not read my mood instead and use the best ambient lighting so I feel better? Something that could work for anyone and isn’t all that bad or intrusive. Why can’t we have nice tech lol
zw123456 4y ago
I recall one time, some years ago, I cannot remember exactly but I remember going to a meeting in a high rise with some co-workers and others, we get on the elevator together and there is a Muzak version of Devo playing, I could not help cracking up. People asked me what was so funny, I commented the Muzak was a cover of Devo. No one knew what I was talking about.
- boondaburrah 4y ago
  I feel just like people become unable to see any image on a website that happens to be exactly the dimensions of a banner advert, if they hear muzak every day, they probably don't even notice /anything/ is playing if it's using the same midi instruments/sound profile. It's just adblocked noise.
- masterofmisc 4y ago
  Devo? Never heard of them but thanks. Youve just introduced me and love it. https://youtu.be/3tWQewxXHy0?t=266 https://youtu.be/3tWQewxXHy0?t=266
- happycube 4y ago
  It might have been intentional - Devo made their own Muzak-y versions (E-Z Listening Disk)
sammalloy 4y ago
Tangential trivia that this reminded me about: there was a trend in Hollywood cinema for a while with scenes that would use background music playing in offices or elevators to heighten the drama before a fight or conflict. I think it started with films in the 1960s or 1970s.
- sooheon 4y ago
  One of my favorite plays on that trope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nwaifplKCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nwaifplKCI
- jaclaz 4y ago
  On the opposite, a little later (1980) The Blues Brothers elevator scene (with The girl from Ipanema as music) is a wonderful way to introduce a pause after the action of the car chase. https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Elevator_From_Ipanema https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Elevator_From_Ipanema
bambax 4y ago
> How Did Elevators Lose Their Music? The question is asked, but not answered. Regarding the music itself, we get one mention of Brian Eno in the penultimate paragraph, as a side, and none of Erik Satie (who invented the genre in 1917 [0]). This is a kind of content-free article. Literature for elevators maybe. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniture_music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniture_music
- whoopdedo 4y ago
  If I were to take a broad swing at the reason I'd say the music covers the noise of the elevator. As they got quieter the music was made redundant.
  - scoopertrooper 4y ago
    Quite possibly the reason. Though, I think retail, in general, has become quieter, outside of supermarkets (for some reason). In some ways, it feels like as visual aesthetics went minimalist, so did the soundscape. I'd personally like to hear an even quieter soundscape. It's so annoying to be sitting in a bar or hotel with sound blasting at you. It's like they expect people fear being alone with their thoughts or to be unable to make conversation when together, so they feel the need to fill the void.
- jmeister 4y ago
  Gioia is writing for an audience that already knows about the Eno/Satie genealogy. This article is the trend: “lose”
benj111 4y ago
>I will leave it to others to analyze what aspect of the British national character leads to this hostility to background songs. Something, something, uncomfortable social awkwardness, being trapped in a confined space, and the music just highlighting the social awkwardness and lack of escape. Plus how can you talk about the weather, if the music is drowning it out?
skc 4y ago
It's quite interesting that the term "elevator music" is still commonly used to negatively describe otherwise newly released music that one finds boring. I wonder if younger people who have never experienced elevator music ever wonder where the term came from or is it descriptive enough that they're able to put two and two together.
- m1gu3l 4y ago
  Mallsoft and lighter forms of vaporwave have stepped in as replacements.
Jenz 4y ago
Obligatory mention of music intended for the elevators of the french ministry of culture [1]. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_a_French_Elevator_and_Other_Short_Format_Oddities_by_the_Books https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_a_French_Elevator_...
t_mann 4y ago
Let's cherish the time until building operators realize that elevators are a good place to play ads.
- maguay 4y ago
  Already started; saw one with advertisement screens in a condo building recently in Bangkok. I would find that deeply annoying if I were a resident and paying the building maintenance fees and still had to watch ads every day.
- saurik 4y ago
  I miss not having ads while pumping gas :(.
  - mcculley 4y ago
    Nothing makes me want an electric car more than this trend.
nix23 4y ago
What is Muzak? (Elevator Music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mYs1SGBq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mYs1SGBq4
notjulianjaynes 4y ago
Elevator music with targeted ads is exactly the concept of James Ferraro's album Far Side Virtual. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ndKlm-G3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ndKlm-G3s

118 points by Ariarule 4y ago

14 4y ago

Sounds like this would be a fun project to implement with a Raspberry Pi and cheap speaker and a sensor to detect someone in the elevator and just stick it to the roof in a little enclosure and play some music. Would be more fun if you added a camera and got footage of people’s reaction to music suddenly in the elevator.

jackvalentine 4y ago
Don’t want to be a downer, but installing surveillance devices elevators you don’t own is a pretty good way to have an uncomfortable conversation with the police.
- amelius 4y ago
  In theory, yes.
tzs 4y ago
It's been done, except with live music instead of a cheap speaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCgRc0qveIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCgRc0qveIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXtC6LaDal0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXtC6LaDal0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoa9NCkt90k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoa9NCkt90k

kaashif 4y ago

> Britain seems especially resistant to elevator music—again, based on a small sample size of responses to my queries. Some claim never to have heard music in an elevator in the UK, and I can’t say that surprises me. Seems accurate. I'm from the UK and I've never heard elevator music anywhere in my entire life. For the longest time, I thought it was actually just a thing in American movies.

seba_dos1 4y ago
Same in Poland. Took me a while to realize that "elevator music" isn't an abstract name of a genre but is actually related to elevators.

cube00 4y ago

But the gas station owners are less interested in providing music, and far more excited about the prospect of force-feeding me advertisements. Elevator owners are already there, the ones I use all have advertising screens in them just like the gas pumps.

function_seven 4y ago
These have been a thing for years and years now in Las Vegas. A little screen shouting ads at you for shows, restaurants, etc. Somehow it didn't bother me then, because everything in that godforsaken city is loud and obnoxious. So it just kinda fit in. But if elevators at typical office buildings or apartment complexes start doing this? We're doomed.
- cube00 4y ago
  Office buildings near me have them, they try to make them appear as "infotainment" to quote Otis in the article. A news headline and then ads for everything from food to cars to podcasts. Another headline, more ads.
  - function_seven 4y ago
    Oh my god I forgot about that. Yeah, the high-rise my old company was in had those as well. A cheery, "Here's what's happening in the world" with some quick headlines, then an ad for Jimmy Fallon or something. We were on the 45th floor, so there was plenty of captive time.
    - hammock 4y ago
      > We were on the 45th floor, so there was plenty of captive time. The biggest company that puts the TVs in elevators is literally called “Captivate.”
  - euroderf 4y ago
    Helsinki city transit does that, and there's zero attempt at sync. So an interesting headline pops up, and then maybe about 500ms in it cuts to a wildly animated ad for some crap or another. So it's not just irritating, it is aggressively obnoxious. You wanted to read this story ? HAH HAH, sucker!

havblue 4y ago

I suspect the current silent elevators will be mostly replaced by lobby advertisements that are already in a decent number of elevators.

noSyncCloud 4y ago

Can you imagine a world where every elevator you boarded started playing anodyne muzak? That world is coming.

silisili 4y ago

I'm nearly 40 and don't remember elevators in my area of the US ever having music. Oddly enough, I knew what it was - my parents told me the music playing at department stores was elevator music. So guessing it faded out somewhere between our two generations?

jmclnx 4y ago
I do nor even remember the last time I heard music in an elevator, But I think it started disappearing in the late 70s to the early 80s.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

MonkeyMalarky 4y ago

The bit about using face recognition to customize the music is cool until you think about how it would be cloud based, your face would be associated with an advertising ID, and your day-to-day comings and goings in the physical world would be tracked. But hey, it starts playing the Gorillaz when you get on so totally worth it right?

ekianjo 4y ago
Your day to day comings and goings in the physical world are already tracked.
- akomtu 4y ago
  The final battle in the lord of the rings: "My brave warriors! We have already lost. Freedom is not worth fighting for. Orcs outnumber us, and they are so cruel! If we surrender to Sauron, he might choose to burn us quickly. Let's give up our swords, bend to the enemy and show them how spineless we are!"
  - ekianjo 4y ago
    So you interpret my comment which is a purely factual one as willingness to giving up on Privacy? OK.
    - nonrandomstring 4y ago
      "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" [1] Not to pick on you for any reason, but I interpret it that way too. And FWIW I thought akomtu's comment was quite funny. Saying that a state of affairs already exists is no kind of moral or rational argument against the wrongs of bad circumstances. In it's most charitable interpretation it's just empty "whataboutism". A less charitable take is that it's tacit support for a situation by propagating morale-sapping defeatism. I'm glad that more people are starting to call out "Privacy is dead just give up" naysayers. Now, I'm not saying you are one or that is your intent, but please be mindful that statements that seem to normalise bad circumstances in an offhand way can can't help but be interpreted at lending assent. As Howard Zinn put it [1]: "The power of a bold idea uttered publicly in defiance of dominant opinion cannot be easily measured. Those special people who speak out in such a way as to shake up not only the self-assurance of their enemies, but the complacency of their friends, are precious catalysts for change." The same goes for bad ideas as for bold ones. So instead of simply amplifying what is in a rotten world, why not go one step further and say what should be if you wish to say anything at all. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn:_You_Can%27t_Be_Neutral_on_a_Moving_Train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Zinn:_You_Can%27t_Be_Ne...

xhevahir 4y ago

I read a book titled Elevator Music by Joseph Lanza and am sad to say that I don't remember much about it other than that slaughterhouses played elevator music for the cattle to calm them before the slaughter, and an anecdote about an orchestra conductor who yelled at a hotel manager words to the effect of, "I'm trying to make my musicians more sensitive to music, not less!" Edit: I forgot that the book also mentions a German category, Gebrauchsmusik, or utility music: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrauchsmusik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrauchsmusik

quickthrower2 4y ago

I was on holiday recently with a resort that had elevator (aka lift) music and I just found it annoying. It played the same tune everytime.

dunham 4y ago

The elevators at Legoland Hotel play typical boring elevator music when then doors are open and switch to something upbeat, like disco when the doors close.

InCityDreams 4y ago
Isn't that a 'does the refrigerator light go out when i close the door' thing? But i guess you mean when the doors are closed and there are people in the elevator. ....how to know, how to know...

mherdeg 4y ago

Most of the elevator music I remember is designed to be memorable. Riding the elevator in the LAX Theme Building, up to the dearly missed Encounter rotating restaurant, it sounded like you were going on a space trip to visit a 1960s starship. (Looked this up just now and I guess it was more of a Jetsons vibe? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9tdeLHFRI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9tdeLHFRI )

TrueSlacker0 4y ago

My guess would be music licencing is why it's gone. Too risky. It's one of the only places I've ever had to deal with, where if you play ANY music the big 3 consider it stolen (1 rift is enough according to them) and your legally guilty (USA), with no one ever winning a case against them. It's just pay to play, even with originals.

cortesoft 4y ago
I don't think so, because elevators played licensed music... in fact, the term Muzak is actually a brand name, and they produced music for use in elevators and businesses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzak
- heelix 4y ago
  Years back, finally realized the elevator in our office was doing a Muzak cover of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Hit me as funny once my brain connected the tune to the originating source.
  - fuzzfactor 4y ago
    Decades ago I knew a piano player who got the gig at a nice atrium hotel piano bar. It was called Beethoven's and you had to be good, even though you were going to be playing instrumentals somewhat in the background. He didn't read music or play classical but he could play anything he heard, was wickedly good at faking it and amazed them at stealthily playing pop tunes in classical style. He would play from 4 to 8, five days a week. They had a beautifully-tuned well-polished Steinway featured in a corner area of the bar that was overlooking the open-air dining room below. The piano was on a little riser and the back walls were smoothly mirrorized other than a small stainless audio jackplate right near the piano stool. Every day he would come in wearing his tuxedo, sit down at the instrument, unplug the piped hotel Muzak from the jackplate, and plug himself into it instead. He could be kind of bold when taking requests from the bar patrons, but down in the dining area it was always a nice background effect. And of course when you used the elevators or the bathrooms, he was live for your listening pleasure. All beautiful, all music, all the time.

spike021 4y ago

I wouldn't mind if elevator music was specially-made similarly to how Japanese train stations have (mostly) their own special chimes. Obviously not every single elevator should have its own chime, but maybe regional or some other distinguishing factor could play a role.

wizofaus 4y ago
I think I'd go mad if I had to listen to the sort of music played at Japanese train stations on a regular basis. Which is odd because a lot of Japanese TV dramas have excellent background music, so there's no shortage of talent or capacity to produce it. OTOH what's with the sound effects on Japanese comedy shows (there's only about 2 or 3 such effects, clearly designed to induce auditory nerve damage, and they're used unsparingly in almost every such show).
inglor_cz 4y ago
Some Czech railway stations have short chimes inspired by local folk songs.

BoredPuffin 4y ago

The question is not How, but Why. In the world of non-stop info/commerical bombardment, maybe it's great to have a few seconds of silence? Also don't forget the entire idea could be a diminishing return - the better the technology, the shorter the time. If Otis intentionally lengthening trip time so that they can feed more entertainment until a state-level regulation comes in place, I would start to suspect they've hired Zuckerberg. I guess I don't need to mention the privacy concerns and consumer rights, considering this is HN. p.s. the author never heard music in Britain's elevator because elevator = conveyor belt, the little box thing that carry people up and down a building? It's called a "lift" (sorry I'll see myself out...)

euroderf 4y ago
Sorry but "a few seconds of silence" is the enemy. Likewise for air travel nowadays, as wi-fi colonizes that space. A moment to meditate ? There's gotta be a way to monetize it. "Silence(TM) - Ask for it by name! Not available in stores."

infofarmer 4y ago

In Mainland China a multitude of tech and ad companies are working to ensure that every elevator in the country has a screen and audio for a never-ending loop of commercials. Depending on the city, the coverage of premium office and residential buildings is around 100%. For older elevators that would not allow much modification, the hardware was a DLP projector mounted under the ceiling with a top portion of the doors covered in a reflective matte sticky film. All the new elevators come with some sort of flat screen pre-installed. Hardware is cheap, regulations are lax, it's a decent source of extra revenue for the property management companies.

walrus01 4y ago
Elevators with a flat panel screen with ads in them were already commonplace in many downtown Vancouver BC office buildings 16-17 years ago.
- Sakos 4y ago
  I've never seen one in mainland Europe. But then again we don't have all that many highrises with regular foot traffic. It's almost exclusively office buildings.
  - inglor_cz 4y ago
    I recently saw such an elevator in a hotel in Valladolid, Spain. It was just a 6 story building. Hotels have a rather hard time behind them, plus competition with AirBNB, no wonder that they are looking for every income opportunity.
  - badwolf 4y ago
    From my last trip, my hotel in Budapest didn't have a screen, but almost every square inch of the interior of the elevator was plastered with paper adverts. My hotel in Luxembourg (8 floors total) had 2 screens on either side of the doors to select your floor from. There were static ads in place of floor numbers, to make the floor selection look longer. After the elevator starts moving, the floor selector collapsed to a condensed view with video ads playing on both screens and over the speakers.

latchkey 4y ago

One of my favorite elevators is The Standard Highline in NYC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOrgZN2CtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYOrgZN2CtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tyn02-auMU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tyn02-auMU http://art-nerd.com/newyork/brambilla/ http://art-nerd.com/newyork/brambilla/

pjerem 4y ago

> According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard, and “the lighting, music or infotainment in the elevator cab will be tuned exactly to your preferences.” Oh no please … not this crap again…

irrational 4y ago
Well, thankfully about the only time I ever use an elevator is when I am traveling and stay at a hotel. So... about once every 2 years.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- 411111111111111 4y ago
  > about once every 2 years. I sincerely doubt it's only once, but your point stands i guess.
nicbou 4y ago
How about just taking me to my floor in silence? I have my own music. Let me choose the experience.
- TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
  Silence is not an option. Silence must be silenced.
- inglor_cz 4y ago
  Knowing people and their preferences, the staircase will be empty, silent and slightly dusty.
  - badwolf 4y ago
    Unfortunately, stairwells are often "emergency use only"

pwython 4y ago

As someone born in '83 in the US, I can't ever recall a time I've heard actual "elevator music" in an elevator. However, nowadays you might hear a jam like "Sweet Home Alabama" in a Casino/Hotel elevator. Going up to your room? No no, Lynyrd Skynyrd wants you to keep the party going at the slots!

mortenjorck 4y ago

When I lived in a 50+ story high-rise, I always liked to imagine subtle MIDI versions of Creed's "Higher" playing on the way up and Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" playing on the way down. Especially on the way to and from the laundry room ~40 floors away from my apartment.

kodah 4y ago

> I’ve consulted the websites of various elevator manufacturers, and am pleased to learn that they are planning next generation music for our high-rise journeys. According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard, and “the lighting, music or infotainment in the elevator cab will be tuned exactly to your preferences.” Time to start lobbying making privacy masks for the public. For now, my COVID mask will do.

SllX 4y ago
> Time to start lobbying making privacy masks for the public. It’s called a Guy Fawkes mask.
- Vecr 4y ago
  Preferably a home made one, right? If you get the one from the film they either need to pay for the rights or it's an unlicensed knockoff. Not sure either is that great.
  - SllX 4y ago
    How you source your privacy protecting Guy Fawkes masks is between you, your God, a hacker named 4chan and the NSA who is probably listening in. I on the other hand don’t particularly care.
  - stop50 4y ago
    They existed before the film. There are no royalitie, especially since the owner died a long time ago. Anyone who wants royalities is ripping you off.

KingOfCoders 4y ago

I will never forget the calming elevator music from System Shock.

shever73 4y ago

> According to a white paper shared by Otis Elevator, the vertical transportation of the future will be able to recognize you as soon as you step onboard I am unavoidably reminded of Sirius Cybernetics Corporation’s Happy Vertical People Transporters.

taneq 4y ago
Is that how you like it, Mr. Beeblebrox?!!!!

moomoo11 4y ago

Why not read my mood instead and use the best ambient lighting so I feel better? Something that could work for anyone and isn’t all that bad or intrusive. Why can’t we have nice tech lol

zw123456 4y ago

I recall one time, some years ago, I cannot remember exactly but I remember going to a meeting in a high rise with some co-workers and others, we get on the elevator together and there is a Muzak version of Devo playing, I could not help cracking up. People asked me what was so funny, I commented the Muzak was a cover of Devo. No one knew what I was talking about.

boondaburrah 4y ago
I feel just like people become unable to see any image on a website that happens to be exactly the dimensions of a banner advert, if they hear muzak every day, they probably don't even notice /anything/ is playing if it's using the same midi instruments/sound profile. It's just adblocked noise.
masterofmisc 4y ago
Devo? Never heard of them but thanks. Youve just introduced me and love it. https://youtu.be/3tWQewxXHy0?t=266 https://youtu.be/3tWQewxXHy0?t=266
happycube 4y ago
It might have been intentional - Devo made their own Muzak-y versions (E-Z Listening Disk)

sammalloy 4y ago

Tangential trivia that this reminded me about: there was a trend in Hollywood cinema for a while with scenes that would use background music playing in offices or elevators to heighten the drama before a fight or conflict. I think it started with films in the 1960s or 1970s.

sooheon 4y ago
One of my favorite plays on that trope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nwaifplKCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nwaifplKCI
jaclaz 4y ago
On the opposite, a little later (1980) The Blues Brothers elevator scene (with The girl from Ipanema as music) is a wonderful way to introduce a pause after the action of the car chase. https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Elevator_From_Ipanema https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Elevator_From_Ipanema

bambax 4y ago

> How Did Elevators Lose Their Music? The question is asked, but not answered. Regarding the music itself, we get one mention of Brian Eno in the penultimate paragraph, as a side, and none of Erik Satie (who invented the genre in 1917 [0]). This is a kind of content-free article. Literature for elevators maybe. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniture_music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furniture_music

whoopdedo 4y ago
If I were to take a broad swing at the reason I'd say the music covers the noise of the elevator. As they got quieter the music was made redundant.
- scoopertrooper 4y ago
  Quite possibly the reason. Though, I think retail, in general, has become quieter, outside of supermarkets (for some reason). In some ways, it feels like as visual aesthetics went minimalist, so did the soundscape. I'd personally like to hear an even quieter soundscape. It's so annoying to be sitting in a bar or hotel with sound blasting at you. It's like they expect people fear being alone with their thoughts or to be unable to make conversation when together, so they feel the need to fill the void.
jmeister 4y ago
Gioia is writing for an audience that already knows about the Eno/Satie genealogy. This article is the trend: “lose”

benj111 4y ago

>I will leave it to others to analyze what aspect of the British national character leads to this hostility to background songs. Something, something, uncomfortable social awkwardness, being trapped in a confined space, and the music just highlighting the social awkwardness and lack of escape. Plus how can you talk about the weather, if the music is drowning it out?

skc 4y ago

It's quite interesting that the term "elevator music" is still commonly used to negatively describe otherwise newly released music that one finds boring. I wonder if younger people who have never experienced elevator music ever wonder where the term came from or is it descriptive enough that they're able to put two and two together.

m1gu3l 4y ago
Mallsoft and lighter forms of vaporwave have stepped in as replacements.

Jenz 4y ago

Obligatory mention of music intended for the elevators of the french ministry of culture [1]. [1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_a_French_Elevator_and_Other_Short_Format_Oddities_by_the_Books https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_for_a_French_Elevator_...

t_mann 4y ago

Let's cherish the time until building operators realize that elevators are a good place to play ads.

maguay 4y ago
Already started; saw one with advertisement screens in a condo building recently in Bangkok. I would find that deeply annoying if I were a resident and paying the building maintenance fees and still had to watch ads every day.
saurik 4y ago
I miss not having ads while pumping gas :(.
- mcculley 4y ago
  Nothing makes me want an electric car more than this trend.

nix23 4y ago

What is Muzak? (Elevator Music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mYs1SGBq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mYs1SGBq4

notjulianjaynes 4y ago

Elevator music with targeted ads is exactly the concept of James Ferraro's album Far Side Virtual. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ndKlm-G3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ndKlm-G3s