Grammy-nominated musician, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jordan Rakei has partnered with the UK’s Heathrow Airport to launch the world’s first track created entirely with sounds of an airport and intended to enhance passengers’ mood as they go about their travel.
Entitled “Music for Heathrow”, the release is “an ode to Brian Eno’s 1979 album, “Music for Airports” which was also designed to be listened to ahead of a flight, the airport points out. Eno’s album is considered a seminal work credited with launching ambient music as a genre.
Like Eno’s track, Rakei’s is split into four compositions to reflect a passenger journey from check-in to take-off – with highlight sounds including passenger footsteps and tannoy announcements, as well as the hum of engines preparing for flight. The approach involved sampling over 50 sounds from Heathrow after the London-based artist was given “unprecedented access” to the international hub’s airfield, baggage handling system, departures, arrivals and “everything in between.”
Percussion is provided by the sounds of passports being stamped and bags hitting the belt, a water fountain provided ambience and ASMR, a jet taking off was transformed into a synth and a baggage control siren was transformed into a soft synthesiser.
The piece, hailed as “one-of-a-kind” by Lee Boyle, Head of Terminals (Services) at Heathrow, is designed to loop “seamlessly” and will be played “throughout the terminals this summer, available for anyone travelling through Heathrow to enjoy.” The airport hopes it will “complement passenger journeys, stir up excitement and diffuse any pre-holiday jitters, letting people tune into their trip before the plane even leaves the ground.”
Rakei said: “Having travelled all over the world for my music and spent a huge amount of time in airports, I’ve always loved that buzz that comes with the excitement and anticipation of travel. So, getting the chance to turn Heathrow’s many sounds into music was an honour.” Aiming to create music that “reflects that whole pre-flight vibe”, Rakei summed that up as “all about building suspense and setting the mood for wherever you’re headed on your summer holiday.”
Rakei’s is not the only musical interlude taking place at Heathrow over summer 2025. There will also be three live Friday performances during the month.
- Friday 11th July – Emilija Karaliute and Michael Sebastian
- Friday 18th July – Gio Dara, Jade Thornton and Liam Mera Kai
- Friday 25th July – Omar Rios and The Cash Cows
For those whose summer will not entail a visit to Heathrow, the track is available on Soundcloud or can be explored on the airport’s YouTube.
