I was on hold with a big tech company. First song was “La Vie En Rose,” all lush strings but not too overtly lush, like Mantovani or 1001 Strings (anyway, I would’ve recognized them), but just vaguely pleasant. Next up was something familiar but which I couldn’t pin down, almost as if the composer/arranger had based it on a song he couldn’t get the rights for. It also was lush but not too lush. Third song was “Islands in the Stream,” with an arrangement that caused it to go in one ear and out the other. Or would have, were I not a fan of Ambient Music. With that I was sure this was MUZAK, and apparently their Easy Instrumentals program. I thought they had given up selling that in the US because it’s only still popular in Japan. But like I said, this was a big tech company so I shouldn’t be surprised they went with the most ironic choice.
I realize my tastes are often on the wrong side of history here, but I just love ambient music, from Satie’s musique d’ameublement to elevator music to space music. It keeps part of my brain occupied so it doesn’t listen to the voices in my head.
What is your thinking of music you are supposed to ignore?