Echoes from the roof

The production process centred on preserving the integrity of the original field recording from Lokhim, Nepal, while building a modern arrangement around it. Spectral Layers was utilised to isolate the vocal line from the background noise and original percussion, allowing the singer’s performance to remain the focal point without destructive editing. Once isolated, Melodyne and a custom built MIDI analysis tool were used to map the vocal’s intonation, identifying the scale to guide the new instrumentation.

Structured with a traditional verse and chorus arrangement, the track blends this preserved archival audio with contemporary sound design. The rhythm was programmed with the Air DrumSynth and Synplant provides melodic textures that complement the vocal. The atmosphere is heavily shaped by a number of Eventide effects — including Blackhole, UltraTap, and Physion Mk II — with Temperance Pro transforming processed artifacts of the vocal into a background drone, all arranged in Ableton Live and finalised with iZotope Ozone.

Man singing with percussion reimagined by Karhide.

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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