Happy Christmas from the Netherlands
"Radio Netherlands, Happy Station Christmas Broadcast (Studio Recording): December 12, 1956." Recorded by Walter Santner, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
35m Jan 02, 2022
35m
Radio Kuwait (start of Iraqi invasion): August 2, 1990
"Recording of Radio Kuwait during the start of the invasion by Iraq. My understanding is that the broadcast originated from the Radio Kuwait transmitter site, which had not yet been occupied by Iraqi forces. Transmission consisted of music and announcements in Arabic." Recorded by Tom Gavaras, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting an...
29m Jan 02, 2022
29m
Afghanistan calling Europe
 "I love the randomness of shortwave, the way voices drift in and out of reception, the weird static elements. There is something so mournful about the isolated “Afghanistan calling Europe” that it seemed after a while to be a cry for help - so I included in the background static the morse code for SOS and then sampled and distorted a Taliban interview I found on YouTube to reflect what is happ...
3m Jan 02, 2022
3m
Did I hear me?
"This is a story of my youth listening to SW radio and playing instruments. The static is the empty space in my mind, the radio is the noise needed to fill the vacuum. The sounds are interrupted and distorted, repeated and flavoured as I try to block out the noise of the world around me. Pulses represent the nagging idea that I should be doing something else, eventually drowned out by the pleas...
13m Jan 02, 2022
13m
Radio Peking
"I was so struck by the way the symphonic intro and outro music was distorted and processed through the shortwave radio medium that I had to use it as source material for a piece. My hope is to retain the strident nature of the original material of the orchestra while creating a hypnotic and open sound environment for sonic exploration on the part of the listener." Composition by Matt Zook. P...
4m Jan 02, 2022
4m
Radio Afghanistan station ID
"This second [Radio Afghanistan] recording was made at the end of the 1970s during the soviet occupation of Afghanistan when RA programmes were rebroadcasted via Soviet transmitters. In this case it is the english service beamed to several parts of Asia. The recording was made one some day at 0900 GMT on 15435 kHz. It was a relay via Soviet transmitter." Recorded by Manfred Reiff, courtesy of...
2m Jan 02, 2022
2m
Radio Tawantinsuyo (Peru): 1970s
"Rising early in the morning was a regular activity of DXers who wanted to hear the more difficult stations from Latin America that used to fill the shortwave bands.  One of those was Radio Tawantinsuyo, located in Cuzco, Peru.   The station was on 6,175khz in the 49 meter band but was more often heard on variable frequencies as low as 6,173 khz.   This recording of the station sign on brings b...
4m Jan 02, 2022
4m
The death of Mao Zedong
"Radio Peking- Death of Mao Zedong (9 September 1976) The death of Chairman Mao at 82 in 1976 brought to an end the Cultural Revolution which cost millions of lives. Monitored from Radio Peking shortwave service. Commentary in English and funeral music." Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining ...
28m Jan 02, 2022
28m
If on a winter's night in Venice...
Venice Santa Lucia station on New Year's Eve reimagined by Cities and Memory. In this piece, the clouds of arpeggiated synth notes represent the busy travellers coming in and out of the station, while the steadier bass pulses represent the surety and predictability of a rail timetable and the practical reliability of the trains taking people home. The scene in the station on a foggy, freezing...
5m Jan 01, 2022
5m
New Year's Eve at Venice's station
New Year's Eve 2021, outside Santa Lucia train station in Venice. The bells nearest the train station are ringing for early evening mass while people hurry in and out of the station to carry on with their new year plans. We listen to the bells then head into the station, listening out for platform announcements, conversations and all the ambience you'd expect from a train station buzzing with l...
3m Jan 01, 2022
3m
Czech crisis radio (Xqui remix)
"The source recording had an almost anti-ambient feel to which I added neo-ambient loops. It's intended to be soothing yet slightly disturbing." Composition by Xqui. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
4m Dec 28, 2021
4m
Radio Moscow drone
"Drone piece using the original audio as a backdrop. Drone was created in Ableton Live using Wavetable synth run through some vintage effects." Composition by Andy Truscott. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
4m Dec 28, 2021
4m
Berlin sequence
"The piece is made from as many sequences as I could fit in – a representation of the Berlin sound." Composition by Simon Woods. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
3m Dec 28, 2021
3m
Communiqué
"This piece works with a complicated moment in the history of space music, electronic music, and political music.  "Part of the design of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong 1, was to make music using the satellite’s telemetric system. Specifically, it was designed to play the world the Maoist anthem “The East is Red," from which it took its name. An oral history of the project relates that ...
11m Dec 28, 2021
11m
The first flying person in Asia
 "This piece is made in honour of Ke Shouliang, who leaped over the Yellow River by car. This feat was done as a celebration for the returning of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and was widely covered in the chinese media. The CRI recording, used was actually the last one available on this Cities and Memory project, and I was really amazed how no-one had taken such a gem. In fact I liked the phrase ...
3m Dec 28, 2021
3m
The Czech crisis
"Friday 23 August,1968. Radio Moscow transmission to Australia 31 metres 13-30 hrs GMT. Announcer, Boris Novikov (1925- 1997) Twenty nine years after the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938, followed by WW2, the Warsaw Pact countries led by Russia invaded the country. This shortwave broadcast was recorded off-air in Australia by Ian Holder and gives the Russian view of the event. Less than tw...
18m Dec 28, 2021
18m
Hong Kong handover
"Daily coverage of the Hong Kong Handover between Britain and China in 1997. The broadcasts are mainly from China Radio International (CRI) which was previously Radio Peking/Beijing. Other broadcasts are from the BBC World Service and Radio Singapore International. Intros and off-air recording by Ian Holder, Australia. Information on the Hong Kong Handover - http://www.nytimes.com/learning/gene...
9m Dec 28, 2021
9m
China's first satellite
"Radio Peking- Sunday April 26, 1970 09-30 GMT. 19 metres. Recorded off-air by Ian Holder, Brisbane, Australia. China's first satellite information - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Fang_Hong_I"  Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the ...
22m Dec 28, 2021
22m
Elections in East Germany
"Radio Berlin International (1400 GMT- 21465khz). Recorded off-air by Ian Holder, Brisbane, Australia. Other broadcasts on this topic -https://archive.org/details/EastGermanElectionsNews19Mar90"  Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the who...
10m Dec 28, 2021
10m
The Polish crisis, 1981
"14 Dec. 1981 Radio Moscow 12.00 GMT 17860khz. Recorded off-air by Ian Holder, Brisbane, Australia. Other broadcasts on this topic - https://archive.org/details/PolishCrisis1981" Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at htt...
10m Dec 28, 2021
10m
Electro rickshaw
Bangladesh rickshaw ride reimagined by Cities and Memory. A chaotic field recording, with lots of small spikes of interest rapidly passing by, from car horns to truck engines, to passers-by calling out. Eight elements of interest were clipped and used as drum parts to construct a rhythm that reflected the chaotic nature of the original recording, with instrumentation added on top of the ricksh...
3m Dec 27, 2021
3m
Rickshaw ride, Bangladesh
A rickshaw ride passing along Ganginar Par Road, central Mymensingh, Bangladesh - traffic noise, horns, street chaos. Recorded by Luke Henrion.
1m Dec 27, 2021
1m
Interference pattern
"The point where all compete at once for the heart, imagining the non linear universe and the myriads of patterns creating worlds for each individual. I worked on this piece as I was losing one of the most important people in the world." Composition by Michelle Breslin - Lostworldsounds. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - f...
2m Dec 26, 2021
2m
Invalid-valid
"I was inspired by the sonic textures from the original piece and decided to limit my creative process by using the PO-33 K.O. to create the main structure of the composition. After sampling and creating beats, I layered the voices and music pieces from the original recording to make if fun and dynamic. Invalid-valid plays with the idea that there will always be approval and/or disapproval towa...
2m Dec 26, 2021
2m
Radio 0451 #2
"Taking into account the news of the original piece - an armed conflict - but also its outcome, with peaceful consequences, I tried to build a sound piece that took into account this vision of the end of war and the conquest of peace, combining sounds that, somehow, enter into dialogue..." Recorded by Luís Antero, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions pr...
5m Dec 26, 2021
5m
The coup fails
"Coup fails, BBC World Service (21 August 1991. 13 hrs GMT 9740 khz)" Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
2m Dec 26, 2021
2m
Gorbachev overthrown
"Gorbachev overthrown (Monday 19 August 1991), shortwave broadcasts - Radio Moscow (13 hrs GMT. 15560 khz)" Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
5m Dec 26, 2021
5m
Japan-China Treaty, 1972
The signing of the Japan-China treaty, Fri. Sept. 29, 1972.  Radio Japan 0930 GMT. Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
12m Dec 26, 2021
12m
Ghosts of shortwave interference
"The starting point for this track was a recording of a British forces propaganda broadcast (in Latin American) being jammed by Argentinian forces during the Falklands conflict - abstract airwaves interfering with each other somewhere out at sea, over cold grey water, beneath cold grey skies. "I isolated the frequencies where the interference was centred and tried from there, from that area wh...
4m Dec 26, 2021
4m
Lliw (colour)
"Pyongyang military march musical accompaniment. The hope and human sadness of a socialist state." Composition by Mark Baker. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
4m Dec 26, 2021
4m
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
"Inspired by the content of the original recording, I manipulated contemporary music and found sounds to invoke a landscape where war visited suddenly, and just as quickly dissipated." Composition by Jeff Economy. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/short...
3m Dec 26, 2021
3m
Indo-Pakistan War
Shortwave transmissions from All India Radio during the Indo-Pakistan War (1971). Recorded by Ian Holder, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave
3m Dec 26, 2021
3m
KCBS Pyongyang: December 3, 2016
"This recording was taken at 15kHz filtering, and is for historical purposes. It was taken via using the globaltuners.com node in Daegu, South Korea tuned to 2850kHz which is the domestic SW frequency of the DPRK. 2850kHz simulcasts the same broadcast on their MW frequency of 819kHz. 819kHz is listenable via this node, but it is usually met with noise jamming from the ROK and the 2850kHz freque...
2m Dec 26, 2021
2m
Radio Atlantico del Sur (Falklands War British MOD Station)
"Radio Atlantico del Sur was a Spanish language radio station operated by the British Ministry of Defense during the Falklands War as part of its psychological operations aimed at Argentine troops. The station broadcast from a BBC transmitter on Ascension Island from May 19 until June 15, 1982. You can hear in the background a jamming transmitter from Argentina throughout the recording." Recor...
28m Dec 26, 2021
28m
On-repeat/Un-repeat
"A shortwave transmission renders distant numbers folded in mystery. We hear them over and over again, unable to decipher them. Repetitive as they may be, the sound of these numbers is never the same, changing according to the spaces and perceptual practices through which they are heard. Thinking of number stations and the notion of repetition as an impossibility, this piece places a shortwave ...
3m Dec 26, 2021
3m
Numbers game
"I started by mangling the source material and extracting small snippets of sound to create much of the rhythm of the composition.The spy station numbers run throughout the piece to create a complex random ever evolving pulse to the piece.The big dubbed out bass line and supporting melody came from a modular system." Composition by Alex Hehir. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, docu...
6m Dec 26, 2021
6m
The English Man
"I caught and recorded the numbers station often referred to as the English Man. He was found in the pirate radio watering hole (of 6,925-6,990 kHz) on 6,949 kHz. After sifting through more spectrum recordings taken the following evening by the Microtelecom Perseus, I realized that I caught him once again at the exact same time and frequency." Recorded by Thomas Witherspoon, courtesy of the Sh...
10m Dec 26, 2021
10m
UNID Spy Numbers Station
"This is a spy numbers station I recorded in the summer of 1993 but I forget the frequency. I used my Kenwood TS-690S transceiver and I believe the time was around 05:00 UTC." Recorded by Bruce Atchison, courtesy of the Shortwave Radio Archive. Part of the Shortwave Transmissions project, documenting and reimagining the sounds of shortwave radio - find out more and see the whole project at ht...
13m Dec 26, 2021
13m
In the skies above Xiuwu County
Xiuwu County, China village fireworks reimagined by Cities and Memory.  "Distant fireworks are always kind of hazy, kind of dreamy. Cascades of synth notes in clustered arpeggios circle in the sky above the village, and as we get closer to the fireworks, more layers of piano notes and other synths join in, matching the booms and bangs of the fireworks display. A mournful, stately celebration." 
6m Dec 24, 2021
6m
Fireworks in the village
The sound of fireworks, the sound of birds, and talking in the village - 河南省焦作市修武县(Xiuwu County, Jiaozuo, Henan, China). Recorded by Dicaprixin.
20m Dec 24, 2021
20m
Bar hopping in Venice
Young people drink wine, eat cichetti and chat excitedly outside Cantina Do Mori in Venice in the late afternoon. 
3m Dec 24, 2021
3m
Stealing souls in Venice
Outside Cantina Do Mori, Venice reimagined by Cristina Marras. "Field recording feels sometimes like stealing from people's most intimate moments."
3m Dec 24, 2021
3m
Anglfind
Suffolk beach waves reimagined by Karhide.  "The idea at the start of the track was to create a dark slow call and response with the guitar line and sound of the waves. It was built around an initial clean guitar line and then I add lead and rhythm guitar along with bass and drums."
7m Dec 17, 2021
7m
Fall line
Thailand night market reimagined by Karhide. "This is based around the nighttime recording of Koh Phangan Market in Thailand and filtered using fab filter volcano and then used the eventide crystals to create octaves from the filtered sound. Then added a Lounge Lizard riff as the main theme through the track along with guitars, bass, and drums."
6m Dec 17, 2021
6m
Autopilot
Mongolian nightscape reimagined by Karhide. "Created a texture with the nighttime soundscape field recording from Khovd, Mongolia by stretching the audio and then adding the multiple delays along with the eventide Quadravox for some pitch-shifting fun.  Once I had the sound I came up with the guitar chords, lead line, and then added the drums and bass."
6m Dec 17, 2021
6m
Interpreter
Punta Arenas supermarket reimagined by Karhide. "This is the first track I worked on for the At Night EP and I created a drone from guitar playing distorted chords and an arpeggio line over the affected field recording from the Unimarc supermarket in Punta Arenas, Chile turning it into a pad. I then added a minimal electronic beat that changes all the way through the track."
6m Dec 17, 2021
6m
Downlink
King Khalid airport reimagined by Karhide. "This had a different start to the others where I had a drum groove idea and then chopped the field recording from Saudi Arabia King Khalid airport terminal 1 around the beat and then came up with the guitar chord progressions and then the guitar lead line."
3m Dec 17, 2021
3m
On Aldeburgh Beach
"This seascape is iconic, not least because of the link with Benjamin Britten, but also because of the nature of the pebble and shape of the beach. I’ve made several attempts at recording this location in the past, but the lockdown enabled me to record without noise pollution. An unexpected bonus that night were three planets rising across the horizon and a comet!" Aldeburgh Beach, Suffolk, En...
12m Dec 16, 2021
12m
Khovd in the dead of night
Night soundscape from Khovd, Mongolia recorded by Alfredo Ardia. "At night I could hear from the window a quiet soundscapes made of dog barks, human voices and few cars passing by which would melt all together following the reverberant acoustic of the town. It sounded so unreal, almost like in a dream. I kept listening to it for a while before realizing I was actually awake."
3m Dec 16, 2021
3m
King Khalid airport, Terminal 1
A recording from inside Terminal 1 (international departures) at Riyadh's main airport, King Khalid - the sounds of passengers queuing for checkin, automatic doors and the bustle of a Saudi Arabian airport terminal. Recorded by Cities and Memory.
2m Dec 16, 2021
2m