The Secret Sound of Chicago's Restaurant Scene

The jazz quartet filtering through RPM Italian isn’t streaming from Spotify, and the vintage soul washing over Alinea’s dining room doesn’t come from a shuffled Apple Music playlist. That carefully curated soundtrack—the one that makes you linger over your osso buco or savor each bite of Grant Achatz’s latest creation—was likely crafted by a Chicago company that’s quietly revolutionizing how restaurants think about sound.

Uncanned Music, a local audio curation company, has carved out an unexpected niche creating bespoke playlists and installing analog reel-to-reel players for some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants. While diners focus on what’s on their plates, Uncanned Music orchestrates what reaches their ears, understanding that great dining experiences engage all the senses.

“We believe music should tell the same story as the food,” explains a company spokesperson. “A neighborhood trattoria needs a different sonic identity than a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant, and streaming services just can’t capture that specificity.”

The company’s approach goes beyond digital convenience. They install vintage reel-to-reel tape players in restaurants, bringing warm analog sound to dining rooms across Chicago and beyond. These aren’t just aesthetic choices—the tape format delivers a richness and warmth that compressed digital files can’t match, creating an atmospheric quality that complements carefully crafted Food & Dining experiences.

In a city where restaurants compete not just on cuisine but on creating memorable experiences, sound has become another tool in the hospitality arsenal. The difference between a playlist thrown together by a manager and a professionally curated soundtrack can be the difference between a meal that’s quickly forgotten and an evening that guests remember months later.

Uncanned Music’s process begins with understanding each restaurant’s identity. A Lincoln Park wine bar serving natural wines and house-made charcuterie might get a playlist heavy on French chanson and Italian film scores, while a West Loop steakhouse could lean into classic jazz and blues that echo Chicago’s musical heritage. The company considers everything from cuisine style to service pace to the acoustics of the dining room itself.

The reel-to-reel players add another layer of authenticity that appeals to both restaurant owners and guests. In an era when everything feels digital and disposable, the analog format provides a tactile, intentional quality that mirrors the craftsmanship many Chicago restaurants put into their menus. Just as chefs source ingredients from specific farms and purveyors, these restaurants are now sourcing their sound from specialists who understand the medium.

This attention to sonic detail reflects broader trends in Chicago’s restaurant scene, where establishments are thinking holistically about guest experience. The same care that goes into farm-to-table movement gains momentum in city dining scene extends to every element that shapes how diners perceive their meal.

The company’s influence extends well beyond Chicago’s city limits, with installations in restaurants across the country. But their Chicago roots show in their understanding of the city’s diverse dining culture—from neighborhood taverns in Bridgeport to high-end establishments in River North, each venue gets a soundtrack that feels authentic to both its location and its culinary mission.

For restaurant owners, the investment in professional audio curation represents a recognition that dining is theater. Every element, from the lighting to the plate presentation to the background music, contributes to the story being told. A poorly chosen playlist can undermine even the most expertly prepared dish, while the right soundtrack can elevate a simple meal into something memorable.

The analog approach also solves practical problems that plague many restaurants. Streaming services can deliver ads at inappropriate moments, lose connection during busy services, or serve up jarring transitions that disrupt the dining atmosphere. Reel-to-reel tapes provide consistent, uninterrupted sound that restaurant staff can depend on night after night.

As Chicago’s restaurant scene continues to evolve, companies like Uncanned Music represent the attention to detail that separates good restaurants from great ones. In a city that takes both its music and its food seriously, the marriage of carefully curated sound and thoughtfully prepared cuisine feels like a natural progression.

The next time you find yourself completely absorbed in a restaurant meal, unable to quite put your finger on why everything feels so perfectly orchestrated, listen carefully. That soundtrack washing over your table might just be the work of Chicago curators who understand that great dining experiences are symphonies, not solos.