James Murphy has plans to remix the beeps on subway turnstiles

“Unfortunately, the sound of the subway is kind of a drag,” says James Murphy, The former LCD Soundsystem frontman, audiophile and lifetime subway rider. “What I propose to do is to create a series of 3 to 5 note sequences, all unique, one for each station in the subway system.”

These sequences will be part of an intersecting larger piece of music, which would run from station to station. At each turnstile in Union Square, as you tap your new tap and ride card, a pleasant bell tone will sound, in one of a set of possible notes, all related to that station's note sequence. The effect would be that at the busiest times, like rush hour, what was once cacophony would now be music. Murphy has been harbouring the idea for years but Heineken have recently offered to foot the bill in the hope of the project happening.

Murphy hopes the Subway Symphony would bring residents closer to the city. “I think that in the years to come, if this system is implemented, people who grew up with these sounds will hear a piece of music and think ‘this song reminds me of Borough Hall’ or ‘This song reminds me of my school in East Broadway,’” says Murphy. “I believe that a musician making beats for a rapper from a particular neighbourhood will use the melody of the station near their home as the hook for a song, and that every kid from that particular neighbourhood will instantly know that this song is about where they're from.”

A number of artists have been doing what they can to make subways more bearable. Bob-Omb recently turned everyday billboards into interactive GIFs.