New Orleans composer Elizabeth Joan Kelly‘s new album of instrumental electronic music is called Music for the DMV. The idea was to take Brian Eno’s concept of music for a specific location – a la Music for Airports – and tweak it a bit for a location that also tends to involve large chunks of time doing nothing, but with more potential for unease and anxiety. And, of course, standing in lines. The tracks range in mood and timbre, with “Bouncyland” being one of the cheerier, more melodic pieces. There’s a hint of playfulness in the bubbly drum machines and keys that would probably make the DMV (or DOR as we call it here in Washington) seem a little bit less of a soul-sucking bureaucratic nightmare.
There are, of course, many places one stands in long lines and feels a vague sense of unease and anxiety. Today being Election Day 2018, I’ll hazard a guess that millions of people are doing just that all over the country today. So feel free to call this one “Music for Waiting to Vote” for today. Give it a spin as you stand in line, and see if it doesn’t make the wait just a bit easier.