https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34UutDrXV2Q

In 1984 Muji commissioned Haruomi Hosono to compose in-store background music.

Comments Section - Highlights

cyberspore00

6 months ago (edited)

"Talking: A bespectacled family of four -- mother, father, sister, brother - sit round a round dining table dipping spoons into empty bowls, pantomime eating. They occasionally smile and nod at each other, indicating how good nothing tastes. There is a soft early Saturday afternoon rain falling outside the window. Across the suburban street and up on their neighbor, Mr. Herbert's porch overlooking his lawn, the mailman is in a life and death struggle with Mr. Herbert's Doberman."

David Coulter

6 months ago

"I played this at my vacuum cleaner's funeral."

Garret Gunheim

1 month ago

"This is like going to a job interview, but being greeted by a man sized frog in a suit, he speaks softly and kindly to you while smiling faintly. You talk about your dreams and aspirations over coffee at a local cafe while it rains outside."

Martin Dufek

6 months ago

"You fools, this not music, this is just a progress of time!"

dmsanct

3 months ago

"This is like waking up at 3am because you are hungry. So you head to the kitchen, and find out a giant insect already sticking some marmalade between two slices of bread. The insect offers the sandwich to you, as a sign of respect. You take a bite out of it, and start crying tears of joy. It's a beautiful sandwich, and the winter is coming to an end"

Gianni Marasco

4 months ago

"I have to listen to this once a week. doctor's orders."

Zach Cross

5 months ago

"Cooked and ate two hot dogs as this played over the speaker. Birds chirped and no lawn cutting machines were active. The sun played hide and seek with large clouds. My wife and children were shopping at Target and heading to a doctor's appointment. I thought about making short documentaries about such moments. But I won't. I'll just let all of you know."

Devon Angell

6 months ago

"It sounds so simple and pure and emotional. It sounds like the early stages of childhood, full of wonder."

Butt Minion

6 months ago

You're going 65mph on the highway for a good while, when suddenly, you begin to feel a seizure come on and take over your body. Your body begins to twitch and squirm until, inevitably, you lose control of the steering wheel. After swerving beyond the far right lane, your car crashes into an american diner. No one is hurt... but, instead of fleeing, everyone slowly turns their heads and begin to stare at you.

JoshOfWales

1 month ago

"The repeating, familiar bell is the unstoppable force that is time. Each loop represents a day in the life of a person, the silence being the transition into their next day. For the most part, their days are simple, familiar, vaguely happy. Occasionally the loop surprises us with a change in the chord progression, whether it be an omission, addition, or slight alteration of a chord. This could represent a day in particular that sparked happiness, sadness, or maybe it marks a key event in our person's life. When the chords slow, maybe our person has chosen to take it easy that day. Perhaps they've decided to call in sick to work on a rainy day and curl up on the couch, to replenish their energy for the coming days.

Peculiarly, each chord progression, no matter which variant, never seems to properly resolve itself. It's always left open ended, instilling this particularly strong uneasiness. Is this how our person feels at the end of each day? Are they left wondering what all this is for? Is this really all there is?

The song ends rather abruptly with the final chord in the usual progression being omitted. The feeling of uneasiness is still there, but it's different. It appears our persons life may have come to an unexpected end."