DRINK TO THE BEAT

That soundtrack playing as you sip your cocktails is more than background music, it's vital in setting the mood and flow of the room, as Rob Wood of Music Concierge explains

Rob Wood has made it his business to curate the mood and signature sounds for some of the swankiest lifestyle brands and spaces in the world. As founder and creative director of Music Concierge, a consultancy that specialises in music curation, playlist creation and audio branding, his client list takes in hotel groups such as Park Hyatt and Jumierah Hotels & Resorts; luxury stores including Dunhill, Orlebar Brown and Harvey Nichols, and Heston Blumenthal, Sushisamba and Dishoom restaurants. Obviously each client has different needs, but whatever their sector or intended audience, there's one thing that unites them: the need to get the bpms, or beats per minute, just right for the required flow.

“Music sets the pace – its rhythms and energy affecting how customers feel and behave,” Rob explains. “A soundtrack of easy-going, relaxed music tells people to take their time, order another coffee, or enjoy another course. A no-reservations, queues-round-the-block, two-hours-atable street-food joint, however, would more likely keep turnover steady with something more urgent and upbeat.”

It’s not rocket science but that doesn’t mean that getting it right is easy. The art of putting together a perfect soundtrack not once, not twice but again and again takes time, precision, passion and knowhow. Which is why Rob and his team are in such high demand.

“As human beings we experience everything through all of our senses. The way something looks is number one, closely followed by sound and hearing,” he explains. “As an operator, customers are experiencing your venue through sound, whether you like it or not, so you may as well get it right and make it add to the overall experience. Even if you can’t touch it, it’s something we all feel.” As anyone who has ever left a venue because the music was too loud or just plain wrong for the occasion will no doubt concur.

Knowing your audience is one thing but an understanding of bpms is vital. They’re the key that help DJs match tracks together to ensure a seamless flow. With that in mind, what kind of numbers would play out on a typical evening in one of the bars they work with? “It really depends on the bar,” Rob says. “Let’s say it’s a Thursday evening in an underperforming bar and the client’s objective is to hold the audience longer

Years in business:

Dub: 60-90 bpm

Hip-hop: 60-100 bpm

House: 115-130 bpm

Techno/trance: 120-140 bpm

Dubstep: 135-145 bpm

Drum and bass: 160-180 bpm

106

Countries served: than 7pm. If it’s a venue with a casual coffee time or a hotel, we’ll start with music playing at round 80-110 bpm in the afternoon. As we get towards post-work, around 4.30-5pm say, we start to build the energy, turning up the pace to around 110-125 bpm. Then at around 7pm, the mid-evening peak when people have had a drink and are thinking about leaving for something to eat or going to catch the train home, we’ll take it up again to around 120-130 bpm, depending on the place – this is the key time to give the room some energy and encourage them to stay. But we have to be mindful. Bars sometimes forget they’re not nightclubs, people still want to talk!

Highest client:

442m above sea level

Lowest client:

110m below sea level

Styles of music collected:

2 0 0 +

Number of singers in the music team:

“There’s also the wind down which happens around 11pm-12am when there may be a quarter of the guests left in the room – people who have been out all evening or have come in after dinner for a nightcap. This is when we’ll take the bpms back to the 80-110 mark – the staff appreciate it too as it signifies that they’re getting ready for close.”

Number of DJs in the music team:

Number of musicians in the music team:

Rob’s love affair with music and its abilities to transform moods and spaces began at a young age. “I started making mixtapes for friends at school when I was eight years old!” he laughs. It was only natural that he went on to become a DJ. “I was booked for four gigs in my first week at Sheffield University on the strength of my record collection.” From there, he started writing about music, eventually going on to become editor of now defunct dance magazine Jockey Slut. “As a magazine editor by day and DJ at night, I was choosing what my audience was reading and listening to. Different brands cottoned on to that and came to me and asked if I could curate their sound and create their identity through music. Which was around the same time that bars and hotels were trying to stand out by having their own books, art and interior design but were all playing the same what I call Cafe-del-Buddha-Bar music. That’s when I saw the gap for Music Concierge and I haven’t looked back since.”