Distant but close

Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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 recording and created a drum kit from the voices. Since the men's voices were very dominant, I relied on those for the bass/rhythm and used the higher pitched voices to interject moments of melody. After working with just the field recording, I then began to search for software instruments that would pair well with the sonic experience. I wanted the instrumentation to raise the voices and not detract from them. Once I had most of the elements in place, I revisited the field recording and add some effects to a few of the samples to help them merge with the software instruments.
"Overall, I wanted to keep the underlying feeling that the Peru field recording provided, and amplify that experience by adding my own remembrance of similar experiences in the US cities. Highlighting that we, as a people, are different but also close."
Bus ticket vendors in Cuzco reimagined by Jennifer Zaylea.
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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