Adventures in temporal displacement
"Lots of small sounds stood out from the field recording I worked with, small enough not to be noticed, yet, in the right frame of mind, significant enough to catch one's attention. I tried to be open to letting them take my attention for a wander and responded to that by making sounds that followed them, resampling, ornamenting, mimicking. Sometimes the best adventures are small ones, unexpect...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
Crossroads - bird chirping, Tokyo
"The recording location is an unidentified crossroad in Tokyo. Whenever the traffic light turns green, the speakers on the traffic lights play continuous bird chirping sounds to alert people to proceed. "In some parts of China, which is also in the Asian region, pre-recorded human voices are used to signal pedestrians at crossroads. I believe that using bird chirping sounds instead of other pr...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
The distant horizon
"This work was composed by Michael Serafin-Wells, performed and recorded by Bipolar Explorer - Summer Serafin (vocals), Michael Serafin-Wells (guitars, baritone guitar, bass, tape loops, percussion, vocals) and Sylvia Solanas (vocals). We used the field recording throughout, with some small edits, looping and reverb. The field recording itself is lovely and evocative and we wanted our contribut...
13m Mar 08, 2024
13m
Piazza San Marco on a hot August day
"In Piazza San Marco, the most famous tourist destination in Venice, at 3pm on a hot August day. Bells chime the hour, and the famous jazz cafes play live music as we walk past. After a great deal of summer rain, there was an unanticipated acqua alta (high water), so you can hear the occasional sloshing of puddles too - very unusual for a summer afternoon." Recorded in Italy by Cities and Memo...
6m Mar 08, 2024
6m
Delhi's memory lane
"'Delhi's Memory Lane' is a musical tale that paints a vibrant picture of the diverse sounds that define old Delhi. Imagine wandering through the bustling and bright streets of Paharganj, where there is beauty in the sounds of every corner. Suddenly, go to the outskirts of the city and find yourself in the semi-countryside, surrounded by moments of serenity where time slows, marked by the dista...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
Eid Milad-ul Nabi at Nizamuddin Dargah
"The recording is placed in Hazrat Nizamuddin, a mausoleum dedicated to the Sufi saint – Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya who lived during 1238 – 1325 CE. He was a saint of the Chishti order and a firm believer in secularism and religious harmony. The mausoleum was constructed in 1325 by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (The eighteenth Sultan of Delhi). "The recording was made while walking the premises of the D...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
Arrival
"I used Diego Espeleta's recording of a dawn chorus in Costa Rica as the starting point for my composition 'Arrival'. I wanted this piece to communicate an uplifting feeling - the joy of arriving at your destination and the wonder of exploring a new place. This is what field recording has been for me - a way to explore more deeply. The joy of collecting sounds and immersing yourself into a new ...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
Savia Monteverde: dawn chorus, Costa Rica
"It is a brand new day and the the forest is starting to wake up. It had been raining the whole night before and although it is not raining at the moment, water droplets keep falling down from the canopy. "The birds are getting playful and are moving around singing and looking for food, several groups of them can be heard in all directions. A slow breeze passes through the forest bringing in t...
14m Mar 08, 2024
14m
Deer and owls in the middle of the night, France
"The beginning of autumn goes pair with nature changing... And alpha male deer are seeking and fighting for their partners to preserve their species. This is the time, at the end of September, where you can hear deer in the evening and in the night. "Hidden in forests, with owls calling as well, you can immerse in pure nature with no human intrusion. Some wind goes through the pine trees and o...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
Masai Mara warriors' song, Kenya
"I am at the open space of a traditional Masai village with a population of about 250 people. All around are little huts and in the centre, cows and goats are laid down. The Masai men sing and dance the warriors song. They jump as high as they can as a sign of bravery and in order to attract the women's attention." Recorded in Kenya by Christina Antoniadou. Part of the Sound of Adventure proj...
5m Mar 08, 2024
5m
Sound Reflections on the East Wall, Portugal
"Workers from the "Museu de Arte Popular" assembled at Torre de Belém before heading to the Lisbon city center for a conference. During this gathering, one of the museum collaborators pointed out a location on the east wall where you can hear both the sounds of the sea and the Torre de Belém garden, thanks to the unique acoustic properties of the wall." Recorded in Belém, Portugal by Carlos Be...
6m Mar 08, 2024
6m
On the pier, Cape Town
"Kalk Bay Harbour embodies the raw beauty of Cape Town’s False Bay coast. Listen to the sound of waves; seagulls flying overhead; seals snorting from time to time as they bathe in the sun, waiting for scraps; the low hum of tools as fishermen repair their boats; an artist who takes out a selection of works to sell to passers-by, and the chatting of tourists and locals walking up and down the pi...
3m Mar 08, 2024
3m
Migration Sounds on BBC World Service Newshour
An interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC World Service's Newshour about the Migration Sounds project, playing recordings already contributed from the USA, the UK and the Sahara desert and discussing our callout for contributions to the project. Broadcast on 23 February 2024.
5m Feb 24, 2024
5m
Migration Sounds on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, February 2024
Our Migration Sounds project featured in BBC radio news bulletins, 23 February 2024. This clip taken from the Today Programme.
16s Feb 23, 2024
16s
Method of writing music by means of dots
"This reimagined sound starts from the fact that the impressive sound of these church bells is dramatically quietened by traffic noise on all sides, and this is an oasis of peace in a busy urban centre. "The light piano motifs and crystal healing bowl sounds bring to mind the idea of a church as a sanctuary away from everyday life and a centre of peace - but the growing, heavily effected guita...
4m Feb 19, 2024
4m
The chimes of Saint Nicolas
Church bells at Saint Nicolas des Champs in Le Marais, Paris, chime 11 o'clock in December 2023. There are two major roads either side of the church, which are constantly busy with noisy traffic and mean that this once peaceful oasis is almost drowned out by car traffic. Even the chiming of the bells has difficulty cutting through and making itself clear in the soundscape. Recorded by Cities a...
1m Feb 19, 2024
1m
Hypatia in the night market on the vernal equinox
"I was unsure how to find a way into the project until I found the bell sound - maybe from a tram or bus or something? - which worked really well as a simple rhythm as the bell pattern is quite syncopated and then the final 'beat' is a car door shutting. "It became quite hypnotic, so I decided to go with that feeling and try to capture an implied altered-state, hallucinogenic journey through t...
5m Feb 14, 2024
5m
Sima
"This piece begins with a beautiful recording of the Ushuaia River in Lapataia, Tierra del Fuego, made by Raúl del Mestre. The peaceful play of the water over rocks and stones gradually gives way to various manipulations of the river sound (using pitch shifting, looping, reversing and sampling) evoking some of the tensions between this natural waterway and the rapidly accelerating changes in th...
3m Jan 03, 2024
3m
Bahía Lapataia, Tierra del Fuego
Let's listen to the movement of water, near the end of route 3; Lapataia Bay Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Recorded by Raúl Del Mestre.
1m Jan 03, 2024
1m
Beneath the streets of Rome
A metro journey beneath the streets of Rome from the Termini station to Circo Massimo, with announcements, train noise, doors opening and closing and lots of Roman conversations. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
7m Jan 03, 2024
7m
Non stop/Ciclo continuo
"The original recording of the Metro ride in Rome is very specifically located while also having echoes of travel that are characteristic of cities around the world. A mix of sounds that encompass those from the newest visitors to the city, to everyday commuters. Whether riding the Metro, Subway or Underground, the systems in place allow us to work our way around the familiar and unfamiliar. If...
4m Jan 03, 2024
4m
Il est entré dans mon coeur
"Despite the bombast and musicianship of the first busker in the field recording, it was the quieter and more subtle performance that grabbed my attention. Rotonda Foschini is an open, oval piazza with a gorgeous natural reverb, adding an extra dimension to this performance of 'La Vie En Rose'. "The natural reverb of the recording location was the starting point for the composition, as we imag...
6m Dec 26, 2023
6m
La Vie En Rose and looping guitars
Ferrara International Buskers Festival 2023 - one of the top dates in the global street music calendar. Two acts in quick succession - first we hear looping solo guitarist Ziggy O'Neill, before heading down a corridor into a natural auditorium inside some buildings, in which a French singer gives a beautiful, reverb-drenched version of La Vie En Rose. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
11m Dec 26, 2023
11m
I am the air
"The ‘Oxford Hot Air Balloon’ sample was like nothing I had really heard before and I was instantly drawn to it. It had a certain tonality, colour and texture that I felt could be used as the basis for a composition. I wanted to use the sample in its entirety, perhaps as a pedal note running throughout any resultant piece of music. Along with the additional hint of ‘Autumn’ I was taken to the s...
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Far fields
"Not usually a fan of cow bell as an instrument, so this field recording was a revelation; we used the waveform shape to produce a stream of stochastic triggers/gates (Mutable Ears into Mutable Marbles) to generate a musical phrase using two primary voices with additional modular synthesizer elements; this phrase was further resampled to produce multiple layers which were mixed and overlaid tog...
6m Dec 21, 2023
6m
The queue
"The sounds of a Wimbledon match recall lots of memories to my mind, few of which have anything to do with tennis. It's the late nights in Brixton, the early morning train, the queue outside the gates, the overpriced Pimm's and the excitement in the air of the All England Lawn club." Centre Court at Wimbledon reimagined by Riccardo Fumagalli.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Djokovic vs. Hurkacz on Centre Court
A match on Centre Court at Wimbledon, probably the most famous venue in tennis, on 9 July 2023. Defending champion Novak Djokovic plays Hurkacz, and it's 5-5 in the second set. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
4m Dec 21, 2023
4m
The curious cows of Valle Pramper
On a walk in the Dolomites at Valle Pramper, we record cows feeding, with the clank of their cow bells. One curious young cow approaches the recording device to investigate and, startled, trots away, all of which can be heard in the recording. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Ready for launch
A hot air balloon prepares for launch early in the morning in Oxford. We can hear the fans filling up the balloon with air from a flat start, as excited customers wait for their chance to go up and see the sights. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Seasonal reverie
"The sounds of the ferry leaving the the dock and moving into the sea conjured a scene of transition for me. Transitions, like seasons, can sometimes feel disruptive and uncertain, but the journey through them and adapting to their unique glory can bring one to a place of acceptance and can bring peace." Finland ferry reimagined by Firephly.
4m Dec 21, 2023
4m
Dosa!
"The sound of dosa batter sizzling on a hot tava amidst low key bustling kitchen activity reminds me of visiting my family in India. I love dosa, and I wanted to build a composition that expresses the feelings a fresh dosa can inspire: joy, delight, immediacy, and reverence. I played sitar on the track, then manipulated it and added synth pads to create a hyper-drone. On top of that are drums, ...
4m Dec 21, 2023
4m
Songs of time
"Travelling back in time to hear a beautiful Masai choir, the challenge was to clean up the audio and add variety. I imagined what the singing would sound like travelling back in time, and was surprised how melodic it was. The first part is that effect, until we land at the start and hear the choir in all its glory." Masai Mara blessing song reimagined by Ophertho.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
About a bird
"The soft wind and sharp birds put me in mind of my late friend Eleanor Adams, of Guilford, Vermont; I've used them to score and punctuate a recording I made of her in her 97th year reading Robert Haas' poem "Mouth Slightly Open" and speaking about life and mortality." Vermont birdsong reimagined by Maria Margaronis.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Inside the kitchen, New Delhi
"The location of the recording is Chidambaram's New Madras Hotel, Khanna Market. Khanna Market provides one a historical view of when Delhi became the capital of newly independent India, born from the labor of the Partition. The market came up due to the large influx of refugees coming to the area post-partition. The oldest inhabitant of the market is Chidambaram's - a South Indian joint with r...
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Forest wind and birds, Vermont
This scene takes place in a largely deciduous forest in Berkshire, Vermont. Light wind creates a sonic bed throughout as we hear a variety of birds singing in the mid afternoon. Recorded by Chris Ruprecht.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Boarding point for the ferry to Vallisaari
On the island of Vallisaari, at the nearest point to the fortress on Suomenlinna, boats of all kinds vie with enormous ferries arriving from, and departing for Estonia, Åland and Sweden through what is known as the Gibraltar of the North. The accompanying radio transmisions, inaudible to the naked ear, emerge through the recording process. Recorded by Julian Weaver.
5m Dec 21, 2023
5m
Masai Mara women's blessing song
"I am at a traditional Masai village in Masai Mara area. I am at the open space right in the centre of the village. Huts are all around me and a herd of cattle is laid down in the middle. Women in traditional clothing are singing a blessing song for the visitors. At the end they come towards me giving me "five"!" Recorded by Christina Antoniadou.
2m Dec 21, 2023
2m
Memories of ek Neela Haathee
"The field recording immediately took me back to time that I spent travelling in the subcontinent as a young man. I drew upon a rich store of memories to create a piece that evokes the alien majesty of India; juxtaposing the contrasts of wide open landscapes and crowded bazaars, beautiful nature and bustling humanity, lyrical, microtonal ragas in Rajasthan and the ubiquitous dub reggae and tran...
6m Dec 21, 2023
6m
SoftWalk
"The field recording reminded me of walks with friends and family, on crisp autumn days, with maybe a sprinkling of softs now underfoot. It felt to me both melancholic and optimistic at the same time. "I tried to capture this with a piano motif, that is then manipulated by lots of sidechaining and effects applied to the field recording, to both create a slow, soft walking rhythm and to provide...
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Fieldstone
"My piece was driven by the northern aspect of Finland and the unusual night as day at 3am that I recall from my visits there. The sounds of diners (presumably at the Marina) serve as the main rhythmic element at the start. I wanted the instrument sounds and samples to present a representation of ancient and modern geography." Nagu, Finland reimagined by Gareth Evans.
17m Dec 21, 2023
17m
Sanjay Van Lake
Sanjay Van is a city forest – one if the most thickly wooded areas in Delhi, and a large part of the city’s green lungs. It’s one of the areas in Delhi, where one can still perceive the characteristics of the Aravali range (Arguably one of the oldest geological features on Earth and Delhi's eroded past) The recording focuses on the area surrounding the lake where sewage water and effluent is di...
4m Dec 21, 2023
4m
Late afternoon on the Sanitorium Path
In the 'Healing Forest' around Paimio Sanatorium, Finland, Alvar and Aino Aalto's architectural masterpiece, a woodpecker works away near a babbling brook. The 'forest stillness' bristles with the activity of insects, birds, and power walkers. It's not long before the distant thrum of dirt bikes and other vehicles adds to the hubbub. Recorded by Julian Weaver.
15m Dec 21, 2023
15m
Late afternoon at Nagu Strandvagen
In Nagu, Finland, on a sunny Sunday afternoon looking out from the pier of the Archipelago Line route Turku–Själö–Nagu, day trippers with dogs and ice-creams, amble past others enjoying early suppers in the waterfront restaurants. On the water, all manner of motor launches, sail- and speedboats slide in and out of audible range whilst behind me, storm clouds gather and the south-westerly breeze...
17m Dec 21, 2023
17m
Da Lat evening song
A gentle evening of curious animal and insect calls, as people slow their day into the night. Recorded by Kit Wilmans Fegradoe in Da Lat, Vietnam.
3m Dec 21, 2023
3m
Evening song
"Starts with mainly original sounds transformed, goes a bit techno-y in the middle." Da Lat evening song reimagined by Isabel de Berrie.
1m Dec 21, 2023
1m
Rain song
"Upon first hearing this field recording of a steady rainfall it reminded me of rainy nights spent writing at my favorite cafes. I decided to write a song lyric and layer it over the sound." Rain storm in Ghana reimagined by Christina Lucchesi.
1m Dec 20, 2023
1m
The performance
"A celebration of the original field recording. The majority of the synth sounds were created from snippets of it, transformed by the magic of Synplant. Much inspiration provided by listening to the songs of tree frogs. Lead synth melody by the amazing Amy C." Amphibians in Ghana reimagined by Alex Vald.
4m Dec 20, 2023
4m
Tropical rain and thunder under a roof
Rains and thunders at midday under a roof in suburban Ghana. Sounds lo-fi and roomy due to the natural acoustics of the room. Recorded in binaural, please wear headphones. Recorded in Koforidua, Ghana by Samuel Kudjodzi.
16m Dec 20, 2023
16m
Rain showers and an amphibian performance
Different species of amphibians vocalising through rain showers. Wind gusts serve as baseline frequency, and a motor engine can be heard in some part. Recorded in Koforidua, Ghana by Samuel Kudjodzi.
12m Dec 20, 2023
12m
Striving
"I was inspired by the power and strength behind the serves of the two tennis players. Striving is a reflection of that power, along with what must be intense focus and hard work to get to that level of play." Wimbledon Ladies' Singles match reimagined by Baying Ridges.
4m Dec 20, 2023
4m