Downstream

When approaching a project like this I try to come up with a concept quickly - the immediacy of ideas is what makes most sense to me. To me, the sample reminded me of people rapping, and the flow of the original sample seemed to ask for some accompanying electronic instrumentation to give them centre stage. 

I tried three different approaches and stitched them together - the first part lends itself more to ambient listening, turning the vocals more into an instrument - and the second and third parts would be more at home in a club. I included parts of the sample where the people are also talking/expressing themselves to make it feel like a live jam - that they were also in the room. I think the restriction of not understanding the lyrics can also be an advantage - as the vocals can be used more like an instrument and listeners can focus on the tonality and flow of the words.

U'wa group chant reimagined by Richard Corke.

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Part of the project A Century of Sounds, reimagining 100 sounds covering 100 years from the collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford. Explore the full project at citiesandmemory.com/century-sounds