Skyscrapers & Skylines

The Empire State Building was completed in 1931. Did the architects have any sort of premonition then that their building would become an American cultural icon? Pulsing electronica gaining momentum and taking off into thin air with warm ambient synths and subtle percussive elements.

2:59 · 80 BPM

Going up to the observation deck in a fast little steel box. Will your cell phone work if you get stuck? Warbled electronica, thoughtful piano and ambient synths afford a million dollar view of the city below you.

3:12 · 110 BPM

Another posh hotel rises up into the air and right outside the revolving door, the homeless are still there. Why didn't the investors set aside an entire floor or at least a few rooms for them? Hypnotic Rhodes piano resonating and floating in and out of mesmerizing synths. Empathetic optimism keeping dreams alive.

3:09 · 100 BPM

To me, the Freedom Tower is symbolic of a nation's undying spirit in simply not accepting defeat. One nation under God, pulling itself up by the bootstraps. And no matter what your political view, that's definitely something to raise your glass to. Mesmerizing ambient synths rising high into the sky. Thinking thoughts of what used to be at Ground Zero.

3:03 · 98 BPM

How come I always feel so lonely and lost in such a busy place? Just one more little person in an anonymous crowd, where the bright neon lights outshine every single one of us. Thoughtful Rhodes piano joined in by glitchy, loopy and dreamy synths make me ponder why anyone would think of this place as "the heart of the world".

2:56 · 120 BPM

I wonder how many times I have approached the city from the Queensborough Bridge in my life. The same geographic coordinates and yet, the skyline never looks the same. Searching piano and glitchy electronic percussion encounter emotive synths along the way.

3:04 · 100 BPM

Was it worth getting up at 6:00 am to see the skyline at sunrise? You bet it was and I'll do it again any day. Hypnotic electronica, ethereal synths and pulsing pads orbiting through space and taking in the magnificent view.

3:06 · 75 BPM

With only 22 stories, the Flatiron is one of the city's most dramatic-looking buildings. And as an enduring symbol of New York for more than a century, it proves that being tall isn't all that's necessary to stand out in a crowd. Soothing, hopeful synths and elegant, electronic ambience.

2:43 · 90 BPM

Have you ever been trapped in an elevator with someone you didn't want to share such an intimate space with? And no matter how fast that elevator was going up or down, it just wasn't fast enough for you. Dreamy aerial atmosphere hovering over the hustle and bustle below. Why isn't this kind of elevator music piped into a real elevator?

3:09 · 85 BPM

Some of the most spectacular Art Deco skyscrapers are in NYC. They are flowering and linear. Intricate and immense. Abstract and exact. Extravagant and conservative. Hypnotic synth melody accompanied by floating ambience and emotive strings.

3:04 · 90 BPM

I may be sitting on top of the world right now, but I haven't got a clue as to what awaits me when I take the elevator down to the ground floor again. Wistful piano reflections from high up in the sky.

1:59

Why are all the lights still on after everyone has gone home? Delicate, sad piano and wistful synths worried about wasted resources.

2:55

Is the air thinner on the 100th floor of the Hudson Yards "Edge"? With million dollar views in all directions, being a little on edge up there is probably worth it in the end. Wistful synthesizers floating around in the city's clouds.

2:11

Going around and around on the subway at night. Then you forget to get out at your stop because you're so preoccupied in your thoughts. Thoughtful synthesizers contemplating the state of the world today.

2:55

A wistful longing for simpler times. Was the past better than yesterday's future? Delicate piano and dreamy, ethereal synths appraising every building that's ever been built in NYC and wondering what will go up next.

3:11 · 104 BPM