Cities And Memory

"When I heard the field recording I knew I wanted to work with the combination of harp and surrounding ambience. But I kept thinking about the scene-the Villa Borghese gardens, on the site of the ancient gardens of Lucullus, in terms of its temporal layers: the gardens, the recreated temple of Asklepios, and harp as a complicated symbol that usually gestures toward some version of a musical past.  "That sent me down a rabbit hole that involved researching and building replicas of an ancient Roman style cithara and an ancient Greek chelis-style lyre, which are the two main plucked instruments you can hear in the track. The cithara has a clean, guitar-like sound, while the lyre has slacker strings that buzz against the bridge. The majority of the pad-like sounds are also samples of those instruments, along with harps, electric guitar, and a low helicopter drone." Roman boating lake reimagined by John Savarese.

"The field recording chosen is the sound of the frozen sea in Finland. This sound of ice contrasted with the theme of the call, which is related to spring. So I associated the coldness of the ice with the harshness of war, which persists in this spring. In general terms, it is the representation of the constant tension and menace of war conflicts, and that peace is thin and delicate, always at risk." Helsinki frozen beach reimagined by Rodrigo Romero-Flores.

"Having recently experienced a live cinema screening where one moment of the film used coins as a part of the Foley performance, similar images and sounds were very vivid in my mind. When I heard this field recording from Kyoto that incorporated coins and clapping, I felt it was one that I should choose.  "To work with the recording, I divided different instances of clapping and coins into samples to be used as different instruments. I looped portions of the recording, slowed down others, and used other signal processing techniques to create new distinct sounds, all while the original recording plays in full. Pulling from a diverse body of music history, I used elements of phase music popularized by Steve Reich, as well as classic samples from 808 and 909 drum machines." Kyoto temple prayer reimagined by aimless ohm.

Wooden architecture is a significant characteristic of Japanese architecture, reflecting the experiences gained by the Japanese people through their ongoing battles with natural disasters. Wooden buildings embody the Japanese spirit of continuous exploration and adventure, with one of the primary manifestations being various shrine constructions. The recording location for 'Fushimi Inari Taisha - Prayer' is at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Japan. In front of the main hall of this shrine, there is a wooden apparatus similar to a donation box. People are required to clap their hands twice in prayer and then toss money into this wooden donation box. The sound of clapping hands and the clinking of coins, as they collide with the donation box, reverberates continuously within the main hall, as if each coin drop is the delivery of people's wishes. Recorded by Zion Bai.

2024 New Year's Eve soundscape from Siemensdamm, Östlicher Luftfilterturm in Berlin, Germany. Recorded by Ashkan Beheshti.

 Next to the boating lake by the Tempio di Esculapio in the Villa Borghese Park in Rome. A harp busker performs, we walk around the lake listening to passers-by on a Sunday morning in April, and a police helicopter passes overhead.  Recorded by Cities and Memory.

 Mass bells ring at 6pm on Christmas Eve in Padova, Italy in Prato della Valle, the largest piazza in Italy, alongside local skaters getting their last practice in before Christmas.  Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

 Micro bat (large footed myotis bat) sounds from inside the disused (since 1932) Dularcha Rail Tunnel, Mooloolah, Queensland, Australia. Audible sounds include: bat sounds, bird sounds, wind in the trees outside and distant trains (from the current train line). Recorded by Glenn Legge.

"For this piece I decided to limit myself solely to the source field recording without adding any additional instrumentation or other audio. The field recording appealed (pun intended) to me as I wanted to try to find a relationship between the two unrelated elements, the pealing cathedral bells and the clatter and roll of the skateboards. Through use of Ableton Live's Corpus Plug-in, I created metallic textures from the skateboard sounds to construct a skate-carillon to compliment the chiming of the cathedral bells.  Padova Christmas Even bells reimagined by Paul Watson.

 "As soon as I heard the fireworks in the recording it took me straight back to a New Year’s I spent with a group of musician friends in Wismar, East Germany. I manipulated the sounds of the fireworks and created industrial sounding loops that reminded me of Porter Ricks or Surgeon - as Berlin is strongly associated with Techno music I decided to try and create a piece that you might hear on the sound system in Berghain or some other Berlin Club." Berlin New Year's Eve celebration reimagined by Dead Kousin.

"A journey underground."  Dularcha Rail Tunnel, Mooloolah, Queensland, Australia reimagined by Alex Vald.

This recording captures the raw intensity and vibrancy of the Mascletà in Valencia, recorded on the 11th of March, 2024.  A celebration of sound and tradition, thunderous roars of meticulously synchronized explosions, echoing through the bustling streets of Valencia.  Recorded by Carlos Berrizbeitia.

 A meal at the traditional Hungarian restaurant Nancsi Neni in the suburbs of Budapest, with the clattering of plates, the sounds of diners and waiting staff and the accompaniment of an accordion player entertaining the clientele with some traditional tunes.  Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

It's October 7th, and in two days, the city of Valencia will celebrate the "Day of the Valencian Community." Since the market isn't open on Sundays, most people have come to the market today to buy everything they need for the holiday.  The market is bustling, with everyone speedily moving from stand to stand to stock up before heading out to the street where the Association of Pyrotechnicians of the Valencian Community is preparing to launch hundreds of fireworks to celebrate a "mascletà," an event known for its noisy and rhythmic compositions using explosives. Recorded by Carlos Berrizbeitia.

A family day at the beach and stopped off to have some fish and chips, you can hear a conversation about chairs and games consoles. Recorded in Wells Next The Sea, England by Gary Pitt.

"The recording to me made me think beyond where I am now, how places once sounded, I wanted to take parts of it to create what a memory could be of such an event. It reminded me of the last time I spent with friends on NYE before lockdown; also some events as in the someone sending me a recording of swifts outside their flat; the first place I visited post lockdown.  "I mixed fireworks from my own recordings combined with the ones in the original recording. The ones I included were recorded in a forest next to a small village.  The fireworks echoed from all the surrounding villages and the nearby town. I also wanted to start exploring synths and ambient music again, and the aim was to create a bit of nostalgia and a sense of memory through this music genre." Valencia Mascleta celebration reimagined by Philip Mill. 

"I am aware of the vibrant, colourful markets in Spain and could really picture the scenes there as I listened to the field recording. I wanted to capture some of the nuances I imagined there, through the piece, to illustrate the feeling that within the liveliness of a market there are also pockets of calm as sounds merge and people move around each other." Valencia central market reimagined by Suzi Lamb.

"Found sound percussion, in a busy cafe by the sea." Wells Next The Sea chip shop sounds reimagined by Nev (thequietwood).

The piece came about intuitively. It suggested the idea of a moment of time encapsulated and half remembered like ghosts at long forgotten party, floating gaily above a shifting, uncertain, menacing underbelly. Nancsi Neni restaurant, Budapest reimagined by Patrick Bridge.

"The field recording of the harbour in Plymouth carried me, immediately, to the sounds and atmosphere of the path on which I walk along the shores of Lake Michigan. The sounds of Plymouth reminded me of the greatest thinking place in the world - a path along the water." Mount Wise, Plymouth reimagined by Christina Lucchesi.