Cities And Memory

 "I’m a citizen scientist for FrogWatch USA, so I was naturally drawn to the Oxford frogs field recording. The first thing I noticed was the contrast between human created sounds and environmental/wildlife sounds. A distant siren stood out as a metaphor for human time.  "I added traffic rushing past to emphasize the feeling of this concept. Digitally generated water plops, inspired by the original sounds in the field recording, lead a shift towards the frogs’ perspective.  "The ending presents the full color and intensity of the untouched field recording, representing the experience that frogs might have with time." Frogs in Oxford reimagined by Alexandra Pierschalla.

Violin practice drifts down from a window over an otherwise silent canal in Venice, Italy - a moment of rare peace off the beaten track in the centre of the city. Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

"The original recording has two distinct sections; the first features a violinist practicing whilst the second has more emphasis on people walking and talking. "I took a short section of the violin from the first part and slowed it down a little. I repeated this phrase whilst adding in other instruments as it repeats. The second half of the original recording is played over the music at roughly the half way point of the piece. In the same way that the instruments are introduced they fade slowly (at different speeds) through the second part of the piece leaving the solo violinist to continue their practice alone at the end. Because of the way the process works no two repeats are identical. "The title is a reference to Gavin Bryars (whom I studied composition with) both in the way that this piece shares a similar process with "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet" and to an early piece of his called "My First Homage"." Ponte Raspi, Venice reimagined by Simon Belshaw.

"The Gellert bath complex was built between 1912 and 1918 in the (Secession) Art Nouveau style. It was damaged during World War II but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from as early as the 13th century. A hospital was located on this site during the Middle Ages. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, baths were also built on this particular site. The "magical healing spring" was used by the Turkish during the 16th and 17th centuries.  "The bath was called Sárosfürdő ("muddy" bath) because the mineral mud settled at the bottom of pools. This is a recording from inside the large, ornate swimming pool room." Recorded by Cities and Memory in Budapest, Hungary. 

"The Gellért Bath complex in Budapest was built between 1912 and 1918 in the Successionist style, a movement seeking to break down historical traditions of 19th century architecture and art. During the same period Lajos Kassák a Hungarian Dada/Contructivist artist wrote and published the poem Mesteremberek (Craftsmen), a poem of the collective identity of skilled or artisanal labour. "This piece is inspired by elements of the history of the Bath, Kassák's poem and an era of change in art and architecture. The reimagined piece brings together the historical presence of the Gellért Bath with Kassák's poem by utilising a sound recording from the Bath and a recital of Kassák's work. The field recording is used to provide both ambient backing and a glimpse of the original recording as a backdrop for the recital." Gellert baths ornate swimming pool room reimagined by Paul Dunham.

An incredible scene captured in the centre of Paris one December evening. As we were walking back from dinner, we began to hear the roar first of several motorbikes, then of several dozen, then of hundreds all at once. More than 1,000 motorcyclists had gathered for a motorcycle parade through the centre of the city - and they were all dressed as Santa Claus. The event is the Carabalade, a charity bike ride begun in 2002 to raise money for orphans of firefighters which is now an annual fixture for the city's motorcyclists the Thursday before Christmas.  Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

"In this soundscape in a neighbourhood in suburban Ghana, you can hear active singing birds on a midday, subtle human activity, crowing roosters and clicking frogs." "Recorded in binaural. Please wear headphones." Recorded in Koforidua, Trom, Ghana by Samuel Kudjodzi.

"Brussels Airport, gate 43. Early in the morning (05:05AM local time) - Waiting to embark on the plane for a short vacation to Gran Canaria." Recorded by Tony Van Dorst.

"The airport recording offered a wealth of interesting abstract noises to play around with. I liked the mixture of natural and synthetic sounds - the hum of private conversations, the public announcements, the sounds of children contrasted with the pings and beeps of various devices against background noise. I'm fascinated by the way sound can be transformed through isolation and repetition.  "I took small slices of the field sample and used them to make beats, melodic motifs and phrases of spoken word. "I used a Moog Mother 32 to add some fizzy momentum and some extra rhythm to add drive." Brussels airport reimagined by Claire Pearson.

"Hearing the field recording of 1000 motorcyclists dressed as Santa Claus driving through Paris caught my attention right away. On its own, a near perfect composition.  "I embellished it a little by processing the original sound and using a recording of me whistling, then feeding it through my Lyra-8. It became more of a soundscape than a song, but the theme is still “Jingle Bells”. Now, just picture it!" Santa Claus motorbike parade in Paris reimagined by Eva Q Månsson.

"This raw material had elements which really appealed with its punctuation of the animals. I used Ableton Live to isolate these then with some heavy processing, played about with the pitch and timbres. The only VST used was Absynth FX which tends to pop up most of the time in my work and this treated the original sound file. My approach is more a wall of sound than specific beats and tend to veer towards ambient when in the studio." Wind and birds in Koforidua, Ghana reimagined by Glyn Roberts (FFRWD).

"I chose the recording of a single Taiko drummer at the morning ceremony held everyday at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. I discovered that there is a Taiko drum performance during the annual Autumn Grand Festival at the entrance of the Meiji Shrine in the Yoyogi Park and used this as inspiration to create a powerful rhythmical drumming piece.  "The beginning of the recording is used at the start of the piece, where a single slow taiko drum beat gradually accelerates, blending with my drum sounds as the track progresses. The tempo of the piece was taken from 3 single drums strikes in the middle of the original audio track.  "I wanted the listener to feel that they were standing listening outside, so I used the end of the track without any drums and looped it in the background to create the outdoor atmosphere. The title of the work TOMOE is the name of the ancient symbol often used to decorate the large Taiko drum heads." Taiko drumming in Tokyo reimagined by Amanda Stuart. 

One of the most beautiful tram rides in the world, the number 2 tram in Budapest moves along the bank of the Danube and allows you to see many of the city's most impressive buildings and sites all on one simple trip aboard the traditional yellow trams.  Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

Taiko drums are played during the 8 a.m. ceremony at Meiji Shrine, Tokyo, Japan.  Recorded by Yoshihiko Shiono. 

"A chose the piece because I found the idea of the Danube passing through so many countries and cultures, as a perfect representation of Europe. Unique, but connected by a river flowing through. It reminded me of my romanticised notion of Europe when I was younger and less well-travelled.  "My main exposure to Europe came not from books or TV, but from late night listening on Medium and Short Wave. The piece pays homage to the work of Ralph Lundsten, whose jingles for Radio Sweden International in the 1980s were both fascinating and a little bit spooky. It evoked a the wonders of travelling fairgrounds and carnivals and I'm always rather fascinated when I see them in cities like Munich and Lille when I travel there. "There may be a subtle nod to a Mr Strauss in my composition too.In the piece, I keep the same chord structure but drift in and out of different melodies like when one turns the dial of a radio." Recorded by Gareth Evans.

Ferrara International Buskers Festival 2023 - one of the top dates in the global street music calendar. Here we listen to a samba band from the Veneto region called Bloko Intestinhao, whose percussive music reverberates right across a large piazza. Recorded by Cities and Memory.

"When creating this piece, I drew inspiration from the Estense Castle in Ferrara, a renowned symbol of the city's heritage. The castle's walls have witnessed a myriad of events, intrigues, love affairs and personal dramas involving the Este family. The piece reflects the dual nature of the castle which functioned both as a formidable fortress and an elegant court residence where shadows echo the hidden stories and intrigues." Bloko Intestinhao at Ferrara Buskers Festival reimagined by LR Friberg.

At the Laguna Viva art exhibition in the VAC Foundation in Venice, September 2023, with running water sounds punctuated by bizarre drones and screeching noises. Recorded by Cities and Memory.

Hundreds of sparrows in the trees at Boston Common, their songs intermingling with passing traffic, the chatter of passers-by and competition i the form of ground-wandering pigeons. We hear the bells of the famous Park Street Church chiming midway through the recording.  Recorded by Cities and Memory.

"The recording was so gorgeous and surreal that i decided to take a production only approach. Focusing on shaping and colouring the original recording rather then adding any additional elements.  The aim was to create a listening experience that highlighted the beauty of natural sound and contrasted it with the mechanical and technological sounds of our modern age." Laguna Viva in Venice reimagined by James Nicholls.