About

Broken Air Conditioner Jazz Drum Covers refers to a series of videos in which musicians play along with a malfunctioning air conditioner that is rattling in a surprisingly rhythmic way. Years after the video of the air conditioner was first posted to YouTube in 2014, musicians on YouTube discovered it and began recording original instrumentals over the air conditioner's "beat."

Origin

On August 31st, 2014, YouTuber Jonny Shire posted a video of a malfunctioning air conditioner that was rattling rhythmically, gaining over 1.3 million views (shown below).

Spread

It was not until six and a half years later in January 2021 that the video began seeing use in covers. On January 21st, YouTuber Rez posted a video mixing the rhythmic air conditioner with a video of a door shutting and making a trumpet-like squeal, gaining over 6,500 views (shown below, left). On the 23rd, YouTuber AdamOsmianski posted a transcription of the air conditioner's "solo," gaining over 12,000 views (shown below, right).

The transcription aided other musicians in figuring out how to play over it, leading to a swath of musicians performing original music over the air conditioner. For example, user Q Morrow posted a video of himself playing jazz guitar over the air conditioner, gaining over 3,200 views (shown below, left). User Sam Ross did the same with his keyboard, gaining over 3,800 views (shown below, right). The sudden popularity of the air conditioner "jazz solo" was covered by BoingBoing^[1] and Laughing Squid.^[2]

Various Examples

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References