Holidaymakers passing through London Heathrow this summer will be played non-stop jet engines and beeping noises in the terminal in a bid to "diffuse pre-holiday jitters".
The four-minute ambient track, which began playing on Tuesday and will continue until the end of August, features more than 50 sampled sounds from the airport's terminals and runways.
Grammy-nominated musician and producer Jordan Rakei created the piece, titled Music for Heathrow, by recording everything from roaring jet engines to security scanners and tannoy announcements.
The airport says the composition aims to capture the excitement and anticipation of summer holidays - and stave off pre-flight nerves.
Jordan Rakei's project is billed as a tribute to Brian Eno's groundbreaking 1979 album Music for Airports
PA
Rakei's project is billed as a tribute to Brian Eno's groundbreaking 1979 album Music for Airports, which pioneered the ambient music genre, and was also designed for pre-flight listening.
Heathrow has confirmed the track will "loop seamlessly and will be played throughout the terminals this summer".
Lee Boyle, director of services at Heathrow, said: "We hope tuning in will be the perfect start to our passengers' well-deserved summer breaks."
The composition incorporates an eclectic mix of airport sounds, from passenger footsteps and passport stamps to bags hitting luggage carousels and lift chimes.
More industrial noises, including jet engines starting up, baggage conveyor sirens and aircraft taking off, were processed through synthesisers to create the ambient soundscape.
Elsewhere on the track, passenger announcements and radio chatter between pilots and control towers can be heard.
While for added ambience, Heathrow included the sound of a water fountain, which the airport says provides "ambience and ASMR", referring to the tingling sensation some people experience from certain sounds.
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Noises like jet engines starting up and aircraft taking off were processed through synthesisers to create the ambient soundscape
PA
The full list of samples that Kiwi artist Rakei used includes:
- A siren from baggage control, made into a soft synthesiser;
- Tannoy announcement "ding dong";
- A plane taking off, which was sampled and turned into an arpeggiated synth;
- Low rumble from a plane starting up its engine, sampled and turned into a bass instrument;
- Ambient background noise from announcements, chatter and more;
- Lift "ding";
- Footsteps walking through arrivals;
- Water fountain for ambience and ASMR;
- Radio chatter, from traffic control to pilots;
- Bag clanks and hits from the baggage belt for percussion;
- Passport stamps for percussion;
- Baggage handlers' pressure devices;
- A plane landing.
Kiwi artist Jordan Rakei was granted full access to Heathrow for a day last month to capture the recordings
PA
Rakei, who has performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House, was granted full access to Heathrow for a day last month to capture the recordings.
He designed the track to follow passengers' "emotional journey" through four stages, from check-in to take-off.
The airport, which anticipates handling 250,000 passengers every day throughout summer, has not disclosed the cost of producing the new track.
And the installation comes as Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye, recently claimed the airport was the most on-time of any in Europe.
Despite this, Heathrow has faced recent disruptions due to French air traffic control strikes, adverse weather conditions across Europe and cancellation chaos as missiles blazed through the Middle East as Iran traded blows with Israel.
Whether the new ambient soundtrack will prove soothing to passengers experiencing delays remains to be seen.