At the beginning of the 1930s, a US army general founded Muzak, a company that plays music in elevators to calm passengers, but mainly in factories to increase worker productivity. Muzak, a blend of “music” and “Kodak” for the click it aims to trigger in the listener’s mind, has escaped elevators to invade retail spaces, consumption areas, and our lives, including our phones. What are the origins of this music, in what context has it developed, and what are its political implications? David Unger, director of the documentary “Une histoire de la musique d’ascenseur,” reflects on the origin and purpose of this ambient music.
“The Muzak is designed not to be listened to. There is a typical climax of our modernity. In order not to be listened to, it had to be as light as possible, but at the same time, recognizable. Muzak consists mainly of covers, standards, well-known songs, and melodies, evoking memories and nostalgia. It also evokes something pleasant in the minds of workers or consumers. What was extraordinary at the time was that this music was not composed, but arranged by arrangers who sought to make the music as homogeneous, soft, and linear as possible. There were no rhythm breaks or great bursts of instruments. It was thought out and recorded in this way. Studio musicians came to record this Muzak, working on sheet music with a conductor, giving their best as musicians to ensure that this music was as soothing as possible. It’s funny that music designed not to be listened to was still arranged and actually recorded.”
The documentary “Une histoire de la musique d’ascenseur,” from Muzak to streaming, will be available on arte.tv starting March 11, 2026.
Briefs of the day
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Justice favors freedom of expression: In a ruling on January 14, 2026, the Court of Cassation overturned the conviction of Guadeloupean anti-racist activist Franco Lollia for vandalizing the statue of Jean-Baptiste Colbert in front of the National Assembly in Paris in 2020. The court believes he acted in the name of, I quote, “general interest debate.” The activist of the Brigade anti-negrophobia had tagged “Negrophobia of the State” in red on the pedestal and poured red paint on the statue of the minister of Louis XIV, responsible for the Black Code that governed slavery in the French colonies from 1685. The case will be retried and could end with the acquittal of the activist.
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Musée d’Orsay hosts “Luncheon of the Boating Party”: Rarely exhibited in France, the masterpiece created between 1880 and 1881 by painter Auguste Renoir has been loaned by an American collector for a double exhibition dedicated to the master of Impressionism starting on March 17. This large format painting of 130 cm by 175 cm depicts a summer lunch at the Maison Fournaise in Chatou, on the banks of the Seine, a favorite location of Auguste Renoir.
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National Reading Quarter Hour on Tuesday, March 10: The initiative by the National Book Center invites everyone to take 15 minutes to read. Launched in 2018, the initiative encourages reading for all, everywhere, and at all times by offering over 800 events around reading in bookstores, companies, associations, nursing homes, and more. This fifth edition is sponsored by nine ambassadors, including authors Leïla Slimani, Aurélie Valognes, and Agnès Ledig, as well as comic book illustrator Julien Neel.
