We’ve seen free iPhone apps, $1,000 iPhone apps, promotional apps, pointless apps, and offensive apps. Now we have the high-concept app. This is a little like conceptual art, except that it doesn’t quite rise to that level.
One example of a concept app that just hit the iTunes Store is 24 Hours: The Starck Mix (iTunes link). It is a 24-hour soundtrack streamed to your iPhone, meant to be an audio tribute to French designer Philippe Starck. In fact, it sounds like something you might hear in the lobby of one of the trendy boutique hotels he’s helped to design, like the Clift in San Francisco or the Hudson Hotel in New York City.
The Starck Mix, which is free, will only be available for 30 days. The app shows the time, and streams ambient music and sounds, using whatever time it is where you are to determine the point in the sound loop to start streaming. There is also a Web version of the app. The app is a collaboration between Soundwalk, a New York City company which specializes in creative audio walking tours, and mobile ad agency Clicmobile. It was created for an upcoming arts festival in Paris.
I’ve been listening to the track all afternoon, and I now I really need a colorful drink that ends in “-tini.”
Give the man a martini
iphone users are now whores. everyone’s using them to make money. i wonder how much $$$ monsieur starck made by licencing his brand name
It’s free, tenthings. Your anger is – at least this once – misdirected…
Whores make money, pimps take a cut. You’re thinking that iPhone users are johns: the paying customer.
I think the author is really asking for an appletini.
Groove Salad station on the free Shoutcast app should provide the same ambiance… or a Hotel Costes / Buddha Bar playlist.
Agreed. Good stuff for the headphones set here.
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Mmm reminds me of those Ambient Music albums of Brian Eno’s in the 70’s, ‘Music for Airports’ etc. They next?
Why would i want my iPhone to sound like a hotel lobby? That’s stupid….!
All kind of Apps, this is the result of an open system, its smart way to do business, Apple and Google dominate the Mobile OS now. Microsoft needs to do something about it
http://www.OnlyJust.NET
Thanks
An app for Musak for those who miss the elevator music…
has anyone noticed the web version and iphone version seem to have different streams?
Any drink ending in “-tini” should not be colorful.
@ben Cannon: that’s normal since one plays the stream directly from their original location and the other one has the need to parse them. That way the streams don’t interfere one with the other.
I’ve been listening to the stream for about 10 minutes, but I don’t think I “get it”. First, I’ve never heard this kind of music in a hotel lobby (instrumental versions of old Neil Diamond songs, yes, but this ambient stuff, no). Second, why did a woman and girl pop in and start speaking French? Third, where are the *real* hotel lobby sounds (not that I would listen to a stream of them) like doors opening / closing, elevators arriving (ding!), transactions at the hotel desk, people walking, newspapers ruffling, etc.
Sorry, I just don’t get the “hotel lobby” part of this app. I don’t see how it differs from a simple audio stream of ambient music with some people talking sprinkled in.
Is this thing actually quite hip and I’m just getting old and grumpy?!