In November of last year, I was asked "If you could flood a room with music, what would it be?" A valid question, and one that led to many other fruitful discussions. An obvious question is what does flooding a room with music really mean?

When I think of the room it is always painted red and dimly lit. It has a black leather sofa in it and massive sound. Not massive speakers, but really big, clear, crisp and loud acoustics. I imagine that everyone's room would be a bit different, but for some reason, my imagination comes off like a Maxell commercial. And I know for a fact that I'd want the music in it to be something loud. Something. Anything. Music, hopefully. But what kind?

I imagine all the times I've closed my eyes and listened to music loud, headphones on, trying to focus on the way the instruments weave in and out of the songs. I've done it too many times to remember and I'm quite certain that people see me doing it and look at me a little strange. TOOL, Less Than Jake, Portishead, Ella Fitzgerald, Eric Clapton... all these artists and many others have spent time in my head at obnoxious volumes. I listen to the bass lines. I count the timings of the measures. If the song is repetitive, why isn't it boring? And how do the floating vocals affect the feeling of the music. Hopefully the lyrics are not contrived, and the vocals not misplaced. In the end, I know that the music I would choose to fill the room would definitely be well arranged.

But which music would the room be filled with. It's such a tough call and too many things would affect the decision. Who would be in the room with me? What would I be doing in the room? What season is it outside?

As music related topics often are, the music and the room that surrounds it are open ended. The combinations endless as are the moods and thoughts they might evoke. But one thing I know, is that when I finally own a house, it's going to have a red room, a leather sofa, and loud music from Lamb's Fear of Fours.