How Ryuichi Sakamoto assembled the soundtrack for Kajitsu, in Murray Hill, and what it says about the sounds we hear (or should) while we eat.
It's interesting how the author assumes all other playlists are assembled with utmost carelessness. I worked at PlayNetwork and the guy who put playlists together for Abercrombie & Fitch? Yeah, founded the Decibel festival. Guy who programmed Starbuck's? Former member of Tower of Power. Vespertine in LA commissioned a soundtrack by This Will Destroy You. Amusingly enough, all of that music has mechanical royalties tracked which means the artists whose music is used are getting paid, unlike Sakamoto's playlist.
I'm a fan of Ryuchi Sakamoto. But the NY Times isn't making the case that this is anything other than Ryuchi Sakamoto hating the music at the place he sips miso soup.