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All About Change


1 Eli Beer & United Hatzalah: Saving Lives in 90 seconds or Less 30:20
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Eli Beer is a pioneer, social entrepreneur, President and Founder of United Hatzalah of Israel. In thirty years, the organization has grown to more than 6,500 volunteers who unite together to provide immediate, life-saving care to anyone in need - regardless of race or religion. This community EMS force network treats over 730,000 incidents per year, in Israel, as they wait for ambulances and medical attention. Eli’s vision is to bring this life-saving model across the world. In 2015, Beer expanded internationally with the establishment of branches in South America and other countries, including “United Rescue” in Jersey City, USA, where the response time was reduced to just two minutes and thirty-five seconds. Episode Chapters (0:00) intro (1:04) Hatzalah’s reputation for speed (4:48) Hatzalah’s volunteer EMTs and ambucycles (5:50) Entrepreneurism at Hatzalah (8:09) Chutzpah (14:15) Hatzalah’s recruitment (18:31) Volunteers from all walks of life (22:51) Having COVID changed Eli’s perspective (26:00) operating around the world amid antisemitism (28:06) goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight , in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com .…
Heritage simulacrum
Manage episode 473806721 series 1127440
Content provided by Cities and Memory - remixing the world and Cities and Memory. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Cities and Memory - remixing the world and Cities and Memory or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider how we care for leave behind what we hold precious. But heritage can also indicate efforts to retain what has, realistically, been lost - a simulacrum, second-hand experience. In the context of this project, how much better to protect and experience the real thing. In this track I explored both, using the recording unadulterated and via various resampling techniques."
Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden.
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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
Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden.
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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
688 episodes
Manage episode 473806721 series 1127440
Content provided by Cities and Memory - remixing the world and Cities and Memory. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Cities and Memory - remixing the world and Cities and Memory or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider how we care for leave behind what we hold precious. But heritage can also indicate efforts to retain what has, realistically, been lost - a simulacrum, second-hand experience. In the context of this project, how much better to protect and experience the real thing. In this track I explored both, using the recording unadulterated and via various resampling techniques."
Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden.
———————
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
Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden.
———————
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
688 episodes
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This recording captures the early morning sounds of an ancient Waorani warrior in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Staying with him in his traditional palm-thatched longhouse, the tranquility of the environment was profound, with minimal external noise. Despite a language barrier—he spoke only Waorani (Sabela)—we connected through gestures and shared moments. At dawn, as we emerged from our hammocks, I asked if I could record him. The resulting sounds offer a glimpse into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for centuries, providing a powerful auditory link to the past. Recorded in the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador by Rafael Diogo.…
"The original field recording is awesome so I wanted to keep as much of that as I could in the new piece. The background rhythm is created from a small sample of the orginal with some echo added. I then added some background melodies and overlay the original recording." Ancient Waorani Icaro in Ecuador reimagined by Richard Watts.…
"The original recording reminded me of woozy days listening to my children play when they were young. The music I've added intentionally loses focus / zones out and hopefully evokes a dreamlike state." Swimming in Mooste reimagined by Adam Leonard.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

It was beautiful summer day in 2013 August and I was staying at the artist residency in Mooste. I wanted to record some local sounds and went to the swimming place at the lake nearby.I asked the people who were picnicking by the lake if they thought it would be ok to record and they said yes. I sat on the pier. Recorded in Mooste, Estonia by Sirpa Jokinen.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Waves crash onto a rocky beach in Elgol, with the close sound of water smacking against the hard rocks of the beach. One boat passes by into the harbour during the recording. Recorded on the Isle of Skye by Cities and Memory.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I recorded and reinterpreted this sound myself. Our common bond, apart from kinship, is playing the guitar." Cemetery in Kemerovo, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

The sound is in good weather at the cemetery, near my great-grandmother's grave. It's a bright place, despite the sadness. On the recording, you can hear birds, rustling, and a few other people, perhaps you can hear the wind. Recorded in Kemerovo, Russia by Pavel Lopatin.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"A dense re-mix for the Cities and Memory project." Waves on Elgol beach reimagined by {AN} EeL.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The composition is made samples cut from the original field recording, with a little additions, looped and rearranged. It finishes with a nod to a Paris Jazz great." Jazz show at Le Baiser Salé, Paris reimagined by Simon Woods.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

A lively jazz sextet led by Michel Zenino recorded at the tiny, intimate Paris jazz club Le Baiser Salé. Michel Zenion Zewoaï: Michel Zenino - contrebass Leo Montana - piano Christophe Monniot - alto saxophone Jeff Boudreaux - drums Manu Codija - guitar Adriano Tenorio - percussion Recorded on 14 December 2024 by Cities and Memory.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

The recording contains the ambience at "Kjærlighetsstien" at Utøya, close to Oslo, in the morning of 22nd July 2022. Utøya was the site where mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik massacered 69 young people on July 22nd, 2011, exactly 11 years earlier. At "Kjærlighetsstien" 11 youth tried to hide and play dead, but were discovered and shot by Breivik, only a single survivor. The sound of the waves, forest, birds etc. is the same while recording as it was during the shooting 11 years before, minus the cries of pain and panic and shots. Recorded by Anders Vinjar.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Recording at Privoz market in Odessa was a mix of emotions. The market buzzed with life, as vendors sold goods and people clung to everyday routines despite the ongoing conflict. There was a sense of resilience in the air, but beneath the bustle, a quiet sadness lingered. It reflected the uncertainty of the war between Ukraine and Russia, casting a shadow over the moments of normalcy that still persisted. Privoz market, Odessa recorded by Rafael Diogo.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"This is a lovely field recording of the everyday bustle and chatter. I used a recording of shortwave radio (Web SDR) and a clip from Hat Note (the sonification of real time changes to Wikipedia) to try and convey the global backdrop to the everyday business of the buyers and sellers at Privoz Market in Odessa." Privoz market, Odessa reimagined by Roland Pyle.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Ramblings and sound variations with and in the source landscape... dreamy moments... lunar thoughts..." "Kjærlighetsstien" at Utøya reimagined by Philippe Neau.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Sonic Heritage feature, CBC radio, 21 April 2025 5:09
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A feature on CBC, Canadian national radio, broadcast on 21 April 2025 about the Sonic Heritage project. Features an interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes, and several field recordings from the project.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025 4:26
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Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Tower of London, the Sistine Chapel and Valparaiso, Chile.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 BBC World Service Newshour: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025 4:33
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Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC World Service's Newshour programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Sistine Chapel, Coimbra in Portugal and Okarito in New Zealand.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"It was fascinating in the course of working on this piece to learn more about the significance of the Te Wahipounamu region to the Māori people, and to read of the world-building legends about how this part of the world came into being. "I wanted to hold this sense of the sacred close to me as I explored the sound - and what it represented - more deeply. This piece contemplates the very different meanings of the same heritage space to different people. What might be one person's stunning view or rewarding hike could be another person's sacred space, and in exploring the world we are also intruding into other people's worlds and values, and must be respectful of that. This is a composition of contemplation, repetition and respect. The title comes from the Māori translation of Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone'." Okarito soundscape reimagined by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This is a recording of a dawn chorus after two days of hard rain at Ōkārito. Pīpipi Brown Creepers, Mātata Fernbird, Tauhou Silvereyes, and other manu birds are busy feeding and grooming in the warm sunlight. Mixing with this birdsong is the constant rumble of waves that can be heard wherever you are in town. The trail where this was recorded was dripping with rainwater and steaming as the temperature quickly rose. Residents and visitors to Ōkārito frequent this trail as it leads up to a gorgeous view of the native bush, lagoon, and beach. UNESCO listing: Te Wahipounamu Recorded by Janina Castro. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The overlapping sounds – the drone's gentle pulse, the lingering reverb, the admiring whispers, and the sacred music – create a dreamlike and immersive experience. It's as if the drone has become a silent witness, its sonic capture blending the everyday wonder of visitors with the profound spiritual atmosphere of a Christmas Mass. The drawn-out notes act as a unifying force, binding these disparate sounds into a cohesive and emotionally resonant whole, a sonic meditation on the Basilica's enduring beauty and its role as a place of both artistic appreciation and profound faith. The recording becomes a hauntingly beautiful reimagining, a drone's-eye (or ear) view into the soul of Sant'Antonio." Interior of Sant'Antonio, Padova reimagined by Karhide. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

At the heart of the recording is the simple, almost nostalgic sound of a small stereo playing the Kokiriko bushi melody with its slightly lo-fi quality. For this remix, the original recording has been cleaned, removing unwanted noise while preserving the inherent intimacy of the space. Layers additional music have been introduced, transforming the raw performance into a chilled-out sonic journey. Kokiriko bushi reimagined by Karhide. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

In the Basilica di Sant'Antonio in Padova, in which we can hear tourists admiring the amazing church and its incredible frescos, statues and artworks, as well as a Christmas service taking place in the centre of the church. We join the queue to view the relics of St. Anthony, which include the saint's tongue, jawbone and vocal chords. UNESCO listing: Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

The sound recorded is of an exibition of the Kokiriko bushi traditional dance. A man, in traditional clothes, plays a song on a little stereo and dances in front of a small audience. The setting is a traditional house made of dark timber, embers shine in the ash pit in the middle of the room. As he dances he plays the binzasara, a traditional instrument that can double as a decoration to ward off evil at home. UNESCO listing: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama Recorded by Riccardo Fumagalli. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Recording from the Novosibirsk metro, Russia. Recorded by Pavel Lopatin
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Many of Albania’s voices are political, and this recording demonstrates that this remains true today. Captured in Skanderbeg Square, in the heart of Tirana, this recording showcases the soundscape of a protest organized by the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania. In the recording, the voice of the individual speaking into the microphone during the protest in front of Tirana City Hall reverberates off the nearby museum, opera house, and Hotel Tirana surrounding the square. The preparations for the fair and the speeches happening in the square are also included in this recording, contributing to the intricate soundscape of the area. Recorded by Uğur Aslan.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Recorded sounds are synthesised with electronic sounds, creating new timbres and syntheses. Novosibirsk metro, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin.
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Protests embody unrest, tension, and hope. They are activities that display these contrasts while effectively utilizing sound. In this interpretation, I sampled a protest recording from Tirana and approached it in four distinct ways. The first is in its original form. The second features a louder megaphone effect. The third presents a distorted, unclear, and incomprehensible sound enhanced with a phased bite effect. The fourth highlights noise alongside speech. These four interpretations simultaneously convey feelings of tension, uncertainty, and hope, complemented by pads and chord accompaniments." Tirana protest reimagined by Uğur Aslan.…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Peter and Paul Fortress Carillon (i believe it was a rehearsal). I randomly walked into the sound of the bells and made a recording directly under the cathedral on the empty night square. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments Recorded by Masha Sha. IMAGE: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I was attracted to working with a recording from Thailand for personal reasons. I travelled there some years ago, and lived in a border town, where I volunteered helping a local NGO working with refugees from Burma I had never visited Ayutthaya and the temples, so this work is a chance to visit it in some way. I had visited some other Buddhist temples, and the places and the moods of those experiences are present to me. "In this field recording, I was initially attracted to the stick/brushing sounds, and I thought of working on a percussive composition using strokes. As it turned out I had less time than I would have needed to compose music, and I ended up working only with field recordings. I was also inspired by the voices in the recording. I cannot understand their meaning. I am guessing the setting is a ritual of some sort. But it might be a profane activity. I did a small amount of research, but not enough to enlighten me on this. I considered finding a translator to help. Finally, I chose to follow my intuition, and leave it open and uncertain for the time being. "The temples I visited in Thailand were open and welcoming places. The sound in this recording expresses this to me. It suggests the availability of the space to sacred and profane presences at once. I imagine this as an open setting which represents a welcoming and non-judgemental space. "The file I have submitted contains a blend of four field recordings. 1. The source recording. 2. A motorway joining the edge of the city (Luxembourg) 3. Inside the Cathedral Notre Dame in Luxembourg city 4. The Petruss valley: morning birdsong, Cathedral bells "Recording 3: The geographical distance I inhabit from the source location in Thailand, and the temporal distance from own experience of visiting Thailand, inspired me to make a connection from there to place where I live. I chose to visit a local sacred building; not a temple, but a religious edifice in my city: the Cathedral Notre Dame. I had hoped to stumble upon a similar kind of sound, perhaps an incidental event. I wanted to avoid any overly religious scenarios, as both soundwise and in meaning I didn’t feel an interest for them in this context. As it happened, I sat in the Cathedral in the morning, and the scenario unfolded just as I had hoped. Just after I was seated and began recording, I heard footsteps approaching the prayer alcove not far from me: someone had come to light a votive candle. There was no other activity in the Cathedral at the time, so this action is well audible in detail, recorded from a distance of about five metres. "Recording 2: Before making that recording, I had been standing near a highway entrance/exit, at the edge of my city. The cars were coming evenly from both directions. Sonically rich, and apt in meaning, representing a journey in both directions, and journey makers from both orientations crossing paths, and this repeating over and over. "Recording 4: On the way to the Cathedral for recording 2, I passed through the stunning valley of the Petruss in the city centre. The birdsong in this natural setting seemed the perfect contrast to the highway I had recorded previously. The juxtaposition of these recordings isn’t a sharp contrast. Both are made outdoors, and have tons of natural background ambiance. To my ear the cars and the birds are one vibration resonating in the sky, and the recordings sit with each other nicely. "These four recordings are blended together to make the following propositions: "There is a connection between distant places with shared practices (ritual), and common principles in the use of space (temple/church as place of welcome). "As a metaphor for openness and welcome of both sacred and profane modes of being in a single space, contrasting settings are juxtaposed (cars on a motorway, birds in a wooded valley). The journey between one place and another may go in both directions (cars moving in opposite directions). All the above are held in a totality, represented by nature (valley and resonance of sound, birdsong). "The single continuous recording throughout the piece is a single take inside a cathedral. It is the last track to fade out at the end. The space in this sound is the space of the observer, holding together the connections suggested in the piece. "The only audio processing used was a EQ low cut filters on the outdoor recordings. The mixing of the levels for the various fades in and out of the tracks was done with volume automation control in Logic Pro." Temple sticks at Ayutthaya reimagined by Alan Kavanagh. IMAGE: H191, CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"What struck me about this recording was the joyful melancholy of the brass band, a bittersweet, steady march. The constant pulse of life. A warm embrace, a salve for wayward souls. The chug of an old train on a long journey. The rhythms that govern our lives, that bring a sense of constancy, but are also relentless and uncompromising. These universally human rhythms but also all biological rhythm and pre biological rhythm. When life feels difficult I often think about the pulses that stretch back to deep time. The emergence of the major transitions in evolution, the very first clockwork of metabolism in some deep sea vent (can you tell I've been reading about the origins of life lately?), or of genetic replication, multicellular organisms, language, and ultimately culture. "I loved the quality of the brass instruments and sampled these heavily. Many of them I sampled with a long release and set to looping to create non synced delay effects to give it a shifting and organic feel but with a strong backbone pulse. In contrast to the original, everything is submerged as if it were in a deep sea vent. I added a few synthetic sounds on top to complement the rougher sampled sounds. For the arrangement, I wanted to contrast sparse and dense moments and try to give most sounds a chance to breathe as well as to go away for a while and come back to establish a theme. I also varied the main pulsing sounds and played with putting each more in the foreground or background." Religious procession in Lima reimagined by Stanislav Nikolov. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"This piece was inspired by a story my father told me about when he was a student in Istanbul. One night as my father was walking through the grounds of the mosque, from out of the darkness he heard the delicate strains of a musician, the reverberations of their instrument bouncing off the pillars of the courtyard, a sound echoing and decaying like watercolour paints. For my father, it was one of the most profound experiences of his life, a purity of sound so beautiful, it brought him to tears. "Author Dr. Defne Çizakça gave me her oud when she moved back to Türkiye, and it had been languishing in a corner of my music room for a little too long. After hearing the field recording from Ayasofya, I set myself to the task of channeling the reverie of the nighttime musician my father had told me about and the oud seemed the perfect instrument to use for this track. A homage to the overlaying of place and memory, and the peacefulness and awe which the Ayasofya bestows upon us." Oud, violin and composition by Ceylan Hay. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robyn Dawson in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hagia Sophia reimagined by Bell Lungs. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located in Georgia's oldest city and former capital, Mtskheta. As I passed through the main entrance and walked through the internal grounds, bell ringers began ringing the bells from high up in one of the towers. UNESCO listing: Historical Monuments of Mtskheta Recorded by Colin Hunter. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Religious procession in Lima. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Lima 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Binaural recording of a walk around the mosque, November 2015. UNESCO listing: Historic Areas of Istanbul Recorded by David Webb. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Morning birds in Santiago Apoala. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Spanning the Douro River, the Dom Luís I Bridge in Porto provides a unique moment of calm in the early hours of the day. The recording captures the peaceful atmosphere, where the distant calls of seagulls and the quiet hum of the city fill the air. In this tranquil setting, the Metro train makes its dramatic entrance, its sound gradually building as it approaches, becoming louder until it passes by, leaving only the faint echoes of its journey. The bridge remains still, with the occasional shift of air and the gentle sounds of the river below, all while the city begins to stir. This recording encapsulates the quiet tension between the city’s calm morning and the inevitable passage of time marked by the Metro's presence. UNESCO listing: Dom Luís I Bridge Recorded by Serge Bulat. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"This piece reflects the birds of Apoala sounding at first light. After 30 seconds there are sounds of music, representing the unique sonic relationship that birds and their songs have with man." Birds of Apoala reimagined by Tallest Trees. ——————— 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…
"I grew up close to one of the biggest Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world - I could never escape bells. I love the way they sound, the seemingly impossible rhythms and beatings they create, and the long ringings. "I wanted to preserve those sounds and rhythms in some way, but at the same time reflect the wanton disregard with which we treat our past. I decided to use the sounds of the bells (however shaped, sliced, and mangled) but let them degrade and fall apart throughout the piece. "In the end, I noticed that the voices captured in the square are at times more discernible than the much louder bells, and it sort of fits what I wanted to communicate. "After listening to the source track for a while, I divided it up into phrases which I then split up into relatively long samples. All the sounds in the piece were built from these samples. I used some short slices and looped them so they could be played like a synthesiser. "The arrangement was spread across a number of loops and machines. A couple of sequences were recorded, with everything else played by hand. "I recorded 4 takes to tape, and did some light mastering on my favourite. Written, recorded, and mastered by Pedro Figueiredo. Mtskheta bell ringing reimagined by Stray wool. ——————— 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 Stray wool…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I wanted to create the sense of multiple trains passing over time by breaking up the sounds into component parts with distortion and delay but also introduced the feeling of being on the train at the same time with the background notes." Dom Luis I Bridge, Porto reimagined by David Cowlard. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Blenheim Palace was the birthplace of Britain's most famous Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and throughout the property there are plenty of reminders of this, including a dedicated permanent exhibition to his life. Attention has been paid to sound in the exhibition, which variously includes mockups of Churchill's voice telling stories about his childhood, Morse code to mark his years in the military, a typewriter to represent his authorial life, and excerpts from his political speeches. This recording is a walkthrough of the exhibition, taking in all of these sounds, on a tour of Churchill's life. UNESCO listing: Blenheim Palace. Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"To start with I was mostly interested in seeing if I could extract the typewriter and morse code sounds and use those rhythms to trigger snippets of Churchill's voice. I wanted to re-code the existing code and tried a variety of techniques including EQ, AI Stem Splitting, Gates, Envelope Followers, distortion and reverb. "I started to make some overlapping rhythms with the morse code and typewriter sounds and then used a stem split version of Churchill's voice to refocus the piece and make it about his love of riding. I stretched and pitched his voice down 3 semitones to make it sound even fuller - and a bit funnier, and got into the humour of Churchill in a bowler hat riding on ponies around the grounds reminiscing about the war, and his regiment, whilst galloping along at high speed. "Towards the end of the composition I reintroduced some of the history of the location with the train sound (referencing the 19th century aristocrat, Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married into the family and saved the palace from ruin with her own funds) and the sound of a toilet flushing (referencing the robbery, in September 2019, of an 18-carat gold toilet worth 4.8 million that had been installed by Maurizio Cattelan as part of his "Victory is not an option" exhibition)." Winston Churchill exhibition, Blenheim Palace reimagined by David Henckel. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Campanas de la Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México 7:19
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On Palm Sunday during Holy Week, all the cathedral bells are rung. It is a unique moment throughout the year. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Mexico City Recorded by Leonardo Santiago. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I love this recording by Leonardo Santiago of the cathedral bells in Mexico City. I was working with a mix of voice, song and sound elements taken from the recording, but then I got sick and couldn’t record the voice elements. So this is a really simple combination of the second part of the recording with a poem I wrote about a visitor descending into the square to the sound of bells." Mexico City cathedral bells reimagined by Melaina Barnes. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The world is not this world when heard through the auditory spectrum of a snake. It follows, then, that history itself might also shift if perceived outside the limits of human hearing. Naja Nostalgia is a sound work that employs field recording, geophone recordings, synthesizers, and an improvised Viridu performance to recreate the experience of walking through Sri Lanka’s Galle World Heritage Site—but imagined through the auditory perspective of a cobra. With a limited hearing range of approximately 50–1000 Hz, the snake’s acoustic world offers a radically different filter for understanding space, time, and memory. "What became clear during the compositional process was the surprising resonance between the snake’s frequency spectrum and the emotional texture of human nostalgia. The emphasis on low frequencies—vibrations, sub-bass tones, speaker resonance, and analog hiss—echoed the affective registers of longing and melancholia. In this narrowed spectrum, faint auditory artifacts emerged with heightened poignancy: whispered Portuguese and Dutch fragments, brief bursts of laughter, and fleeting exchanges between tourists and snake charmers. These sonic residues surfaced as spectral memories, suspended in the soundscape like half-remembered dreams. "By deliberately using the speaker’s voice to cut the 50-1000hz frequency range, the soundscape sways been human and snake hearing and resemble an analog past—one evoking the tactile, time-worn quality of cassette tapes, LPs, and perhaps even earlier recording technologies. This sonic filtering became a metaphor for how nostalgia operates: not as a complete recollection, but as a selective and often distorted echo of what once was. "This approach to listening brought me back to the idea that tourism itself is a complicated engagement with the past. It can often be a reductive encounter in which one culture experiences another through a narrow, mediated spectrum—visually, aurally, emotionally. My improvised Viridu performance sought to engage with this complexity not only through sound, but through the act of listening itself: as both an intervention and an act of attentiveness. "Like nostalgia, the auditory world of the snake distorts, condenses, and reorients. It is a form of hearing that vibrates through the body, bypassing the ear and settling somewhere deeper. It does not seek to reconstruct a full historical narrative, but instead evokes fragments—sensorial, partial, and affectively charged." Galle fort, Sri Lanka reimagined by James Belflower. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This recording was captured in Fanal, a vast forested area with an enchanting atmosphere and ancient-looking trees that are part of the indigenous Laurisilva forest. In the recording, you can hear me walking, sounds of people talking, taking photos and wandering through the mist. Between some powerful winds, theres some calmer moments where you can hear the soft patter of raindrops falling from the trees. Given the strong winds and my limited equipment—a small RøDE VideoMic Me-L for iPhone with a basic windscreen—it was challenging to avoid wind noise entirely. To present the best audio experience, I carefully edited and compiled the highest-quality segments in chronological order. Recently, Madeira has been experiencing new influx of tourism, both in type and quantity, and Fanal has caught the attention of many YouTubers and photographers. Having not visited Fanal in several years, I was curious to see how this newfound popularity is shaping the experience and hoped to capture the atmosphere of this phenomenon during my visit. UNESCO listing: Laurisilva of Madeira Recorded by Tiago Tobias. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The field recording I worked with was of a 'Jaguar Whistle', an instrument designed to replicate the sound of a jaguar. My understanding is that in Mesoamerican cultures, the jaguar was a symbol of transformation, bridging the earthly and spiritual realms. Research suggested that Shamans and rulers sought to embody its power, believing they could take on its form to navigate the unseen world, and through ritual practices, including trance states and sacred ceremonies, they invoked the jaguar’s essence to move between life and the underworld, gaining wisdom, strength, and protection. "The jaguar’s ability to thrive in darkness, water, and hidden places made it a guardian of thresholds, a being capable of transcending the boundaries of human existence. Without the understanding of the cultural importance of the jaguar, the significance of the whistle could be missed. Inspired by this, I created a piece that translates the original recording of the jaguar whistle into a musical form, reflecting its role in transformation and passage between realms." Jaguar head instruments in Mexico reimagined by Jay Moy. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I got inspired of the original recording’s “rough” essence - the windy and rainy weather was dominant, along the noise of the people. For me, it reflects the ongoing change of the climate and amount of tourism which seem to change and grow hand in hand. "Also the description of the original recording tells about capturing the sound of growing number of people in the misty forests of Fanal, Portugal. Furthermore, parts the recording was cut out because of the strong wind. The final piece was then edited chronologically, which in a sense made the nature/climate to be the “main director” of the piece. "This raises age-old philosophical questions: How much control do humans truly have - or how much of it is merely an illusion of man-made complex systems that are, in reality, just a small part of nature’s vast complexity? We understand only a fraction of nature—what happens if we stray too far from its ways? Will it” be the final director" that intervenes, cutting humanity’s delusional course to preserve and save itself? "The piece is made only from the original recording by manipulating it mostly with a granular and spectral synthesis - slowly “droning and growing” in the background - and combining the “dry” primary track with a modified one to transform it into a soundscapey journey." Laurisilva of Madeira soundscape reimagined by Jussi Alaraasakka. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider how we care for leave behind what we hold precious. But heritage can also indicate efforts to retain what has, realistically, been lost - a simulacrum, second-hand experience. In the context of this project, how much better to protect and experience the real thing. In this track I explored both, using the recording unadulterated and via various resampling techniques." Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Day of the Death at Xoxocotlán cemetery. Families gather around thumbs. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"After carefully listening to my chosen field recording; Skara Brae, I refreshed my memory and researched the Neolithic site in Orkney. "I liked how the geofon recording added a mysterious layer, with distant sounding muffled voices and rumbling… I accentuated and extended this mystery. "I imagined the aeons of time that has passed on the site; the prehistoric industry and life, how many visitors from near and far, and the plundering both by man and nature…. "I try to convey this ancient and mysterious location with my track. "I use the original recording looped and sliced using granular synthesis, to create intermittent periods of rhythm, which are then interwoven with multiple channels of modulated noise from a synth with delay and reverb etc. to simulate the maelstrom of time. "The final recording was tweaked and manipulated in realtime and presented here after slight compression and eq’ing." Skara Brae tourism reimagined by id_23. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Skara Brae, Europe's most remarkably preserved Neolithic village, offers a profound connection to the distant past. In this recording, the wind carries its timeless song, mingling with the murmurs of visitors as they explore the site. Captured through the Geofon, the vibrations of wind and footsteps resonate like the ancient village's heartbeat, while the muffled conversations evoke echoes of lives once lived amidst these stone walls. UNESCO listing: Heart of Neolithic Orkney Recorded by Alan Cook. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I liked how the field recording sounded messy and not put together 100% and I incorporated that in my production style. I also liked the raw sounding vibe of the recording which i enhanced with reverb to create a unique atmosphere in the background. "I think my composition shows that every sound has a place in today's music style and we can preserve sounds from across the world by including them in our production. My plan going into the composition was to play things in and not quantize anything to keep the raw feel of the piece." Day of the Death at Xoxocotlán cemetery reimagined by Pierce. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Upon listening to the in field recording, I instantly had the idea of doing something involving synthesis and tying that to the idea of time travel. What stood out to me most is the raw, natural ambience that it has. I used this to use hard panning in the beginning to simulate the listener looking around. I connected it to the sound of a stream flowing. "Upon researching Delos, I found out that it used to be occupied by the Egyptians before it became Hellenic. I chose this recording from this location as my family are from Greece, and I thought it would be really cool to make a piece using real sounds from my family's country. "To create the piece, I used minimal layering for maximal effect. I also used sound design to help create my own sounds. I also researched what instruments were common at the time, and used those in the piece. I sampled different stringed instruments such as lyres and used harmonic minor scales to really drive that Egyptian influence. I also used dissonance towards the end to symbolise the mixing of Egyptian and Hellenic cultures, symbolising that their differences can also be beautiful." Waves on Delos reimagined by Sisi. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The opera singing within the field recording sounded soul-like, which inspired us to pull inspiration from 90s hip hop, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, who also sampled a lot of old music. As discussed, we used sampling techniques and other effects such as bit crush, to achieve an old school sound." Singer at the Pantheon, Rome reimagined by Theo Steventon. ——————— 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…
""Wieża" considers themes of change, stasis, motion, stillness, and meditation, as suggested by the original field recording. The footsteps that explore Wieża Ratuszowa in that recording become a percussive pulse in this composition, exploring convergence, tension, loss, and progress: people, events, ideas, emotions, structures, melodies, instruments, elements of arrangement, all arriving, departing, returning, remaining constant, changing in each other's presence, and disappearing. Throughout this, the steps maintain a grounding presence, akin to the passage of time, or the presence of an architectural monument in the lives of those around it. "The piece was recorded at home with a Windows PC, a Shure SM-58, a Focusrite Scarlett Solo, a collection of instruments, and a cat who provided invaluable support, company, and audio editing assistance (read: walking across the keyboard and randomly changing settings in pursuit of scratches)." Wieża Ratuszowa reimagined by Ross Reilly. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

From the height of Kraków’s Town Hall Tower, this recording transports you to the heart of the Old Town, where the echoes of history are intertwined with the pulse of contemporary life. Standing as a proud Gothic monument since the 14th century, the tower bears witness to centuries of change. Soft, measured footsteps ascending the narrow stairs, while the hum of modern life drifts in through the small arched windows. For me, this recording portrays the profound stillness and grandeur of the Town Hall Tower, contrasted with the lively city below. It’s a rare moment where time seems to stretch as if the tower holds space for both history and the present to coexist. Listening to it feels like standing between two worlds... each sound is an invitation to appreciate Kraków’s timeless rhythm. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Kraków Recorded by Serge Bulat. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Hagar Qim, Il-Genna Mitlufa (Hagar Qim, Paradise Lost) 4:08
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"Hagar Qim, on the south western edge of Malta, is one of the oldest built structures in the world. Over 5000 years old, this megalithic temple overlooks the dazzling blue Mediterranean. In 2008, canopies were constructed to protect these monuments from further elemental damage. Small birds, mainly sparrows, have now made their home among the high eaves of these shelters, their calls echoing through the temple. This spot is unusually far from the traffic and urban noise that dominates much of the island, and I was able to record the bird sounds as I walked up the stony cliff path towards the temple. "To me, sparrows are one of the characteristic sounds of the Maltese islands, along with the sound of the sea and the ringing of church bells, none of which you are ever far from. My piece merges my own field recordings of these three quintessential Maltese sounds with something very personal. My grandfather was a teacher and writer from Mqabba, a tiny village near Hagar Qim. When he retired, he undertook a labour of love in translating John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost” into Maltese. I recorded my own father, born and bred in Malta, but now sadly in ill health, reciting some of his father's translation of this famous poem telling the story of the Garden of Eden and humanity’s loss of paradise, along with his own reminiscences, including his own birth in 1941 in a building called Milton House. I am aware that time is running on, and this may have been my last opportunity to work with my father on such a piece. "The final link in this chain from Malta’s past to my present is my own whispered voice reading the equivalent passages from Milton’s original work, which I studied as an English undergraduate many years ago, and a simple synthesiser melody referencing Bach’s C major prelude/Ave Maria, a piece close to my heart which I sometimes play as a duet with my own young son. The ancient past of Malta, in the bird filled paradise of Hagar Qim, entwines with the Christian and colonial roots of the island today, Maltese and English, pagan and prayer. I dedicate this piece to my father Pio, and to my grandfather Francis Xavier." Megalithic temple soundscape in Malta reimagined by Suzy Mangion. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Walking back into Hagar Qim, neolithic temples 3:39
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Footsteps on the stony path, hundreds of sparrows, the sound changing when entering under the canopy that covers the temples, other birds, insects buzzing. UNESCO listing: Megalithic Temples of Malta Recorded by Suzy Mangion. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Arranging and rearranging black feathers (the game) 1:49
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"The inspiration for this fugue-like piece was the imagined relationship between the crows - possibly Rooks by their call - and the Blenheim gamekeepers. One of judgement and mutual dislike, or perhaps literally a game. "The rising cello slides were suggested by what I suspect is an accelerating car in the original sound clip around at around the 1:10 mark – just before the jogger runs past. "The title is a misquote of Sylvia Plath." Crows at Blenheim Palace reimagined by Adam Leonard. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Crows nesting high in the trees in the ground of Blenheim Palace, being very vocal on a Sunday afternoon, as we also hear one of the regular joggers in the grounds going past us. UNESCO listing: Blenheim Palace Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The sound piece was inspired by the Mexico City mariachi street march, I was inspired by the poly rhythmic patterns and the instruments I was hearing over the street sounds in the recording. I enjoyed how the sound kept changing and gave the impression of moving through a street or passage with sound. In my composition I imagined myself as part of the procession whilst trying to create an individual experience and thus the sub-theme: Hema, which is a Tswana word that translate to breathe and comments how collective happenings and events can be a moment of exhalation and clarity for another as it was listening to the original sound. "I used voice together with virtual and actual instruments to create a multi layered landscape. I used voice over recorded drums,chatter, and a bamboo flute alongside virtual instruments such as brass and atmospheric keys. The sound piece starts with trumpets sounded from the march and into a contemplative soundscape lead by the flute and mouth sounds." Mexico City mariachis reimagined by Boitumelo Motau. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"With its sharp, clipped sounds and natural rhythm, this recording immediately drew me in. It felt like a composition in itself, already crafted, and required little manipulation to tease out its natural syncopation and lively tempo. In my reimagined piece, I aimed to enhance these natural rhythms, capturing the physicality of Kente weaving - the movement of hands, the crossings of parallel threads, the interplay of warp and weft. "As I listened, the percussive quality of the weaving reminded me of the gyil, the traditional Ghanaian xylophone/ wooden. The gyil’s bright, buzzing resonance created by its gourd resonators mirrors the sounds of the wooden loom and treadles. Inspired by this connection, I incorporated gyil-like tonal elements into the composition and played with a few samples. The warm, resonant timbres of the instrument blend with the weaving sounds, creating a dialogue between craftsmanship and music, tradition and reinterpretation. This interplay between instrument and craft reflects the deep relationship between Ghanaian music and artisanal traditions. "Many thanks to Samuel, Emmanuele, and the individuals featured in this recording. Through your hands and laughter in this recording, I feel a deep connection to this moment in time and wondered what you were creating. "The title, "Weaving Rhythms," highlights the profound cultural and historical significance of Kente weaving, Ghanaian music and the community that comes together through both art forms. Just as each thread in Kente cloth carries meaning, I wonder what stories the loom has heard. Interlacing tradition, storytelling, and heritage, kente is rich with symbolism. The piece unfolds in layers like a woven tapestry, as I build up the motif before scaling it back to reach the final few seconds, where a spool of thread is spun." Weaving in Kpetoe reimagined by Delphine Boagey. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"In my composition, I mixed the sound of an air raid siren in Prague, Czechia; the sound of a metronome as a symbol of time’s relentless march and history’s cyclical nature; two voices: a child repeating after his mother the names of Ukrainian cities; and an old Ukrainian folk song, Grey Goose, sung dramatically by a solo a cappella female voice (Yulia Volovik). "I chose the air raid siren in Prague because this sound triggers my feelings about the painful facts I have lived with since 2014. How come 1968 and 2014 are connected in my mind? I didn’t reflect enough on the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968. I was just a little child then, but later, I learned about the eight people (the only eight people in the entire USSR) who were brave and noble enough to protest on Red Square. They became my gods. I later met one of them, Natalia Gorbanevskaya, in Paris, and we stayed in touch for a while. I considered her to be much more human than I was, and I wasn’t able to make friends with her. I regret that. "In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. I didn’t live in Russia at the time, but I visited it sometimes. It was shameful to see how many of my former compatriots expressed happiness over this annexation (although "annexation" was a prohibited word; they referred to it as a "reunion"). At the same time, Russia started a war in Eastern Ukraine. It wasn’t the large-scale war we see today, but it was still real. I felt the parallel between 1968 and 2014, so I interviewed my mother to recall her memories of the moment when the USSR Czechoslovakia, and through this, to try to understand why such interventions and annexations could take place. This interview became the voiceover for my experimental film-performance Chronicles on the Laps. "Later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and this war is now in its fourth year. In 2022, I helped Ukrainians who fled the war find homes in another country. This is a devastating, never-ending pain. I can only imagine the anguish of those whose homes were bombed and destroyed, whose loved ones were tortured and killed. "I hope I have explained my choice of the inspirational heritage recording and how it connects to the work I’ve created." Air raid siren in Prague reimagined by Rūta Jauška. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

The air raid siren in Prague that sounds the first Wednesday of every month, and it is a practice alert as part of the Czech Republic's emergency preparedness system. The siren goes off at 12:00 PM and it's not meant to signal an actual threat, but rather to test the nation's readiness in case of a real emergency. It serves as a regular reminder of the country's civil defense system, helping citizens stay aware of the procedures they should follow in the event of an emergency such as a natural disaster, military conflict, or other national crises. The air raid siren system in the Czech Republic has its roots in the Cold War era, when the country, like many others in Europe, prepared for the possibility of airstrikes or other wartime threats. Though the geopolitical climate has changed significantly since then, the sirens remain a fixture of emergency preparedness. It's important to note that the siren is a test, and there is no cause for alarm when it sounds that Wednesday. However, the government encourages people to pay attention, just in case it becomes necessary to respond to an actual warning in the future. Over time, this practice has become part of the cultural landscape, a reminder of both the country's history and its ongoing efforts to stay prepared for emergencies. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Prague Recorded by 42. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Distant Mariachis bands play at Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City. Mono 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Mariachi, string music, song and trumpet 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Ewe Kente weaving by a group of two weavers in the Kpetoe community in Volta Region, Ghana. Kente is woven on a horizontal strip loom, which produces a narrow band of cloth about four inches wide. Several of these strips are carefully arranged and hand-sewn together to create a cloth of the desired size. Most kente weavers are men. Weaving involves the crossing of a row of parallel threads called the warp (threads running vertically) with another row called the weft (threads running horizontally). A horizontal loom, constructed with wood, consists of a set of two, four or six heddles (loops for holding thread), which are used for separating and guiding the warp threads. These are attached to treadles (foot pedals) with pulleys that have spools of thread inserted in them. The pulleys can be used to move the warp threads apart. As the weaver divides the warp threads, he uses a shuttle (a small wooden device carrying a bobbin, or small spool of thread) to insert the weft threads between them. These various parts of the loom, like the motifs in the cloth, all have symbolic significance and are accorded a great deal of respect. By alternating colours in the warp and weft, a weaver can create complex patterns, which in kente cloth are valued for both their visual effect and their symbolism. Patterns can exist vertically (in the warp), or horizontally (in the weft), or both. Source: Khan Academy. Ewe Kente Cloths are considered by many to be one of the most premier and unique styles of Kente Cloth in the modern day. Ewe Kente Cloths are now made mostly by artisans in Southern Ghana near the towns Agbozume and Kpetoe. The tradition of Kente Cloth Weaving dates as far back as the 11th Century and Ewe Kente Cloths have a variety of influences with many variations in style. What makes Ewe Kente more unique than the traditional Asante style of Kente Cloth is the diversity of design styles. Recorded by Emmanuel Baffoe, a recently trained Field Recordist and upcoming Soundscape Ecology and Multimedia Specialist and Trainer. Emmanuel is one of 5 selected trainees receiving mentorship under the Soundscape Ecology and Multimedia Education Ghana program carried out by CSEM (Center for Soundscape Ecology and Multimedia). UNESCO listing: Craftsmanship of traditional woven textile Kente ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Recording of St Peter square, with people speaking, walking, waiting in line to see the Vatican. Millions of tourists visit this sight every day so this it how it sounds all the time. UNESCO listing: Vatican City Recorded by Danilo Crnogorac. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The first National Park in the United States was Yellowstone, and the most recognised attraction is the geyser Old Faithful. Predictions of Old Faithful eruptions are central to human activity at the site. People plan their days around these times. Efforts are made to make the most accurate predictions possible, however there are variations and it is never exactly known at what moment the geyser will erupt. It is a wonderful representation of human reliance on natural rhythms, which we only partially understand. "In my composition Pulse of Yellowstone, I explore the rhythms and predictability of Old Faithful. There is a predictability of pattern and rhythm, yet it is slightly off of what is expected, reflecting the experience of those who attempt to predict the geyser. The raw recording occurs in its entirety twice in the piece - at the very beginning, sped up very fast to give the listener the essence of its overall shape, and at around half speed across the entire piece to set the pace and drama of the composition. "Joining the field recording are percussive, vocal, and instrumental sounds created and recorded by me. These musical elements play with the idea of predictability, as well as the history of predictions of this geyser. Over the years, and seemingly in response to earthquakes, the intervals between eruptions have gotten shorter. I have quickened the pace toward the end of the piece to represent this shift. Rhythmic elements are inspired by the bimodal nature of the geysers eruptions (longer duration eruptions are followed by longer periods of rest). "The instrument I used is the bass viola da gamba, an early bowed stringed instrument. The shape of the waveform of the rise and fall of the geyser’s spray is reminiscent to me of the sound of a bowed note, especially in the underhand bowing method used in viola da gamba. "The field recording inspired me because it is a powerful sound of water. It sounds a bit like the breath of a whale! In addition to being a composer, I am a marine biologist, and it pleases me to hear the power of this water feature, as the Earth is surfacing water up onto dry land." Old Faithful geyser reimagined by Heather Spence. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I was inspired to create a piece reflecting the complex history of this World Heritage Site via the personal recollections of a centenarian with fond memories of growing up on such a cosmopolitan coast. And yet if we go further back, more complicated histories also reside here - and so I wanted to refer to that ambiguity sonically - especially in a place which is now such a tourist destination. "I used the field recording to create a portal in and out of the space and also to make a few new sounds scattered around the piece. It’s a beautifully vibrant street soundscape to be able to springboard from in various ways. This is a place where I have travelled and experienced sonic histories constantly emanating - each element telling a different origin story - looping back to the present day where sounds reveal the past and present intertwined. "I included sounds of a call to prayer, ocean and also words from a guide at the Anglican Cathedral - the music also includes Indian vocals, a background Swahili church service and my own musical response. I wanted diverse sounds reflecting the different communities and elements revolving within and around such a rich and multi-layered place." Market in Stone Town, Zanzibar reimagined by RADIA. ——————— 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…
"I originally picked this sample because it reflected my research interest in pedestrianism. Listening back, I was wondering what the volume of conversation and impression of sociality around the Vatican that was captured in the sample might mean....at the same time, I had the idea of incorporating the Angelus bells which still ring twice a day in Dublin. Similarly, everyday life happens around these calls to prayer in Ireland. They form a backdrop to my walking around Dublin 7. Even if they are largely ignored, they are necessarily part of the city's sonic architecture. "While typically they are thought of as a call to individual reflection, I recently read a piece which suggested they should be considered a call to collective prayer which seems like a more productive way to consider it. In both the Vatican sample and the everyday experience of the Angelus bell, there's a constant struggle between the contemplativeness both are supposed to represent and the pace and raucousness of modern life. The musical composition tries to reflect some of that struggle...Music might even represent a better means than prayer of bringing people together for collective expression." Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City reimagined by Social Romantic. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Inside the spice market a seller offers a variety of spices, flavorants and perfumes. UNESCO listing: Stone Town, Zanzibar Recorded by Marg Laing. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Composed over several weeks using the entire recording used in sections takes the lively street and voices as introduction numerous sounds sampled and were sculptured using audio software and Eurorack hardware itself becomes a rhapsody dedicated to sound recordists and artists everywhere. "This beautiful momentary field recording of Valldemossa, Mallorca Spain inspired our composition and encourages us to close eyes and to appreciate the full and acoustic atmosphere of sounds natural, social and cultural - what a brilliant idea this Sonic Heritage project is." Evening in Valldemossa reimagined by Arvik Torrenssen. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Multiple tracks were played on a keyboard, arranged and combined with the audio field recording using midi workstation computer software. "The sound for this piece is a recording of a stream running under the snow with the sounds of running water, the popping of ice melting and pebbles bumping and clacking as they are rolled by the water. I live in California now but as a child I lived for a time in the northeastern United States where cold, snowy winters were the norm. As the snow melted I could hear water moving under the hard crust. The recording from the High Coast region of Sweden reminded me of that magical wintery memory. Melt water slowly begins to move beneath the glistening surface and gently forms channels through the snow, trickling downhill. Eventually the water makes its way into an established stream bed, carving a tunnel through the snow and ice while above, the snow still hides the movement beneath, reminiscent of the creatures of Nordic mythology who inhabit caverns and rivers. The stream joins others, perhaps emptying into a lake and eventually the water reaches the ocean. "I have incorporated sounds and rhythms from traditional Swedish folk music, suggesting the vibrating sympathetic drone strings of the Nyckelharpa and the beat of some Polska dances - an instrument and its music listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage database. "The landscape of the Swedish High Coast was formed by the arrival and departure of glaciers in the last ice age. The sounds of melting snow and ice are a reminder that present day glaciers are threatened by climate change. The Sonic Heritage project has helped make me aware of the fragility and ephemeral nature of many places that have contributed to world culture. It is imperative to protect these sites in order to preserve those qualities that make such places unique or valuable. My music expresses the passion and excitement of diverse world heritage and the resilience of the natural world. I hope my music resonates with all who hear our collaboration." Water under snow in Hall, Sweden reimagined by Martin Gregory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The field recording I chose was rich with historical resonance, immediately reminding me of another sacred route in Japan—Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage trail deeply connected to spiritual tradition. This parallel between Camino de Santiago in Spain and Kumano Kodo in Japan felt natural, as both sites are UNESCO-designated partners in preserving cultural and historical heritage. "Fortunately, I had my own field recordings from Kumano and Koyasan temple, and as I listened, I was struck by how seamlessly the Buddhist chant and the Spanish gaida (bagpipe) intertwined. Their tonal qualities resonated in a way that evoked a shared sense of devotion, despite being from different corners of the world. "Rather than stopping at this musical dialogue, I wanted to create something immersive — an experience akin to walking along these sacred paths. To achieve this, I incorporated poetry from ancient Japan, reciting verses that reflect themes of journey, reflection, and spiritual connection. By layering these elements, I hoped to offer listeners — whether tourists, pilgrims, or those engaging from afar—a way to connect with the past and feel the enduring spirit of these landscapes. "The final composition unfolds as a call-and-response between the two pilgrimage routes, distant in geography but united in essence. It invites the listener to trace the footsteps of those who came before, to remember, to feel, and to sense the unchanged atmosphere of these sacred spaces—a rare and precious experience in our fast-moving world." Praza das Praterías, Santiago de Compostela reimagined by Yutaka Atonami. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

A short recording with an hydrophone. A stream running under the snow, popping sounds of ice melting and pebbles. UNESCO listing: High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago Recorded by Shachaf Polakow. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

It's 9pm in the village of Valldemossa in the Serra Tramuntana, and we hear the bells chime the hour from a clock tower with an interesting mechanical clockwork sound that's clearly audible on a quiet night like this. Following the chimes, we walk around the church, to hear the sounds of restaurants doing a brisk evening trade. UNESCO listing: Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

At the core of Santiago de Compostela, Praza das Praterías (Plaza de las Platerías) pulses with the sounds that embody its spiritual and cultural spirit. The resonant toll of bells from the nearby cathedral forms a solemn call, echoing across the plaza as pilgrims gather, their conversations blending into the hum of the crowd. Galician bagpipes provide a distinct, melodic layer to the atmosphere, their notes weaving through the lively surroundings and grounding the scene in regional tradition. The recording reflects the steady tread of pilgrims, their steps echoing the weight of their long journey, each footfall infused with respect and expectation. This unique blend of sounds conveys the profound significance of this space: a meeting point of faith, history, and human connection. Listening to it, you can sense the rhythm of a place where centuries of devotion and celebration continue to resonate. UNESCO listing: Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) Recorded by Serge Bulat. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The sound of waves and voices intertwine in an endless field, creating an immersive experience that echoes through the depths of the Neva River. Field recordings were processed through a resonator to expand space and enhance sub-bass frequencies. "A tape-recorded and processed recitation of the poem Requiem by Anna Akhmatova adds lyrical meaning to the composition. The Peter and Paul Fortress is not merely a tourist attraction with museums and an 18th-century architectural ensemble but also a place of memory and mourning. Once the main political prison of the Russian Empire, it held figures such as Bakunin, Dostoyevsky, Kropotkin, the Decembrists, and many other philosophers, revolutionaries, and intellectuals. "Understanding the cultural and historical context of the places we visit is essential. The sound of waves hitting the granite embankment has echoed for over 300 years—these frequencies carry deep significance, preserving the past that is worth recognizing and remembering." Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg reimagined by Oyuun Tuule. IMAGE: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I worked in Edinburgh for 13 years and was part of the team that led on the nomination bid for the Forth Bridge. The sound of The Bridge was important for me to include in the piece as I feel partly responsible for it being considered a WHS. "The aim of the piece was to highlight the role of sound in shaping the tourist experience. The familiarity of the train crossing could evoke a sense of nostalgia or authenticity for those who have visited or even those who have never been, giving them a sensory connection to the location. "It captures a moment in time, a fleeting sonic experience that could change over the years due to technological advances, environmental factors, or changes in infrastructure. By preserving this sound, the piece acts as a form of auditory preservation. It invites the listener to reflect on how sounds of historical or cultural significance might fade or transform over time, encouraging an appreciation for the transient nature of these sonic environments. In this way, The Soft Entrance acts as a digital archive or a tribute to the sounds that define this iconic location, protecting them from being lost to future generations. "The sound encapsulates both the industrial heritage of the bridge and its modern-day function, reflecting how these sounds are embedded in the cultural identity of Scotland and the UK. The Soft Entrance aims to evoke feelings of connection, history, and the reverence that people hold for such places. "Iconic landmarks like The Forth Bridge come with sonic signatures—sounds that have become inseparable from the place’s identity. In the piece, the train crossing the bridge represents not just a literal sound but an auditory symbol of the location itself. Sonic landscapes of famous places are often tied to the rituals, daily practices, and memories of those who interact with them. By using this sound, The Soft Entrance acknowledges the role of sound as a medium for both local identity and global recognition. It touches on the idea that these sounds are not just background noise but an integral part of the experience and significance of the place. The piece suggests that sound is essential to the collective memory and cultural practices tied to renowned landmarks like The Forth Bridge. "In essence, The Soft Entrance can be seen as a sonic meditation on the ways sound shapes our understanding of places of cultural significance, preserving them for future generations and connecting listeners to the tangible and intangible histories these places represent. It’s a reminder of how sound is a key part of our heritage and how it can deepen our connection to the places and practices that have shaped history. "By choosing not to modify or manipulate the sound I maintained the authenticity of the field recording. The sound of the train crossing The Forth Bridge is an unaltered representation of the actual sonic landscape of that location. The aim was to highlight the importance of capturing and archiving the authentic sonic environment. This decision underscores the idea that these sounds, in their natural form, hold cultural, historical, and emotional value. "The train crossing the Forth Bridge is not just a noise; it’s a powerful symbol of engineering, history, and human interaction with the environment. "In essence, the decision not to alter the sound in The Soft Entrance reinforces the themes of preservation, authenticity, and the natural sonic heritage of the place. It allows the raw sound to speak for itself, creating an experience that emphasizes the intrinsic value of the place and its sounds without interference. "The decision not to modify or manipulate the sound in The Soft Entrance becomes even more poignant when considered alongside my personal connection to the Forth Bridge. As part of the team that helped secure the Forth Bridge's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the bridge has taken on a deep, multifaceted significance for me. This involvement made me acutely aware of the cultural, historical, and sonic heritage tied to this iconic structure. "This piece, through its raw sound, is my way of honoring the Forth Bridge's heritage—both as an enduring symbol of engineering and as a key part of Scotland’s cultural fabric. It invites listeners to reflect on the bridge’s significance and, by extension, the broader conversation about the preservation of sound as part of the world's shared cultural legacy." Forth Bridge trains reimagined by glacis. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"This piece was made from a field recording of African Fish Eagles in duet at Djoudj Bird Sanctuary in Senegal. The recording has been processed through software to manipulate its pitch and other characteristics, in order to unearth mutations in timbre of the birdsong and create a chorus of ersatz birdsong. What interested me about working with this sound is the questions it raises about the nature of documentation and preservation; whilst serving its primary function as documentation of a type of bird, it is also the documentation of specific birds at a particular time and place. How many recordings are necessary to document animals in a way that expresses differences among individuals?" African fish eagles in Senegal reimagined by Kiran Arora. IMAGE: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"In recent years, I've developed a field recording based practice of reworking and remixing sounds using small portable speakers, using binaural headphones in combination with a stereo pair to record my hybrid performance-installation. I happened to be in Madrid shortly after choosing my sound, and so I reworked the original field recording of monk parakeets in Madrid's Retiro Park in situ, my looped and processed bird calls attracting curious birds who add to the din. This live recording forms the base of my composition, which is further embellished by additional loops, tape processing, and drones." Parakeets in Madrid reimagined by Joseph Sannicandro. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Living in Edinburgh, I often forget that I see a UNESCO Heritage site every morning rising above the River Forth. I catch a train across the Forth Road Bridge to Fyfe, drive past it through South Queensferry or simply see it in the distance as I walk the dog in Portobello. I remember the first time I saw it I was in absolute awe of the huge iconic structure, wondering how on earth was it built. When I walk under it, I find the sounds otherworldly. A sense of a strange noise building in the distance as the sound of the train travels along long the 2.5 km bridge. I sometimes find myself looking at the sky because my ears are tricked into believing they are hearing an aeroplane rather than a train. This recording captures the sounds of trains crossing the Forth Road Bridge as I sat at the bottom of one of the great pillars with my recorder. UNESCO listing: The Forth Bridge Recorded by Simon Holmes ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Madrid has the greatest population of Monk Parakeets in Europe, many of whom can be seen and heard in the El Retiro park. This park was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023 and includes the tree-lined Paseo del Prado avenue as well as the 120-hectare Jardines del Buen Retiro (Garden of Pleasant Retreat), a remnant of the 17th-century Buen Retiro Palace. In this recording we hear a group of Monk Parakeets calling from their next high up in a tree, whilst locals and tourists pass near by. UNESCO listing: Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences Recorded by Colin Hunter. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Tortillas are the food base of rural Mexico, made by female hands in a completely sensory ritual: sound, smell, taste, sight and taste. The sound of the palms shaping the dough is very characteristic of the rural regions of Mexico, a beat that has been heard for hundreds of years and that unfortunately is disappearing. "For the composition, we isolated the sound of tortilla-making and one part was reduced to 500%, and another to 800%, which allows us to reduce their frequency and distinguish textures that at normal speed are imperceptible. These samples were then processed with virtual synthesis using VCV Rack." Mexican tortilla making reimagined by Colectivo La Pesera. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The rhythm of cicadas on the backdrop of electronic music has a very tight connection in Japan. That's why I chose this sound and used the cicada sounds as a fun rhythmical element." Cicadas in Derbent reimagined by Bob Rogue. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"Thinking of how tourism is now a major industry for Madeira I started with the now, the field recording submitted to the Sonic Heritage project. Already rhythmic in the sound of the footsteps I looped parts of this, and brought it back in at the end. I really liked the image the recording brought up of walking the narrow Levada (waterways) and the muffled greetings and people saying 'sorry' and 'your welcome' as they squeeze past each other. The World Heritage Site is promoted today for its wildlife, tranquillity and calm, so I also closed the loop with brought in birdsong recorded in the Laurisilva (the World Heritage Site in which the field recording was made) "In the past however, for all the lush and ancient forest, this was essentially part of an industrial landscape, with the Levadas (waterways) carved and built through the rock to facilitate the sugar industry that was developed from the mid 15th century onwards. This industry was also the model for the plantation slavery across the Caribbean, Brazil and the United States that followed. "In the official submission to UNESCO to have the Levadas Designated (submitted 2017, nomination withdrawn 2024) there's no mention of enslaved people being brought to the island for labour: Guanche people from the Canary Islands and Berber people from North Africa at first, then people from West Africa. Given that the carving and construction of the Levadas was hard, dangerous and even deadly work it seems likely it was these people who built them, and not 'heroic' or 'stoic' settlers and farmers as the official submission (and other, often tourist oriented, sources) suggest. "I therefore wanted to make a piece in which the water running through the Levada holds this memory - inspired by the quiet dripping sound that can just be heard at one point in the original recording, I added my own field recordings of water running through a channel and of (archaeological) excavation, plus a low rustling vegetal sound for the dense forest. At several points Gnawa music recorded in Morrocco seeps through, I don't know if this is temporally or geographically correct for some of the first people brought, enslaved, to Madeira, but I wanted a way to surface this history - and to bring in an aural reminder of hidden histories that lie behind official, 'authorised' heritage discourse." References: Tentative Lists: Levadas of Madeira Island, https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6230 UNESCO 46 COM (WHC/24/46.COM/17), Decision: 46 COM 8B.23, https://whc.unesco.org/document/207010 Cristiana Bastos. 2025. Sweetness and exile: Madeiran sugar connections in motion. History and Technology. DOI: 10.1080/07341512.2025.2455245 Sidney M. Greenfield. 1977. Madeira and the beginnings of New World sugar cane cultivation and plantation slavery: a study in institution building. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 292: 536-552. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1977.tb47771.x Roberto Knight Cavaleiro. 2022. Slaves, sugar and rampant capitalism - Madeira 1440 to 1540, The Portugal News (17 February) Other recordings used: Various field recordings of my own Birdsong in the Laurisilva: recordings by Sacha Julien (Creative Commons, Freesound) Men chanting and playing "Qrageb"Tamegroute, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco by ikbenraar (Creative Commons, Freesound) Laurisilva of Madeira reimagined by Lara Band. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This recording captures my experience walking along a "levada," a traditional water channel originally built to transport water from the north of the island. These networks of aqueducts stretch across many kilometres and are accompanied by narrow walking paths, open to the public and popular among tourists. In the recording, you can hear a unique aspect of these trails: the interactions with fellow walkers. Since the paths are often very narrow, it's common to pause and allow people coming from the opposite direction to pass. These brief stops create moments of spontaneous interaction—exchanges of greetings, expressions of gratitude, and sometimes even light conversation. They also offer a chance to pause and appreciate the surroundings. The levada runs through a high-altitude area characterised by lush greenery, dense forests, and an incredibly tranquil atmosphere. The soundscape is dominated by the melodies of birds, wind, and the soothing presence of water—whether gently flowing through the channels or rushing in small streams. Together, these sounds create a gentle, immersive drone that enhances the peacefulness of the environment. My brother was eager to share this levada walk with his girlfriend, and I decided to join them with the hope of capturing both the natural soundscape and these type of interactions. UNESCO listing: Laurisilva of Madeira Recorded by Tiago Tobias. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

While on an excursion to the citadel, you can hear the sound space that is now the main one for this place. The centuries-old history has transformed not only the stone and architecture, but also the sound that once filled this place. UNESCO listing: Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent Recorded by Pavel Lopatin. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This soundscape from Kraków’s Old Town reveals the heartbeat of a city steeped in history and animated by modern energy. Formerly Poland’s royal capital, this UNESCO World Heritage site continues to captivate with its medieval streets and enduring charm. Echoes of tradition weave seamlessly with the rhythm of everyday life: ancient clock towers toll above the hum of trams, mingling with the soft shuffle of cars and the lively chatter of travelers and locals passing through narrow streets. Voices carry through the air, layering over footsteps and faint bursts of activity that make the square a hub of movement and connection. Kraków’s Old Town is more than a preserved relic; it’s a dynamic space where stories unfold within its timeless architecture. This recording offers a glimpse into its living narrative - a harmony of sounds both historic and immediate, embodying the spirit of a city that celebrates its legacy while moving ever forward. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Kraków Recorded by Serge Bulat. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Traditional home made tortillas process. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Traditional Mexican cuisine - ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigm 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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 each time-scaled again to a common cadence to simulate a group hiking together. Subtle fluctuations introduced in individual tracks within the common cadence group reflect the natural dynamic of hikers falling behind or surging ahead — group formation, dissolution, and the effort of the climb. "Through minimal additional sound processing techniques limited to simulated analog delay, filtering, and mixing, I aimed to retain the essence of the original recording while revealing something unexpected. What emerged surprised me – almost animal-like sounds within the fractured density of layered paces, reflecting how the “natural” landscape of the Inca Trail has merged with cultural forces to create something both timeless and new. "Machu Picchu Paces reflects on tourism and collective movement along this historic path. As our guide reminded us, the worldwide appeal of Inca heritage supports a vital economy for local communities. Culminating in a pre-dawn descent to the historic site, I arrived exhausted and overwhelmed by the scale of the built environment and the surrounding mountain peaks. While Machu Picchu is rightfully named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the trail that leads to it is equally filled with wonder – present yet veiled, mystical and arduous. Machu Picchu Paces highlights the sonic heritage of a journey that connects travellers across centuries." Trek to Machu Picchu reimagined by David Galbraith. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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-changing soundscape of an area before it becomes just a memory lost to time?" Dawn at Machu Picchu reimagined by Andrew Ramsey. ——————— 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 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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 sounds. They exist in their place and time, and my sounds exist in another, though we can communicate across those distances." Horses at Machu Picchu reimagined by Maurice Rickard. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

" 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 columns. I found the lowest notes on a chapel organ to give weight and resonance to the recording. "I think the piece is rather more suggestive of a giant being gently woken than the conversation I originally imagined." Giant's Causeway reimagined by Rachel Henaghan. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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." Desert insects at Paquime reimagined by Shachaf Polakow. ——————— 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…
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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. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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 the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"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 in the structure of the composition, transitioning from the concrete (physical labor) to the divine (spiritual revelation), and back to the concrete, now aligned with the divine. "Through manipulation of the original recording, the piece demonstrates how sounds rooted in cultural heritage can evolve and acquire new meanings when removed from their original context. The result is a sonic journey that moves from the tangible world of work to a more abstract, spiritual realm." Jimadores cutting agave reimagined by Manuel Valenzuela. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Jimadores cutting agave at Tequila. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"When I first listened to the field recording, I was drawn to its spatial rendering, which made me curious to learn more about the place and its surroundings. Historically, it functioned both as an orphanage and a hospital, with certainly thousands traces of stories. This history, along with the architecture, inspired me to explore the relational characteristics of frequencies, materials, and memories. Also, I’ve always been fascinated by how a cathedral's dome is designed to shape frequencies, creating what could be described as "the song of the angels.". So I started to engage with the volume and height of the space, imagining how sound might behave within it—how frequencies would rapidly reflect across various distances, spreading in all directions within the massive structure of the Hospicio Cabañas in Guadalajara. "I think I engaged with Sonic Heritage by focusing on the relational and spatial aspects of sound within historically and culturally significant environments. By interpreting and exploring the acoustics of Hospicio Cabañas, I consider how sound interacts with architecture and memory, emphasizing how sonic imprints persist in spaces with deep historical resonance. "I used only the field recording as the primary material, processing it in SuperCollider. I enjoy the forensic nature of coding, allowing me to dissect sound and explore its possibilities. "A personal anecdote — I’m not entirely sure, but having worked as a painting restorer, I’ve become familiar with the spaces and atmospheres of historical monuments, particularly the sacred ones." Hospicio Cabañas at Guadalajara reimagined by Thierry J.D. Bernard. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The bells of Morelia Cathedral ring out from a beautiful baroque building of pink stone. The deep, rich sounds of these bells was the first inspiration for the piece. But, when I think of the Mexican Baroque, I immediately think of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, so this piece also takes inspiration from her poem Primero Sueño. The whispered text is excerpted from the poem itself, while the sung text is a dreamlike response – a last dream, rather than a first. I’m drawn to bells because of their rich waves of overtones. To make the sonic bed for the piece, I took the original field recording of the bell and manipulated it to bring out the small details these overtones. The original bell is accompanied by my own recordings of smaller bells, the strings of a piano, and a low cello drone. I am singing my poetic response to Sor Juana in a style inspired by early chant. The piece concludes with the original field recording. Cathedral bells at Morelia reimagined by Kamala Sankaram. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I have never experienced Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca firsthand, but I have always been inspired by the spirit of this ritualistic celebration. A day of gathering—of families, friends, and ancestors—where the entire community comes together to share food, music, memories, and stories, surrounded by vibrant colors of flowers and costumes. This holiday seems to me a beautiful and consoling way to engage with death, to mourn the departed, and to reflect on the transience of life. "The field recording captures voices, likely of people gathered in a cemetery. These are joyful sounds. Their density suggests a large crowd of all ages coming together. By applying filtering techniques, I extracted pitches and harmonies from these recordings. As a symbol of ephemerality, I chose the conch shell: an instrument with sacred and ancient associations—with the sea, with the call to prayer, with the underworld, the moon, fertility, and the wind god Ehécatl, who had the power to breathe life into a void. Its haunting sound echoes what Patrick Johansson describes as the primordial blast of the world produced in the underworld by Quetzalcóatl, heralding the creation of humankind. "The extracted pitches and harmonies led me to my existing piece for six conch shells and bass drum, Songs from Rhiannon. [Listen here: https://on.soundcloud.com/JUQX4EzhPDYctXKE6 ] "An excerpt of this piece appears after the full field recording. The conch shells continue, transpose, extend, and amplify the voices we hear. They sing a song that transports us to an unearthly space—dark, yet embracing. "Efímero begins with a female voice reading calaveras, a poetic form written specifically for Día de los Muertos. These verses humorously critique the living while reminding them of their mortality. The recitation transitions to the voice of a young girl expressing wonder and joy, calling the names of the seven archangels as she marvels at the colors, sounds, and scents surrounding the gathered crowd. Her perspective is not from our world. She speaks of the beauty of life but also of her struggle with its fleeting nature—her life was so short. "The calaveras are read in Spanish by Ainoa Padrón Ortiz. The short text that follows, in Spanish and German, is read by her daughter, Sofía Fuhrmann Padrón. The conch shells are played by Christine Chapman, Bruce Collings, Bob Koertshuis, Melvyn Poore, Markus Schwind, and the composer Marco Blaauw. The bass drum is played by Dirk Rothbrust. "It was a great pleasure to work on this project. Listening to the sounds of Oaxaca, to the voices of people gathered for this beautiful tradition, made me feel as if I were there. My ears traveled all the way to Mexico, allowing me to reflect on my own annual traditions, cultural celebrations, and ways of connecting with the dead." Day of the dead at Oaxaca cemetery reimagined by Marco Blaauw. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Interior of Hospicio Cabañas, tourist voices with long acoustic reverb. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Cathedral bells at Morelia. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Morelia 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Day of the death at Panteón General cemetery at Oaxaca. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The creation of this piece began with a binaural recording from Petra, Jordan—a place steeped in history, where the whispers of the past still resonate in the present. As soon as I listened back to the recording, I was struck by its depth and atmosphere. The natural reverberations of the ancient rock-cut city, the distant murmur of voices, the footsteps on stone—all these elements felt alive, carrying an almost cinematic quality. It immediately sparked an idea: to craft a sound collage that blends these organic textures with spoken word, downtempo beats, and ambient layers. "What stood out most in the field recording was its immersive quality. The binaural technique captured not just the sounds themselves but the space around them. The way sound interacts with Petra’s towering sandstone walls—bouncing, fading, and morphing—created a natural sonic landscape that felt rich and evocative. There’s something profoundly intimate about listening to a place in this way, as if you’re standing right there, experiencing it firsthand. I wanted to highlight these spatial nuances in my composition, allowing the listener to be transported into the heart of Petra. "Petra is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, visited by thousands of tourists every day. Yet, beyond its visual grandeur, there’s an acoustic identity that is often overlooked. My composition seeks to explore this sonic heritage—the way sound shapes our perception of place and history. By blending the raw field recordings with music, I aimed to create a bridge between the real and the imagined, drawing attention to the sounds that make Petra unique. "This piece also reflects on the role of sound preservation in the context of tourism. As modern life encroaches upon historical sites, their soundscapes change. What does Petra sound like today, and how might that evolve in the future? By capturing these moments and integrating them into a new form of expression, I hope to contribute to a deeper appreciation of sound as a cultural artefact. "I approached the composition as a dialogue between the past and present, the natural and the electronic. The field recording serves as the foundation, woven throughout the piece in layers—sometimes as an unaltered soundscape, other times manipulated to create rhythmic or textural elements. I used granular synthesis to stretch and transform certain ambient sounds, bringing out hidden harmonics and details. Downtempo beats were introduced to give the piece a sense of movement, while spoken word elements emerged organically, inspired by the echoes of voices captured in the recording. "Reverb and spatial processing played a key role in maintaining the three-dimensionality of the original sound. Rather than simply layering sounds, I wanted to preserve the recording’s depth, allowing elements to drift in and out as if they were part of a living, breathing environment. "For me, this composition is more than just an artistic experiment—it’s a way of engaging with place, memory, and time. Petra is a site of wonder, but it’s also a space of transience, where footsteps fade, conversations dissolve, and the desert winds slowly reshape the land. Through this piece, I wanted to capture that ephemeral quality, offering a sonic reflection on the impermanence of experience. "By blending the rawness of the field recording with musical elements, I hope to invite listeners to hear Petra in a new way—to step into its sonic world, to imagine its stories, and to reflect on the significance of sound in shaping our connection to history and culture." Petra soundscape reimagined by Nies. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The source field recording is combined with found sounds and field recordings made at a 1965 Hiroshima anti-nuclear protest, a 1968 Tokyo student protest, as well as street performances and 'happenings' presented between 1960 and 1970. "Tobata, an industrial port in southern Japan, was often the site of such demonstrations and protests, many of which were related to the Anpo struggle (安保闘争, Anpo tōsō). "One of the most infamous moments of the Anpo struggle was the 'Hagerty Incident', in which U.S. Ambassador to Japan Douglas MacArthur II (the nephew of the famous general) deliberately provoked an international incident by ordering his car to be driven into a large crowd of protesters. The provocation backfired and chaos ensued. "The right of people to gather and protest, celebrate, or commemorate is a fundamental right with cultural, political, and social significance. The sounds we create in doing so are an essential part of our sonic heritage." Tobata lantern festival reimagined by Simon Kennedy. IMAGE: JKT-c, CC BY 3.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

1 Butterfly effect: weeping and flying; llorando y volando: mariposas monarcas 6:48
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"The butterfly effect: weeping and flying; llorando y volando: mariposas monarcas "What is the sound of butterflies? What is the sound of butterflies? What is the sound of millions and millions of monarch butterflies as they open wings and ascend into the air? What is the sound of zero monarch butterflies? "Monarch butterflies have been part of my life for over 30 years in two places in North America that I have called home (both places of migration from my childhood home of Britain). I have experienced eastern monarcas in their tens of millions in the high forested mountains of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, where the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is located. I have experienced a few western monarchs in the eucalyptus trees on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, in Goleta, California, where the Ellwood Monarch Butterfly Reserve is located. Both the State of Michoacán and the City of Goleta use the gorgeous orange and black form of the monarca butterfly as their logo. "In Michoacán, Mexico, these multitudes of eastern monarcas follow a migratory pattern across many generations, encompassing the three countries of North America: Mexico, United States and Canada. In Goleta, United States, these tiny numbers of western monarcas follow a short migratory pattern from the coast to the Rockies. In December 2024, the official count was zero. As pollinators, monarch butterflies contribute to healthy ecosystems across North America. "In the 1990s, as a researcher, creative artist and violinist, I had the privilege of learning from the wisdom and lifeways of Indigenous P’urhépecha peoples in Michoacán, whose presence spans many centuries. I learned from my experience of being a visitor to El Rosario, in the high forested mountains, where millions and millions of monarca butterflies blanket every trunk and branch. This is the World Heritage Site of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Known only to local villagers and landowners until 1975, now a global tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site. "Before sunrise, with closed wings, their motionlessness and quietness radiate a profound tranquility. In their fragility and robustness, they are breathtaking. As earth turns, moment by moment, a transformation unfolds as the sun’s rays bath each tree, causing warming, waking, stirring, and movement. Bark and trees seemingly come alive, as millions and millions of wings open, rise and cascading upwards, forming ascending and fluttering clouds of orange and black. "Why do you cry, little human baby? ¿Porque estás llorando, pequeño bebe humano? Are you crying for your soul? ¿Estás llorando por tu alma? Por tu futura? For your future? What have we humans done to this planet? ?Que hemos hecho a esta planeta - "Listen, Escucha, listen, escucha, to infinite sounds of millions and millions of monarch butterflies in Mexico a los sonidos infinitos de millones y millones de mariposas monarca en México "Listen, Escucha, listen, escucha, To the sound of zero monarch butterflies in Goleta, California al Sonido de zero mariposas monarca en Goleta, California Silencio, silence, silencio, silence, silenco, silence – "In Michoacán, Mexico, the Indigenous Purhépecha grandmothers tell how their ancestors walked from the cold lands to the centre of the country. When the children and old people could go no further, they covered their bodies with the orange resin of the trees and the yellow pollen of the flowers to keep themselves warm. The pollen and resin transformed them into monarch butterflies, and they flew together to the lands of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. "En Michoacán, Mexico, las abuelas Indigena P’urhépecha dicen como sus ancestros caminaban desde la tierra fria al centro del pais. Cuando los niños y la genta vieja no pudieran caminar mas, cubrieron sus cuerpos con resina anaranjada de los arboles y el polen Amarillo de los flores para mantenerse calientes. Y el polen y la resina los transformaron a mariposas monarcas y volaron juntos a la tierra de la reserva biosfera de la mariposa monarca. "weeping and flying; llorando y volando/ monarch mariposas–butterflies monarcas "But what is the sound of monarch butterflies? The field recording by renowned Mexican sound recordist Erick Ruiz Arrellano intrigued me. What did Erick record in this most extraordinary of locations, El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán? I was overwhelmed by the sound of a human baby crying. I decided to use the human baby crying as the core sound, in all the repetition, alarm, which seems to come at once from the depths of the ocean and crosses through all of human time. "In this most extraordinary of ecosystems, biospheres and heritage places, where millions and millions of fragile beings, here a human baby cries. Why are they crying? Are they crying for their future? Are they crying for the disappearance of earth’s heritage, the heritage of monarcas who have inhabited this planet for so much longer than humans? Are they crying because we tourists and visitors, in our quest to hear and see earth’s transitions and journeys, disrupt and impose our own desires before our ancestor-beings? Are they crying because we humans cause devasting loss of habit, through so-called development, through massive farming complexes, herbicides, insecticides, shopping malls… "And do they hear us ? Yes – they hear us through veins in their wings ¿Y las mariposas nos escuchen? Sí – nos escuchan através de las venas en sus alas." El Rosario butterfly sanctuary reimagined by Ruth Helliert. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The field recording begins with a chant that sounds like the ones the Taj Mahal’s mausoleum guards sing to demonstrate the Taj Mahal’s acoustics. Its dome has been said to create up to 28 second of reverb. I’d heard this before because of Paul Horn’s well known album Inside, which featured a singer — a friend of one of the mausoleum guards — singing in a similar style, along with Horn’s flute sometimes accompanying him or in call and response. "For my version, I couldn’t work with natural reverb in that way, so instead I let the untreated field recording play off different types of treated and artificial sounds. I looped the chant and played along on guitar until I found some phrases that could form the core of the piece. Then I filled it out with synths and with pads made from resampled voice and guitar." Taj Mahal reimagined by John Savarese. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This is our friend Vasilis, the last shepherd in Mikro Papingo, and Iannis, his Albanan helper shearing goats. Mikro Papingo is one of the numerous stone villages found in the Zagorochoria in the mountains of north west Greece. After wintering his flock of 350 goats in the Vikos Gorge, living in a cave for weeks on end Vasilis brings the goats and their young back to the village in the spring. The adult goats' hair need trimming and Vasilis still does this with hand shears rather than an electric razor. This clip is where a younger goat which has not been sheared before is brought in and is very nervous. You can hear it trying to escape past the corrugated iron gate at one point and the very calm and measured reaction from Vasilis and Iannis who sooth it into the mesmeric clipping sounds. In the past the goat hair was highly prized for making the incredibly warm and waterproof coats (samaroskouti) worn by the shepherds. When I asked Vasilis where his clippings would go he said "only the birds want it now for their nests". In the past there were many flocks of sheep and goats in the mountains numbering in their thousands. Over the last 50 years hospitality and tourism have become major activities and the younger generations of the shepherding families are turning to this as a preferred way of life. Vasilis is the last shepherd in the village. These sounds are close to dying out and to have documented these and many other sounds over the years has been a huge privilege. UNESCO listing: Zagori Cultural Landscape Recorded by Peter Annear. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

On some unused areas of tarmac close to Les Invalides and the grand boulevards that surround it, by the banks of the Seine, there are frequent games of street hockey. On an earlier visit to Paris I'd assumed this was a one-off, but every time we visited again and went back to Les Invalides, the street hockey guys were there, playing what is surely one of the world's most picturesque games of street sport. In this recording you can hear rollerskates, sticks, ball thwacks and shouting among the players, all with the backdrop of busy roads in this touristy - but majestic - area of the city. A great example of public space being used for the public good. UNESCO listing: Paris, Banks of the Seine Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I firstly loved the sound of the piece and the atmosphere of the Cathedral - the original sound is included fully, but buried in amongst the sounds of the remix. The way into the remix was the text about the seven second reverb and some research about the building's history. I knew that whatever I did, long reverbs and delays combined with multiples of seven in some sequences would feature. Bach's Mass in D was performed in the Cathedral and so I used some MIDI files for the musical elements alongside a 14 step sequence. The sounds used were intended to reference retro computer games in a nod to the amazing stained glass window by Gerhard Richter and the acid rain erosion of the building. "I thought about what was happening on the outside of the building and tried to think of it as a person - I found it incredible that it has been built over hundreds of years and survived tank fights and bombing during WW2. It was hit 14 times but remained standing and that is why the mass is interrupted at regular intervals with distorted acid kicks and quick arpeggio flourishes. "The piece finishes with the building finding a calm centre with focused and drawn out harmonics of the bell, which I heavily Eq'd with a narrow band to create a pure tone that is pitched down twice. I think it's incredibly important to record and preserve the sounds of spaces such as this as they provide a way of understanding collective and individual heritage. I tried to draw on the cultural significance of this amazing space whilst composing the piece and tell a story about part of its life." Cologne cathedral reimagined by David Henckel. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"On first listening to the sound recording, the sound of the hockey puck being hit placed me inside a life size pinball machine. I felt drawn to creating the piece from the perspective of the players being inside a giant pinball machine. From there I began to build a set of pinball inspired sounds to entwine with the recording. "The soundscape was created using hardware modular synths to layer up the bouncing of the pinball buffers in response to the players hitting the puck. A further layer of distant arcade sounds and floating background music heard from outside the machine was added using software modular synths. Throughout I endeavoured to ensure the original recording and the story it told could still clearly be heard despite placing it in my own sonic world." Paris street hockey reimagined by Andrew D. Sage. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"This track is inspired by both the sheep shearing clipper sounds and the season in which shearing usually occurs. During my first listen of the field recording, I imagined the ecosystem of handcrafting and repairing and was inspired to combine this recording with field recordings of my own craft, including whittling and sanding, use of a sewing machine to repair pants, journaling, and crocheting. "Bell sounds (created with FM synthesis and with field recordings, inspired by faint bell sounds on the original recording) and created “bird” sound serve as the underlying threads that weaves the pieces together. This track was created using VCV Rack 2." Greek goat shearing reimagined by Stephanie Vasko. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

A binaural recording made at 10pm in Raekoja Square at the heart of Tallinn's Old Town - we hear passers-by on all sides, restaurants and bars closing early at the end of a quiet night, and the church bells tolling 10pm. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Inside the popular medieval Olde Hansa restaurant, which specialises in serving original medieval recipes, a group of three musicians performs with replica medieval string and percussion instruments. Together with the wall paintings and candlelight, the ambience is as close to an authentic medieval banquet as you can get, while at the same time forming a very modern tourist attraction in the heritage site of the Old Town. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This soundscape explores the quiet stillness of Westminster Cathedral - the sound of slight whispers and occasional footsteps echo amongst the airy spaciousness of the church. UNESCO listing: Westminster Abbey Recorded by Paul Virostek. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The otherworldly voices and the haunting church bells drew me in…. I wished to be there, standing in the square on a cold Baltic night like a scene in a movie. Relying only on my imagination, as I have never visited the Baltic region, I was fascinated by these slightly atonal Estonian bells. How many times have they rung out across this square? How many folks have lived amongst them over the centuries? They clearly called out to me as they have done to many folks throughout the centuries. "They became the initial inspiration for the piece. I matched the tone of the bells with a response on an old and very out-of-tune Persian Santoor. The recording seemed out of time and place and multitheistic, so i then added an organ drone to it. It felt like the history of the city came to life. "As I also have ancestors who came from the region I am naturally quite curious about its culture and history. I hope that the sound of these bells and the resulting composition accessed some of the energy of the region and that it can in turn inspire others to explore Tallinn, Estonia and the Baltic region at large." Raekoja Square, Tallinn reimagined by Penelope Trappes ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The music heard mingling with voices suggests music for dancing, but there is nothing here to see. If this recording is found in an archive many years in the future, we’ll have to rely on context and assumptions that could have changed in the intervening period. "The reworking of this music creates “impossible” instrumental sounds, while imagining a different kind of dance. In the pauses built into the tune, I find a connection with some more modern structures of dance music in which sounds are taken away and brought back." Olde Hansa, Tallinn reimagined by Isabel de Berrie. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The information age has produced huge leaps in the gathering and documentation of data. Someone who has never been to Westminster Abbey no longer relies on descriptions filtered through a commentator, whose powers of observation, agenda or eloquence are beyond their control. They can see maps, photographs, plans, reviews, recordings; access a level of detail unprecedented in human history. Precise representation is incredibly valuable because from this we can draw inference, deepening our understanding. "'Echoic Object 40' is a work of sonic archaeology. It subjects our artefact to various processes and deciphers details of resonance, tone, and time so that we might better understand its attributes. Spectral granulation allows the nave to sing to us; footsteps create rhythms as they move through the arcades; an impulse response becomes a reverb. "From the one recording we assemble a stratigraphy, context, and interpretation. Westminster Abbey is an Anglican church, so there should be bells. It is a centre of faith and a repository of history, so it is probably tranquil. Kings are buried there, regents of an empire that once held a quarter of the world in a stranglehold, so there must be ghosts. The final piece on display is the recording, lightly weathered and almost complete, returning us blinking into the daylight. "My huge thanks to Paul Virostek for the original recording." Westminster Abbey tones reimagined by Emmy Lambert. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This audio recording, captured in front of the church in Christiansfeld, Southern Denmark on the morning of Christmas Eve 2024, documents congregants arriving for the 7:30 AM church service. The ambient sounds of gathering worshippers culminate in the tolling of church bells, before concluding with the closing of the heavy church doors UNESCO listing: Moravian Church Settlements Recorded by Robert Cole Rizzi. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

I. Ocean furrows II. The liquid skin of story III. Island protecting waves "What are the living sonic expressions inherited from our ancestors? This question came to me when I read the definition of ‘intangible cultural heritage’ on the UNESCO website. The field recording I chose from the Fisherman’s Wharf in Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands, is, in the words of Josué Jaramillo, ‘a unique polyphony, where work, culture and wildlife converge in an imperfect but very human harmony’. Listening to the recording, I was mesmerised by the sound of the ‘knives sliding on whetstones’, as well as the daily conversations and the flowing of sounds into each other. Watching videos of the wharf online, I was transfixed by the seabirds, iguanas and sea lions that waited patiently for -or simply took- their fair share of the fish meat. "Researching Ecuadorian folk music, I came across ‘Taita Quishpe’, a song about the love felt by an indigenous agriculturalist towards their ‘chakrita’, the small plot of land which provides for them and soothes them like the sound of the ‘rondador’, the national instrument of Ecuador. I thought of the ocean around the Galapagos Islands as one giant chakrita, and the very particular relationship islanders have with the sea, its deep and shifting waters. "This provoked me to explore my own heritage as a British-Greek person. The first thing that came to my mind was the Odyssey, the epic rhapsody of the eponymous hero’s perilous journey of return. Thinking about the waters of heritage and story, I was reminded of the evasive figure of Proteus, the shapeshifting old man of the sea, transforming himself into ‘a lion, a serpent, a leopard, a boar, rushing water, a mighty tree’. I felt that across the ages this is also what stories do. "The next thing that came to mind was the Met Office’s shipping forecast, that spell-like, reliable, life-saving transmission. This spell led to thinking about other spells, about the fate of ancient traditions that were lost, only to be remade in modern form, such as the animistic traditions of Druidry and its flowing spirit of inspiration, or Awen. "The soundscape hopefully evokes something of this imaginative journey, taking the original field recording itself as a point of departure. My idea has been to dissolve boundaries, to express the movement of waves and to allow for the invisible radiophonic liquidity that we are all part of to emerge; it seems to me that both through tangible and intangible waters, all our different islands might be connected, and perhaps that sonic currents of our heritage are always travelling to shores much further than we think." Sounds: Ocean furrows: • Extracts from the original field recording (unedited and edited) • Sample from ‘Taita Quishpe’, Gloria Haro y conjunto folklorico, from ‘El Canto dela Raza’, 1969 The liquid skin of story: • Extract from ‘The Odyssey’, Rhapsody 4, Homer, read in Modern Greek by Veroniki Krikoni and in Spanish by Christos Siorikis • Field recording at Parkland Walk, London. Voice: Chris Sakellaridis; harmonium: Öztan Aydin-Corbett; birds, passers-by Island protecting waves: • Met Office, Shipping forecast (archive, January 2021), read by Chris Sakellaridis • Field recording, Spring Equinox Ceremony, Tamesis Order of Bards and Druids Group, Primrose Hill • Field recording, the River Thames, Rotherhithe Beach Santa Cruz, Islas Galápagos soundscape reimagined by Chris Sakellaridis. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Imagine a sound canvas where tradition, life and nature are intertwined in a vibrant auditory tapestry. The Fisherman's Wharf in Santa Cruz, Galapagos, is an everyday symphony. The air is filled with the metallic echo of knives sliding on whetstones, a prelude to the dance that follows. The precise sound of the knife cutting the fish meat is mixed with the soft splash of the water that cleans the pieces, creating a rhythmic percussion. The voices, warm and resonant, weave conversations that talk about work, family, and island life. They are spontaneous songs, laughter that escapes, the constant murmur of the community. And in this concert, nature also has its part: the guttural call of the sea lions, eager for their share of the loot, is contrasted with the strident squawking of the pelicans, fighting for a bite. It is a unique polyphony, where work, culture and wildlife converge in an imperfect but deeply human harmony. This soundscape is a time capsule, an invaluable record of daily life in the Galapagos Islands. It invites reflection on the relationship between humans and nature, the importance of traditions and the richness of local culture. UNESCO listing: Galápagos Islands Recorded by Josué Jaramillo Romero. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

On a warm summer evening crowds line the streets to watch the opening ceremony of the Tobata Gion lantern festival. Several floats can be heard passing as they march through the town. UNESCO listing: Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan Recorded by Thomas Martin Nutt. IMAGE: JKT-c, CC BY 3.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Petra Anamnetic presents a stratophonic acoustic mapping of the Petra world heritage archaeological site, located in southern Jordan. This locale has traditionally belonged to the Bedouin B’doul tribe, a clan that continues to play an eminent role within the tourist industry, which is of central importance to the area’s economy. The piece has been recorded ambisonically and rendered binaurally – it is intended to be disseminated via headphones, replicating the immersive and interactive experience of audition in a ‘real’ space. Petra Anamnetic juxtaposes two main elements: (1) a conversation between two B’doul shepherd children tending their goats in one of the many caves that are characteristic of the area and (2) the sound of the evening call to prayer recorded from a hotel rooftop patio in nearby Wadi Musa, the main access point for most of the many tourists visiting Petra. Via the juxtaposition and creative manipulation of these two recordings, Petra Anamnetic aims to foreground the complex strata embedded within a geographically contiguous yet socially, politically and historically heterogeneous territory, sonically delineating sublimated tensions manifested between those who are native to the area and the transient foreigners who come to marvel at their legacy. UNESCO listing: Petra Recorded by Michael Trommer. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Monarch butterfly sanctuary, El Rosario. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Hike a little beyond the main section of Nara Park in Japan, and you enter the Kasugayama Primeval Forest – also part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara UNESCO site. If you are there during the off season and early enough in the morning, it is possible to hear the forest itself, as the monks and pilgrims of old must have done. This recording was made on 13 December, 2024 on the popular hiking trail that winds up to the summit of Wakakusayama Hill. Although there is a background hum from the city, it primarily captures the sounds of the forest – bird song, trees rustling and wind – but at the start of the recording you can also hear the footsteps of a single hiker on the gravel path as they pass me. UNESCO listing: Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara Recorded by Lisa Germany. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

This soundwalk was recorded in and around the streets of Siena in Tuscany. We begin in the narrow streets and end at the famous Piazza del Campo, the town's central square and home to the biannual horse race the "palio". UNESCO listing: Historic City of Siena Recorded by Colin Hunter. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The field recording reminds me to listen to the world around in nature and juxtaposed with the sounds of diaspora and migration, it captures the spirit behind the audio - of birds communicating with the audience and with each other, of light footsteps through a forest preserved in present day. Why are other forests not given the same status and how can we preserve the forests and rivers that make up our land? "I imagine walking through a forest that is preserved and capturing its sounds the same way as we walk through an urban setting , with people, calls to prayer, grackles, frog sounds, etc. Each recording shared in this piece is captured during my travels and visiting home in Lahore, Pakistan and living between Houston, Texas. "I've used various recordings and I use a simple phone recorder to record my sounds as I travel and I overlaid these pieces to capture the concept of migration and diaspora through sound and to layer the original track in the backdrop as a loop. The sounds of the birds play with the verses of Persian poetry and the bamboo flute and all the sounds in between that inspire me in my day to day." Kasugayama Primeval Forest reimagined by Mashal Awais. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The sound in my piece is made by striking the inside of an empty prosecco tank in an Italian winery. I created this piece using Ableton and wanted to make something that only used the original sample and no other additional sounds. I used the sampler and granulator to manipulate and edit the sound and then worked to create a short ambient piece that retained some of the character of the original sound whilst taking it somewhere new. "I was very inspired by the vastness and grandeur of the original sound and was curious to explore it in a more intimate setting, imagining the 'inner life' of the empty wine tanks. Some of the sounds did not behave as I wanted to or expected, but I went with the glitchiness and imagined that the barrels were gently telling me their story rather than me trying to uncover it for them, what resulted was a new kind of intimate and nostalgic fragility emerging from what was originally a quite bold and brash sound." Prosecco wine tanks reimagined by Katie Chatburn. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"The field recording was interesting to me as it revealed more after several listens. It was a combination of louder, more dynamic voices/human/environmental sounds, and some much more subtle parts. It made me feel like I was visiting another place which I found compelling, and I appreciated the inconsistent sounds and spaces captured. In the composition I wanted to marry abstractions with more concrete, yet simple melodic phrases, so that the listener can move along with the story of the moments captured in the original recording, but at the same time they can also tune into something musical if they want to. "I wanted the music to ebb and flow like the field recording itself, encouraging reflection on this one unique position in space and time when these sounds came together, to stop and be drawn into something and consider the geography, history, and presence of what can be heard in the final work. Who do we hear and what is their story? and what does what we hear tell us about the place, this historic walk in Tuscany? Approaching the project I took small samples of the recording for percussive elements. I combined these with the full original recording, and drew out a few small sections for specific treatment, as well as introducing this simple melodic motif as an anchor for the work." Siena soundwalk reimagined by Suzi Lamb. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

The "seggiovia" chairlift up to a rifugio in Pescul, in the Dolomites on a hot summer afternoon. The sound of the clicking, whirring chairlift interrupts the sounds of buzzing insects and light breeze, and symbolises the intrusion of human construction and entertainment into the natural environments of the mountains. UNESCO listing: The Dolomites Recorded by Cities and Memory. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

In the heart of Isfahan, Iran, the beauty of Naqsh-e Jahan Square comes alive at sunset, where the fountain glimmers under the fading light, accompanied by the chant of the muezzin in the background. UNESCO listing: Meidan Emam, Esfahan Recorded by Azadeh Nilchiani. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Green parrots at Khajuraho. Stereo 44kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Khajuraho Group of Monuments 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Tourists in the Taj Mahal interior. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Taj Mahal 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I was born in Bolzano, Alto Adige, by the Dolomites, and lived there for the first 11 years of my life. The first breath I took was from the air corralled by the lines these mountains made in the sky; here was my first light, colours, sounds, language. "Hearing the seggiovia reminds me of picnics in valleys with pines and snowy tops. And hearing people joyfully gasping on the moving chairs. "Hearing the recording, I weave that inescapable and inextricable emotional labour that is remembering, mending memories, mending oneself through memory - sound being like an ancient trace in one’s psyche." Ski lift in Pescul reimagined by Clelia Ciardulli. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"If you have never been in/around/under a large flock of singing, squawking, vocalising and flying birds you have missed an incredible immersive experience. It leaves your breathless, amazed, scared and humbled. You can lose all touch with your world as the sounds of bird calls and beating wings drowns out everything else. "As I read about the Khajuiraho temple complex, I began to think of the ancient history of this complex and it's life and how it was reabsorbed by the jungle and the human lives and memories that were here as well as the ancestral memories of the green parrots. The human sounds in and around this complex have changed with the flow of time but the sounds of the large flocks or parrots has remained unchanged and hopefully will remain unchanged as time passes. "I wasn't sure how to use this recording at first and then I was able to experience a "large flock of birds" moment around my house and it brought back the immersive experience and linked it to the parrots I had been listening to. From there, I wanted to build up sounds relating to the sounds around the temple complex - the dripping of water deep in the temples through cracks in the ancient stone; the music from the modern day festivals captured in a shruti box and musician practicing some ancient stringed instrument, plucking out a contemplative tune as a lament to the parrots and the past." Parrots in Khajuraho reimagined by Mindrobots. ——————— 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…
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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

"I have long been inspired by Iranian culture and particularly its music and poetry. Much to my surprise, my response to the field recording of the city of Isfahan eventually took the form of a kind of oblique word-picture, prompted by the images and themes which the original field recording sounds brought to mind, which I then set to the sound of a Daf percussion arrangement. One of the main jumping off points was also the idea of the festival of the spring equinox, ‘nowruz’ - which literally means’ ‘new day’ in Persian, and which is a central celebration in Iranian culture. "The Daf is a traditional Iranian percussion instrument associated with nowruz celebrations amongst many other things, whose unique sound I adore and which I felt tied in with the themes of sonic heritage in this context. My dear friend Mobin Hosseini from Sanandaj, Iran, kindly provided the accompanying Daf track. The field recording appears in its entirety, since this seemed the most fitting soundtrack to the rich imagery it inspired for me. I hope it might prove similarly evocative for anyone who listens to my contribution to the project." Nowruz in Isfahan reimagined by Fiona Conn @outsidetheoutlines. ——————— 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…
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