Cities And Memory

"I was drawn to the call of the Rag and Bone man, and I thought of the man himself, beyond the call - and imagined my own best beloved Great Grandmother and the stories she told me of getting a Donkey Stone from the Rag and Bone man, and scrubbing her step clean.  "It must have been important to her, because she told me about it as though it were a ritual. So I wrote her song, as she might sing to him.  Maybe she called him Donkey Stone.  "Maybe she dreamed of running away and living a life on the road, returning to the ways of her ancestors before her, who were travellers.  "So this song is for Catherine Lightfoot - or Granny Dean as she was to me." Bream rag and bone man reimagined by Subphotic.

Annual "palio" games are common across Italy, in which the town divides itself up into different quarters, which then compete in a series of games over several nights - here, we listen to the first event, the tug of war, with several rounds between different teams all named after animals. We can also hear the nightly "campana della sera" evening bells at 9.00pm midway through the recording.  Recorded in Villa del Conte, Italy, June 2025 by Cities and Memory. 

"|Using SpectralLayers, I isolated the background noise and PA voice into distinct layers that were shortened and pitch-shifted with various effects to create a bed for the track. Then samples of the voice and background were chopped up and woven into a chilled-out ambient composition." Villa del Conte palio games reimagined by Karhide.

Every now and then a Rag ‘n' Bone man (scrap metal man) drives his van round my village in the Forest of Dean picking up scrap metal. It has been difficult to record him. By the time I’ve got the recorder out he’s gone. This time I was lucky. The recording captures him passing down my lane, then the strident chatter of sparrows and the gentle hum of bees in the garden before we hear him again calling in the distance. Recorded by Paul Stephens-Wood.

The sounds of a bat detector converting bat echolocation calls into audible frequencies on a bat behaviour/nesting site survey in Oxfordshire.  Recorded by Giulia Biasibetti.

Finding a spot in Wuhu’s city center that fit this recording project’s theme was nearly impossible, but a sentimental taxi driver pointed me to Yuncao, a small town on the Yangtze’s north bank. Water transport (caoyun) is the origin of Wuhu’s name, hinting at stories embedded in the town’s identity. Recently turned into a tourist spot, it was still free of visitors, with shops and residents all locals, unhurried and unprepared for tourists—perfect for my experience and recording.  I arrived during breakfast time, with few vehicles around. Shopkeepers sauntered to open their stores, and kids were nudged to school. Local women spoke loudly, sounding like they were arguing, but were just chatting about daily life. Without the hum of scooters, this scene could belong to any era past. Recorded by Digimonk.

Mountain Waters captures the sound of water flowing along the Stickle Tarn trail in the Lake District, near Stickle Tarn at the heart of the Langdale Pikes. The water moves over rocks and drops, creating a rhythmic, textured sound that reflects the natural processes shaping this landscape. The Lake District, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is defined by its lakes and mountains, and this recording highlights the water that connects them. It provides a sense of place, transporting the listener to a key element of this heritage site. The sound was recorded using a Zoom H3-VR Ambisonic microphone and decoded to stereo. Ambisonic or binaural versions are also available for a more immersive experience. Recorded by Rob Parton.

Protest outside SOAS in support of Haya Adam - 26th September 2025. A Palestine-related protest outside SOAS, UoL, Bloomsbury, London. Haya Adam is a student who has led Palestine protests and was expelled from SOAS this summer. The first half of the recording has protest chants, the second half is a speech from Haya Adam. Recorded by James Errington.

A recording capturing the energised nature of Cape Town, complicated by the historic struggles that have defined the country. This was an autumn day, blue skies and bright sunshine. This was during my first trip to South Africa, where I had started visiting to uncover information about my South African family and dad, who died when I was very young. Recorded by Daniel Mackenzie.

Recorded on a summer morning in the middle of a beautiful rice field stretching as far as the eye can see. It felt like a magnificent sound installation, with crows and insects singing. Recorded in Niigata, Japan by Miyu Hosoi.

"This piece emerged kind of organically out of itself. It was rather hard to start to manipulate the original recording of Digimonk, because it was so beautifull in itself, technically and naratologically speaking.  "It turned out to become some kind of radiophonic storytelling piece." Wuhu old town soundscape reimagined by Sebastian Dingens.

"The heavy drumming and urgent voices in the recording immediately captured my attention. Following the rhythm of the recorded percussion I built sounds, that felt poignant and appropriate, around the initial groove and pitches inherent in the chanting voices. As a 'protest song' I felt that Dub and Reggae influences were relevant, and added charisma to the piece. I hope that I have captured something of the feelings of justified anger, sadness and hope that I drew from the source recording." SOAS protest in London reimagined by dead kousin.

"The music, rhythms, sounds from Cape Town have inspired many of us for long now. In this piece one can sense that layering of the rich fabric of the city musical history: all I did is trying to highlight the rhythms and motives, I didn't want to add anything else!" Cape Town dancers reimagined by Clelia Ciardulli.

"This sonic composition, titled Yūgen (幽玄), delves into the aesthetic of subtle beauty and the profound mystery that defines this Japanese concept. The work originates from a deep immersion in the serenity of the Niigata rice fields at dawn, a space of absolute tranquility where the absence of sounds from human sources becomes the creative driving force. "The process focused on the creation of an atmosphere that honors this initial stillness. The assigned field recording served as the foundational starting point, which was then subjected to sound design techniques. These included manipulating speed and pitch to highlight the subtle sounds of crickets and insects, combined with further processes such as granular synthesis, waveshaping, and extensive reverb. Crucially, this sonic sculpting was complemented by the summation of digital synthesizers and processed sampling to create evolving textures. Unlike much of my previous work, I deliberately avoided the inclusion of any recognizable human voice. The result

Step into the vibrant streets of Molenbeek, Belgium on a Sunday morning, where the sounds of the bustling market come alive. This immersive sound walk recording captures the sights and sounds of the local community as they go about their day. The air is filled with the cacophony of vendors calling out to passersby, the clinking of pots and pans, and the murmur of lively conversations in a variety of dialects. The scent of fresh produce and exotic spices wafts through the air, enticing shoppers to explore the stalls. In the distance, the gentle chime of church bells adds a touch of serenity to the scene, providing a poignant contrast to the energetic atmosphere of the market. Recorded by Colin Hunter.

This curiously named lane, marked by a stone archway, hosts an open-air market hemmed in by tall, dense residential buildings. Mobile vendors, traditional snack stalls, breakfast shops, butchers, and seafood stands huddle together, with a central lot crammed with bicycles and scooters. It serves as the local wet market, breakfast spot, and a hangout where elders idly stroll.  Vendors’ calls are swallowed by the bold, booming voices of Nanjing locals. Online, many claim this is Nanjing’s most authentic, lively spot, as if noise, chaos, and disorder define “local flavour.” The equation seems to be: noisy public spaces = bustling = vibrant = full of life. Defining a place’s spirit by its volume is a raw, unpolished truth. Recorded in Nanjing, China by Digimonk.

High in the misty mountains of northern Vietnam, the sound of water guides you to serenity. A gentle, steady stream cascades from the Love Waterfall as birds call softly in the distance – their contrast providing the perfect melody. This tranquil soundscape captures the pure essence of Sa Pa’s beauty, where nature sings in tones of peace and clarity, inviting you to breathe deeply and let go. Recorded in Sa Pa, Vietnam by Jake Edwards.

This is a simple field recording of passenger hubbub and train announcements at Baltimore Penn Station which was constructed in 1911. They have recently updated the building and they have started to play classical music in the background which I personally adore. Note: Some people like to affectionately call the city "Bawlmer", thus the file is named "Bawlmer Penn". Recorded by Bill McKenna.

In the Belén neighborhood of Iquitos, Peru, extreme poverty prevails. Residents live in wooden stilt houses along the Amazon River, vulnerable to flooding, with poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare. This recording captures the ambiance of the street market, where exotic animals are sold, reflecting a community trapped in poverty and neglect. Recorded by Rafael Diogo.

Å village is full of seagulls - they never stop talking and singing! Recorded in Lofoten, Norway by Agapi Zita.