Music for Hosting
61:34 min.
2021
When welcoming guests whether for an aperitif or dinner, it is advisable not only to pay
attention to preparing the room visually and in terms of flavors and dishes, but to pay attention to the acoustic design of the evening.
* * *
The right music can help create a relaxed atmosphere – especially if the guests are unfamiliar with one another and where silence proves uncomfortable.
* * *
A room filled with simultaneous conversation has the same effect as music: the voices of dinner guests’ are the instruments like enveloping radio static as they fill the room with their own noises and create a pleasant atmosphere.
* * *
It must be noted that choosing the right music is crucial.
The right music is the sound that covers the broadest possible consensus of
“good taste.” It is unobtrusive, forgettable and inconsequential.
* * *
It does not steer the mood in a given direction but underlines the tenor of the event with its circumstances. Like odorless smoke in a room, it fills the dinner party where there was once a vacuum; unrecognizable music without any niche or genre.
_______
Music for Hosting is a conceptually applicable mixtape for putting guests and hosts à l‘aise.
The one hour composition is a conglomeration of sound sketches, unreleased songs and field recordings made in Brussels. It is accompanied by a text work, a guide line for choosing the right music when hosting.
Music for Hosting was created as part of the group exhibition Chez Patrique in October 2021. The event moved at the interface between dinner and exhibition, which in turn was the occasion to create Music for Hosting, operating between mixtape and sound installation. The composition is available to the public, encouraging a global use in various hosting situations.
________
Photos: Jules Flamen
