Noise

I flew to Chicago with a copy of the Times. Inside was an article on how incessant noise is invading our lives – in shops, bars, cafes and homes. Apparently, urban life in the UK is now twice as loud as it was 20 years ago. Julian Treasure, an 'acoustician’ was interviewed at length and talked about there being both good and bad noise in the retail environment, highlighting how sound – not noise – can be used beneficially if used intelligently. How the sound of breaking waves can be used to create calm amid the turmoil for example; or how playing French music will lead to an increase in the purchase of French wines. Nothing we wouldn’t expect.

In-store radio is as much a misnomer as captive audience networks. In certain outlets it can work in a traditional form, for example, before music stores finally disappear there is now doubt that pumping up the volume has a role. But more often than not, there is no sense trying to replicate the nightclub or radio in-store. And more often than not, that’s what you get. Stuff that’s irrelevant for the environment and hence becomes intrusive.

I experienced an example of this in a bar last night. This was in a Hyatt Hotel near Chicago. A rather pleasantly decorated bar but I was subjected to a multitude of different sound feeds: from adjacent conversation of course; from the 80s soundtrack that was being piped-in, and from three different TV screens. The bar staff favoured some cop show and had that turned up; a game was playing on another, whilst the final screen was broadcasting a drama.

It was all too much and rather than keeping me there it drove me out.