6. Martin DennyQuiet Village The exotic sounds of Martin Denny
This ended up being an influence on TG because it was so kitsch, muzak, background music. Now it’s everywhere but back then it wasn’t, you didn’t get music played in shops or post offices, like it is now. TG were interested in how sound was used, and muzak was one of those things, they used it then in America to seduce shoppers into buying more, or McDonalds to do it quicker, to get a faster turnover of food. I remember once going into McDonalds with Nick when he was little, one of the few times I took him in as a treat, and the music was so fast and horrible nasty jazz type stuff, I went up and said ‘could you turn this off! It’s driving me nuts, I know you want us to eat fast and get out but…’ I was furious. He turned it off. I understood the concept of what he was doing and that infuriated me even more. ‘I know all about this you know!’ and there’s this guy looking at me, like I’m this middle-aged woman who’s a bit nuts. But I understand music, and the feeling it evokes. Now people are so used to it they’re shutting it out and I don’t think this is acceptable. You have to take a stance and say ‘look, I want to talk to someone, I don’t want to shout’. I try to find a corner in a coffee shop where there isn’t a bloody speaker. They’re imposing a mood onto you – where does the customer come into this? You’ve got a room of people who would put on a different piece of music to what they’re being blasted with. I walk out of shops now. It’s either too loud, or insipid shit, what the fuck? Or I start analysing it, I think ‘oh my God, they’re using the same bloody loop as everyone else!’ Terrible isn’t it, I made industrial music and I can’t stand the music when I’m shopping’.
