Lego’s Pleasing New “White Noise” Playlist Evokes Childlike Wonder
The sounds of Legos poured out of a toybox, dropping to the floor, and clicking together are recognized all over the world, according to the Danish toy maker, which recently released a “White Noise” playlist. Made using only the sounds of Lego bricks and pieces, “White Noise” is a score of seven tracks made to produce calming, mindful, constructive—and, it should be said, carefree—background music after a year of turbulence. Each track lasts about 30 minutes, enough time to click out and detach. The playlist includes “Wild As The Wynd”—a pitter-pattering, drizzle-in-a-rainforest number—and the jumpity, clickety-clackety “Searching For A Brick.” “It All Clicks” is a scratchy and staccato track, while the closer, “The Night Builder,” is a minimal, spare composition that sounds like a faucet dripping while a mouse scratches beneath the sink, knocking into dishwasher tablets.
“White Noise” is a bizarre thing to listen to, but it’s also idiosyncratically addictive in its weirdness and uncanny familiarity. Triggering a comforting sense of nostalgia—a not-quite déjà vu—is another ambition of the soundtrack. Lego is currently making moves to position its play as a mindfulness activity for adults, as seen in recent “Adults Welcome” releases such as its Colosseum kit, Porsche 911, and Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium.