Blog1 min read
On the songs that work in any room
A small handful of tracks fit almost everywhere. They reveal what makes a song room-shaped in general.
Most tracks belong to one room. Maybe two. A small handful belong to almost any room I can think of, including some I haven't built. These tracks are interesting because they reveal something about what makes a song room-shaped in general, separate from what makes a song right for sleep, or focus, or any of the five.
What they share, on inspection: slow tempos, no vocals or vocals so washed they read as texture, mid-energy steadiness, a dynamic range that doesn't reach for the ceiling. The tracks that work in any room aren't the most interesting tracks in any specific room. They're the ones that fit everywhere because they ask the least of any specific context.
This is useful for a curator but it's also a small warning. A playlist filled with these tracks would sound competent and have no particular character — the most-fit-everywhere music tends to also be the most forgettable. Each room here uses some of these tracks as connective tissue, but the spine of each room is made of music that fits that room specifically.
Worth saying for completeness: the same artist often makes both kinds. The track that fits everywhere is sometimes a B-side from an artist whose A-sides only fit one room. Both deserve to be on a playlist. They do different jobs.