Cities And Memory

"The sound of the bells playing in the background created an eerie feeling that I wanted to expand on. I used effects such as chorus and reverb to make the bells sound more dissonant and ghost-like. I felt that this sound worked well as a build up to something much more heavy, so I created a metal composition that uses the sound of these bells to provide atmosphere for." Stare Miasto, Krakow reimagined by Henry Svageris. ——————— 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

"Originally I had my heart set on making a more upbeat track, but me and my mate came up with a more mellow chord progression and then it all came together. There is not much story behind this beat, I want the listener to make their own story, letting the beat help them reimagine an event or time, whether it is a good or bad memory. The overall message for this beat is to keep going in life, no matter what happens. The soft kick playing in the intro and end of the track is meant to enforce this message as It is a sample of a heart beating. The sample we used was an Italian church bell ringing, which I pitched up and added echo. It plays every four beats." Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza reimagined by Isaac Dudzicki. ——————— 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

My journey to Machu Picchu was a grueling five-day trek through some of the most challenging yet breathtaking terrain in the Andes. Descending from the high mountains into the lush jungle, I was surrounded by the rhythmic squelch of muddy paths underfoot, the cheerful chirping of dawn birds, and the distant roar of rivers carving through valleys. This soundscape captures the essence of an epic adventure, blending exertion with awe. UNESCO listing: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Recorded by Rafael Diogo ——————— 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

"Machu Picchu Paces is inspired by my own trek along the Inca Trail in 2024, a journey of beauty, grandeur, and mystical setting culminating in Machu Picchu that left a deep impression on me. The raw beauty of the young Andes Mountains, the shifting terrain and biomes, and the sacred sense of place – a perfect integration of architecture into the landscape – resonated deeply with me. "My composition was created exclusively using a field recording from a 5-day trek along the Inca trail – the same duration as mine. The piece responds to the walking rhythm captured in the recording, which seemed unusually fast compared to my experience. Slow and steady is the way of the Inca Trail, and I wanted to expand the scope of rhythms to embrace the full range of travelers. I used time scaling to adjust the step rate and create four variants at different tempos, ranging from 40 steps per minute (an elderly hiker) to 150 (a professional porter). These operations produced sound files of different durations, which were then

After days of trekking through the Andes, the sight of Machu Picchu is unforgettable. Nearby, the horses that carried supplies for the arduous journey graze peacefully, their heavy breaths mingling with the faint, ghostly hum of the valley below. The stillness and raw power of the landscape create a profound connection to this historic wonder. UNESCO listing: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Recorded by Rafael Diogo ——————— 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

As dawn breaks over Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel is bathed in ethereal light. Before the rush of tourists, the sacred site is alive with the soft hum of nature—distant birdcalls, the rustle of leaves, and the occasional whisper of wind through the ruins. This is a moment of profound serenity, where the past and present converge in one of the world’s most iconic landscapes. UNESCO listing: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Recorded by Rafael Diogo ——————— 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

In the traditional mountain homes surrounding Machu Picchu, guinea pigs are an integral part of life. Their soft chirping fills the air, a domestic melody woven into the cultural fabric of the Andes. Raised by locals as both companions and a cherished delicacy, these small creatures bring a unique charm to the region’s soundscape. UNESCO listing: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Recorded by Rafael Diogo ——————— 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

"As I listen to the captured birdsongs of Machu Picchu, I wonder how the sonic landscape has changed over the course of 500+ years. Would these calls be the same birdsongs heard long before the citadel's construction, and how long until the birdsongs cease? Will they become nothing but a memory for those who have visited the site?  "I emphasize these thoughts of sonic heritage augmenting the sound of the recorded birdsong, representing the memory of the sounds once heard and those imagined before the sound of tourists from the original recording appear to represent change. I then added the sounds of windchimes and thunderstorms recorded at my childhood home in Kentucky to connect the piece to a soundscape from my past. A soundscape that has and will continue to change throughout my lifetime. The temporal nature of sound makes the fleeting moments of day-to-day soundscapes meaningful and unique, yet over time they will change and evolve in natural and unnatural ways. How do we preserve the dense and ever-chan

"The guinea pigs were so musical on their own, and I imagined them kept in a peaceful, quiet village. I didn't add any other sound sources beyond the field recording. The recording was processed with a variety of granular engines, delays and reverbs and the original sound is progressively distorted and altered until it's unrecognisable. I was thinking of the press of modernity and the seemingly unrelenting grind of progress weighing in. I hope in reality this place and people will find a way to honour their lifeways and keep what is most valuable to them." Guinea pigs at Machu Picchu reimagined by m camp. ——————— 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

"This recording from Machu Picchu was very beautiful on its own, with the resonant sound of hoof beats, and the sounds of birds and insects seeming to suspend time. I wanted to make sure any transformation of those sounds still honored those qualities. I wanted the piece to linger over those sections, so they're extended--by looping and by dropping pitch, to allow these sounds to touch lower parts of the sonic spectrum. (Even with years of digital work, my roots are in tape.)  "I arranged the transformed sections of the field recording into a structure based on these excerpts of the recording, their transformed (or not) speed and pitch, and each excerpt's relations to the other excerpts around it.  "The suspended-time quality of the original recording led me (as a guitar player) to think of the instrument most likely to mirror that quality: the pedal steel. I recorded multiple improvisations with the pedal steel in which I responded to the sounds of the field recording excerpts, in a kind of dialog with the

"The tension in the knife sharpening, and the repeated voice, shouting instruction, morphs into a state of freedom, floating in a beautiful state. Familiar sounds blend into patterns and notes to transport us musically." Arequipa knife sharpeners reimagined by Michelle Breslin/Lostworldsounds. ——————— 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

" was inspired by the human presence, so transient and passing in relation to the constant swirl of the sea and wind. I liked the sound of the natural forces and began to think of power, giants, myths, and stories given to landscape. "When I first heard the sound I was in Llanberis in North Wales, I spend a lot of time there, and often walk through another heritage site, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, an excavation into the mountain, Elidir. When the conditions are right we can see the Irish coastline from the quarry and I began to imagine a dialogue between the scarred Elidir and Fionn Mac Cumhaill, calling across the sea. "I was conscious of the difference between the two sites, one a natural formation, with its basalt columns, and the other man made, its slate exported worldwide. I wanted to respond with sounds generated locally by the elements. I was keen to use recordings I had gathered in the quarry - the wind through pipes and machinery left in situ - and also the 'organ pipe' like formation of the basalt co

In the heart of Cusco, the voices of bus ticket vendors create an impromptu symphony. Their melodic calls, each vying for attention, blend into a captivating polyphony that is uniquely Peruvian. This vibrant tradition brings life to the city’s bustling streets, a testament to its role as a crossroads in the Andes. UNESCO listing: City of Cuzco Recorded by Rafael Diogo. ——————— 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

"Browsing through the audio files and listening to a few, I came across a recording that caught my ear. The sounds of different insects formed an afternoon melody in the desert. "Paquimé is an archaeological site of a long-gone culture, the ruins of a once-thriving city. I try to imagine how it sounded when it was populated—how it must have felt to walk through its streets. As a pre-industrial city, its sonic landscape likely blended human and non-human activity: the songs of birds waking with the sunrise, people walking to the river to collect water, and insects buzzing around the town's market. "The lively sounds of insects in this recording are among the few remnants left behind— a sonic memory of what no longer exists, a way for them to tell each other and remind us of the past. "I wanted to compose a piece using this recording, sampling moments from it and adding a few atmospheric synth sounds. Together, they invite listeners to imagine different pasts while reflecting on history and possible futures.

"The field recording, sounds of individuals selling bus tickets in Peru, reminded me of similar sonic experiences I have had in San Francisco and New York City. Hearing the recording immediately took me to the images I know of Peru and promptly meshed those images with the sounds and imaged from mass transit terminals in the US cities I have lived in and traveled in. It represents, for me, a sonic impression of the diverse voices that exist in all places. The most immediate experience I had, sonically, was that I immediately related the Peruvian recording to the similar sounds of my own experiences, even though I do not speak the language of Peru -- signifying that even though we are culturally very different, we share attributes that make communication at a humanistic level possible. "I began my process by listening to the field recording on loop to really become familiar with it. I then noted the variety of voices (women, children and men) and the way those voices intertwined. I used a DAW to chop the reco

Knife sharpeners at Arequipa. Stereo 48kHz 24bit UNESCO listing: Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa 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

The last time that Felicia Barr and I had a "real" vacation was just before the pandemic. We travelled to Ireland in September of 2019 and one of our stops was Giant's Causeway which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Giant's Causeway is a magical place which features hexagonal columns that form stepping stones which disappear into the sea. According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The day was very cold, wet and blustery as we walked around the area. In the recording, you hear a lot of noise from the wind and the water pounding the shore but sometimes you can hear different voices of people as they pass us by. It brought us so much joy to be there that we stayed for hours and just as we were about to leave, the sun finally burst through the clouds. UNESCO listing: Giant's Causeway Recorded by Bill McKenna. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights. Find out more and explore t

Desert hum wind and quiet insects at the Archaeological Zone of Paquimé. Stereo 48khz 24Bit. UNESCO listing: Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes 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

"The field recording that I chose was of temple bells in a Buddhist Temple in Myanmar. The bells represent calmness and meditation and symbolises the Buddha's voice. I started my composition with just the bells to represent someone being in a clear minded stated, and gradually included other elements into the composition until the bells can barely be heard, symbolising how small daily life struggles sum together and cloud our minds." Myanmar temple clochettes reimagined by Rex Morgan. ——————— 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

"The piece is based on a field recording of workers cutting agave near Tequila, Mexico. The rhythmic, percussive sounds immediately captured my attention, as well as the cultural significance of the plant. The composition explores themes of Sonic Heritage, preserving the importance of agave labor, which is deeply tied to Mexica (Aztec) traditions and the reverence for Mayahuel, the goddess of agave. Mayahuel represents the sacred and nourishing qualities of the plant, central to Mexica culture for centuries. "I worked with the recording both as a collection of samples and as a unified entity. While time-stretching it to lay a foundational base layer (a sort of cantus firmus), hidden tonal qualities emerged, transforming the sound into a more abstract, almost ceremonial texture. This shift guided the piece's structure. "The narrative of the piece follows a worker who experiences a spiritual revelation during their workday, leading to a new equilibrium between labor and spirituality. This journey is reflected