Seven seconds

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.
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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