Kaeng Krachan post-rain stillness
The jungle settles after a strong rain - light drops of rain patter on leaves while wind swells through the leaves. Distant gibbons sing from deep in the mountains. UNESCO listing: Kaeng Krachan Park Recorded by Paul Virostek. IMAGE: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— This sound is part ...
1m Mar 23, 2025
1m
Guest house
"This piece is a sonic recreation of the Sema ceremony - a sacred ritual of the Whirling Dervishes, recorded at Istanbul’s Mevlevi center, a UNESCO-listed Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The intent was not simply to reference the ceremony but to immerse the listener in its very essence - the initiation atmosphere, the mystical ascent, the infinite rotation. "At its core, the composition integ...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
Tunis alleyways
"This composition is an ode to the intricate labyrinth of one of the world’s largest medinas—Tunis, Tunisia. As I wandered alone through its winding alleys, the uneven cobblestones beneath my feet seemed to whisper and reverberate, as if time itself were suspended in a dense fog of noise and memory. "The medina pulsed with a multidimensional tapestry of sound. Metallic echoes spilled from shad...
5m Mar 23, 2025
5m
Posidònies i ones
"The piece combines a field recording taken from UNESCO World Heritage sites with instrumentation that can be electronic or acoustic. Its aesthetics are based on the theme of the sampler: the sea and the waves. "Posidònies i ones." serves as the epilogue to a series of ten compositions grouped under the title: "Hipervida. Book 1. Abans que jo, tots els éssers." "One spring, we collected posido...
4m Mar 23, 2025
4m
Sama
In the heart of Istanbul, within the sacred walls of the Galata Mevlevi House, this recording brings to life the opening moments of the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony. The whirling dervishes begin their silent ritual, their robes swirling with each precise movement. The space hums with reverence as their feet glide across the floor, initiating a sacred dance that echoes centuries of tradition. The atmo...
1m Mar 23, 2025
1m
Crashing waves at Cala Deià
Cala Deià is a tiny beach down from the mountain village of Deià, in the heart of the Serra Tramuntana in the northwest of Mallorca. The beach is only about 70 metres long and is mostly small pebbles and large rocks. This rich recording captures waves breaking onto the rocky beach on an October afternoon. UNESCO listing: Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana Recorded by Cities and Mem...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
A sensory labyrinth
The Medina of Tunis is a sensory labyrinth — a bustling marketplace during the day and a quiet, mysterious maze by night. During one nocturnal stroll, the eerie cry of what sounded like a baby echoed through the narrow alleys. It turned out to be a fierce territorial battle between two cats, their voices amplified by the silence. This historic heart of the city is a place where every sound tell...
39s Mar 23, 2025
39s
Serbian Slava
"Slava is a Serbian family celebration which is unique to Serbian Orthodox Christians. For this project, I read documentation on this cultural practice, and it is a tradition that has very deep roots in the Serbian society, which are said to be pre-Christian. I am accustomed to European family celebrations like Christmas and St. Nicholas' Day (in the Netherlands), but Slava has a very different...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
(re)place
(re)place: A Sound Design Exploration of Kraków's Market Square "The field recording of Kraków’s Market Square captures the energy of a living, pulsating space that has survived for centuries. My personal connection to this place lies in my study of the Polish language (during my Bachelors I minored in Slavic Languages), and my subsequent visits to the city as a professional musician. What str...
9m Mar 23, 2025
9m
Over the Forth
"The original train and water sounds inspired me to create a work that suggested the passage of time and the motion of things - a journey. The field recording was edited and collaged with two Moog Subharmonicon patterns applied to support it and frame the original sounds. It documents an imagined journey over the Forth." Forth Bridge reimagined by Alan Cook. ——————— This sound is part of the...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
The rumble under the Bridge
Residents of South Queensferry (and North Queensferry) are familiar with the sonic "rumble" heard when a train passes over The Forth Bridge. The submitted audio recording includes 3 such rumbles and some ambient sounds such as waves lapping on the beach under the bridge. Unfortunately 30th December 2024 when the recording was taken was a very windy day so the mobile phone recording is not very ...
1m Mar 23, 2025
1m
Church interior ambience with orthodox Christian liturgical singing
Slava is celebrated in family home as well as in the chruch. This is a recording of divine liturgy in church with people inside who celebrate that day's saint. you can hear priests singing and reading the bible, stories about the saint and his legacy. Recorded at Crkva prenosa moštiju svetog Nikole, Melenci, Serbia, April 2023. UNESCO listing: Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day R...
10m Mar 23, 2025
10m
Rynek Główny
In the recording, the heart of Kraków’s Market Square comes alive with the dynamic sounds of a lively marketplace. Happy crowds weave through the market, searching for deals, while the rhythmic footfalls of eager buyers punctuate the energy of the square. The timeless spirit of markets, the energy of commerce, connection, and exchange - is palpable in every sound, where all of life feels concen...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Erica maderensis
"Erica madernsis, Inspired in the sound emmited from water bodies in Levada do Rei in Madeira, Portugal, which is a small island with amazing landscapes, with vast florae, a special place with it's own oddities & singularities in the endemical plants that inhabit there. E. madernsis is one of those endemycal plants, that although being small, intrepid, perennial, ramified and bushy, now is also...
17m Mar 23, 2025
17m
Ushguli
"I love a creaky door sound anytime, but this one was particularly special. The slow movement of this ancient door in Ushguli village as it groaned and rumbled on its rusty hinges was evocative of the remote mountain landscape it came from. You can almost smell the freshness of the air and feel the solidity of the village’s decadent medieval stone Svan towers. I had never heard of this place un...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
Cuzco street market
"As the primary sound from the original field recording, I chose to loop a section featuring what sounds like an older woman talking and laughing. To me, she seems like someone who has been to the market many times—perhaps even works there. Her laugh carries an element of mystery and wisdom. By looping this moment, I wanted to express how, although time passes and this recording captures just a...
4m Mar 23, 2025
4m
The ancient door
In the remote and rugged landscapes of Upper Svaneti, Georgia, life is shaped by the rhythms of isolation and endurance. This high-altitude region, often snowbound for much of the year, is home to ancient villages where time seems to stand still. The creak of an old, weathered door in an abandoned home carries the echoes of past generations — its rusty hinges groaning like whispers from another...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Cuzco street markets
In Cusco’s vibrant street markets, life bursts forth in a riot of color and sound. Andean communities descend from the mountains, bringing their handcrafted goods, fresh produce, and unique traditions. The air is filled with laughter, music, and the hum of conversations in Quechua and Spanish — a sensory feast that encapsulates the spirit of the Andes. UNESCO listing: City of Cuzco Recorded b...
7m Mar 23, 2025
7m
Levada do Rei: water abundance
This recording captures a moment I stoped on a walking along a "levada," a traditional water channel originally built to transport water from the north of the island. These networks of aqueducts stretch across many kilometres and are accompanied by narrow walking paths, open to the public and popular among tourists. It runs through a high-altitude area characterised by lush greenery and dense ...
1m Mar 23, 2025
1m
Downtown Zacatecas (Andy Lyon reimagining)
"I really like the peaceful ambience of the recording and it got me thinking about how we tend to miss these opportunities to connect with a place and time due to busy lifestyles, multitasking and being glued to our phone screens, especially when it’s off the beaten track like an alleyway where this recording was taken. "So my approach was to create a piece that is uptempo, capturing snippets ...
8m Mar 23, 2025
8m
ASRASRASR call
"The call to prayer carries deep cultural and spiritual significance. This recording from Essaouira captivated me, not just as a religious ritual, but as an acoustic force, inseparably tied to its surroundings. I wanted to explore what happens when this call is taken out of its original space. How does it transform? How does it resonate elsewhere? "My remix places the sound into new, imagined ...
10m Mar 23, 2025
10m
An immersion into a feeling
"This piece is inspired by a soundscape recorded at St. Mary’s Basilica by Serge Bulat. In my initial listening to the piece, and in the reading of their text, I was stuck by characteristic sounds and qualities of a culturally significant space on several levels. First the space itself - a basilica, which is a place of worship, contemplation and reflection ( both in the literal sense of the aco...
9m Mar 23, 2025
9m
Kościół Mariacki
Kraków’s St. Mary’s Basilica, with its towering Gothic spires, radiates an atmosphere of reverence and connection. The recording immerses you in the tranquil energy of a service unfolding within its sacred walls. The priest’s voice reverberates gently through the space, guiding the congregation, while the soft cadence of collective prayers fills the air. You can hear the quiet exchange of worsh...
4m Mar 23, 2025
4m
Callejón San Pascual at Zacatecas
Sounds from San Pascual alley at Zacatecas downtown. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Zacatecas Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Exist to resist
"Inspired by the main pipes from the sample, I’ve crafted a ravey, powerful, and emotional soundscape, rooted in a delirium of glitch and floating particles. The composition captures the essence of a secret gathering deep within the forest—a celebration of sound, humanity, and the spirit of Mother Earth. It evokes an ecstatic atmosphere, mirroring the apotheosis of creation and the infinite, ev...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
Sacred spaces
"Upon hearing Paul Virostek’s recording from the villages and communities living in the Angkor War temple complex I was immediately transported to my experiences of field recording in Indonesia. The bustling life around the sacred spaces is very similar and this inspired me to combine my recordings in Indonesia with Paul’s recordings from Cambodia, a place I long to visit. "Indonesia is a stro...
4m Mar 23, 2025
4m
A past flown past
"Cultural heritage can be a strange one, as it can range from mass cultural significance to something on a more personal level. This sound spoke to me for many reasons on a more personal level. I grew up in South London so didn't really go to a lot of the "tourist" areas of London, as they were just somewhere we could reach in an hour on the train, they were not going anywhere. The Tower had be...
9m Mar 23, 2025
9m
Street sounds in Pernik at the Surva Festival
This is a recording I made during the Surva Festival in Pernik in 2018. I was walking along Pernik's main street (Krakra Pernishki Sq.) in the late afternoon/early evening during the main day of the festivities. This is one of the many folk bands accompanying "kukeri", who are presenting their costumes during the festival. UNESCO listing: Surva Festival in Pernik Recorded by Anna Nacher. IMA...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Angkor Wat
The Angkor Wat temple complex is huge. In addition to the temples, enter villages and communities live within the temple area. This recording shares the sound of jungle birds combined village life with voices and some scooters. UNESCO listing: Angkor Wat Recorded by Paul Virostek. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
The bloody history of the Tower
Inside the Tower of London castle keep, we join a tourist group and listen in to the dramatic introduction from the tour guide, as he describes some of the illustrious - and bloody - history of the famous Tower through the centuries. UNESCO listing: Tower of London Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s mo...
8m Mar 23, 2025
8m
Grey whale at Vizcaino
Gray Whales at San Carlos Lagoon (Sanctuary of El Vizcaino). Stereo 48kHz 24Bit. UNESCO listing: Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
5m Mar 23, 2025
5m
Night insects at Calakmul
Night insects at Calakmul. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Zocalo Puebla
Zocalo in the morning at Puebla's downtown. Mono 44kHz 16bit UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Puebla Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
I wanted to read more novels from Mexico
"When I visited Mexico in 1994, I didn't think to bring a tape recorder to document the environmental sounds, but we were high up in the dry mountains south of Monterrey; sounds beside the wind may have been scarce. Calakmul is a thousand miles away as the snake-grasping eagle flies and we certainly would not have heard anything like the insect soundscape that Erick Ruiz Arellano collected. "M...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
A whale song
"A Whale Song came about in a few stages. "In 2019 I was fortunate enough to take a trip out to sea with my family to watch the Humpback Whale migration. We were out there for a while with not a whale in sight, so had the feeling to sing one to us. So I started to sing. And lo and behold, a whale appeared. This magnificent creature stayed by our boat for over an hour, going under and around us...
10m Mar 23, 2025
10m
Amigo
"I've never been to Mexico City or Zócalo de Puebla, but I do know the feeling of sitting in a small city park, in a city full of parks—a brief moment of pause in the midst of a hectic megacity. I think about my day, the week gone by, the month, the year. A rare moment of stillness. "As I listened to the recording, I wondered how the soundscape of Zócalo de Puebla has changed over the years, j...
3m Mar 23, 2025
3m
Walking across Rialto Bridge
The sounds of footsteps on the Rialto bridge, footsteps, snippets of conversations from passersby and vendors, the lapping of water at the footsteps to the bridge, the cry of gulls, and the sounds of passing boats. This is a field recording I took of walking over the Rialto bridge, an heritage space of culture, bartering, and tourism for centuries. This is a preliminary recording in which I wa...
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Toy train at Darjeeling
Toy train at Darjeeling, recording happens onboard train. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Mountain Railways of India Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage
2m Mar 23, 2025
2m
Fanfare for a toy train
"The toy train is the unsung workhorse of the Himalayan mountain railway and is synonymous with the heritage of Darjeeling. I felt it needed its own little celebration and hence, hearing its whistle in the field recording, I thought it would make an ideal instrument. Isolating its whistle I did a bit of pitch shifting to create the chords of the fanfare. The whole piece is solely composed from ...
3m Mar 23, 2025
3m
The heartbeat of Thingvellir
"At the heart of this sound recording was the sound of footsteps walking through Þingvellir National Park. As I listened to the recording it got me thinking about how many feet must have walked through the landscape over the years and how many stories those footsteps would tell. As the site of the Alþing (the Icelandic Parliament) since the 900's, I can only imagine the ceremonies, rituals and ...
3m Mar 23, 2025
3m
Between the human and more-than-human
"I was struck by the phrase in the description of the field recording—human and more-than-human—which is a philosophical concept at the core of my artistic work. I saw this coincidence as a sign of fate, and, in complex and sometimes contradictory ways, I feel deeply connected to Venice. "We exist within complex soundscapes where the boundary between human and non-human is more fluid than we o...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
Zagorian nocturne
This is the classic warm evening soundscape high up in the mountains. Crickets, edible dormice, mountain dogs combine stridulations and vocalisations to form a rich and evocative ear massage. On this recording a wild boar briefly visits my microphones right by our garden fence. In the past you might have heard distant goat or sheep bells ringing as the flocks graze in the upland summer pasture...
5m Mar 23, 2025
5m
The bells of St. Matthias
Midday bells chiming at the 14th-century Matthias Church in Budapest. The church has 7 bells. Six of them are located in the bell tower and the last damaged bell hangs in the cavalry tower. Three of the tower's bells are historic bells (from years 1723, 1724 and 1891). The church received four new bells in 2010, and at that time the St. Károly bell sound correction took place. The sound is colo...
3m Mar 23, 2025
3m
Sine
"The evocative sound of a bell has long fascinated me, the field recording I chose is a superb recording of the chime of large bells which I was drawn to because of its open possibilities. The piece I have submitted was composed and performed on a modular synthesiser using bell inspired sounds and some dark ambient textural pads that play off the original recording, the whole piece is very dark...
4m Mar 23, 2025
4m
The message
"The Message is built upon a popular urban legend which has circulated for years about what was recorded when Russian scientists drilled a nine mile hole into the ground in Siberia, lowered microphones into it and recorded what they heard. This legend is known as the Siberian Hell Sounds or Well to Hell. "Art Bell, an American broadcaster who hosted a show called Coast to Coast AM about the pa...
5m Mar 23, 2025
5m
Zagorian nocturne meditation
"I found the overall feel of the recording, especially the regular chirping of the crickets, to be very relaxing, and this led me into thinking that I needed to produce something calming and meditative. "I wanted to keep the field recording running throughout, but after a few trial runs I felt that I needed more room to play with, so extended the recording by replicating a section from the mid...
8m Mar 23, 2025
8m
Gentle giants
"Inspired by Colin Hunter’s field recording from Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to nearly half of the world’s wild mountain gorilla population—Gentle Giants is a sonic exploration of this remarkable environment. Once classified as critically endangered, the mountain gorilla’s population has grown to over 1,000 thanks to dedicated conserva...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
08:15
"The chime of the clock tower resounding everyday at 8.15, the time when mankind received its baptism of the atomic bomb for the first time" - https://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/virtual/map-e/irei/tour_07_e.html Hiroshima Peace Memorial reimagined by Alex Vald. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and ...
8m Mar 23, 2025
8m
Chartres
"I’ve always been deeply fascinated by the sonic characteristics of sacred spaces. One of my very first experiences of field recording was walking into St. Paul’s Cathedral in London equipped with a pair of binaural microphones and recording the choral evensong. That night a change in how I perceived sound occurred, as if revealing an alternate dimension. I have since visited many different spi...
6m Mar 23, 2025
6m
The bridge keepers
"I am always astounded by the ephemeral nature of what unfolds on bridges and so this is what initially drew me to this recording. Are the people walking this bridge walking it for the first time? Did some of the people crossing bear witness to its destruction during the Croat-Bosniak War and eventual rebuilding of it? This bridge in particular represents the coming together and reconciliation ...
7m Mar 23, 2025
7m