Hydrophones at the bottom of a seasonal pond, in the ecologically rich Orchard St Marsh and Forest which is threatened by a developer who wants to build condos.
Recorded by Matt Rogalsky.
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4:12
Wetland time
"Like so many other areas, time is running out for the wetlands at Orchard Street Marsh, Canada. Development decisions are under review. To reflect this in my piece, I have kept the sound of the hydrophone from the original recording as a time clock.
"Accompanying, I have played layers of tenor recorder to represent the harmony of breath beneath the water. You will also hear the natural sounds of the wetland in real time; the fluid movements of carbon storage, flood control and biodiversity."
Wetland in Kingston, Canada reimagined by Cheryl Beer.
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1:48
Electrical storm, Perth
This recording captures the sferic sounds from an electrical storm that occurred on 30.03.2025. The fizzes, crackles and zaps are from natural electrical phenomena, specifically broadband electromagnetic (EM) impulses caused by lightning discharges, that were detected via a homemade receiver I adapted from the Shortwave Collective’s Open Wave-Receiver.
There are 3 recordings, the first half is prior to a power blackout, the second half is after - showcasing the atmospheric sounds without human-made EM noise. The third recording was taken with an ultrasonic mic capturing the rumblings and movements which provides the base notes of this piece.
Recorded by Aliesha King.
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5:10
Roar of the wild, hum of the machine
In the Chocó jungle near Capurganá, Colombia, the natural soundscape is interrupted by the hum of generators. This recording captures the morning interplay between the haunting calls of howler monkeys and the mechanical drone of generators, creating a unique, chaotic harmony.
Recorded by Rafael Diogo.
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1:59
Choleric cemetery
The selected recording was made at a roadside metal cross surrounded by a fence, marking the burial place of cholera epidemic victims. Behind the cross, a short distance from the road, the old burial plot has turned into a wild pond covered with duckweed. You can hear a flock of tits flying over the water surface, dragonflies interested in the microphones, and at one point, a raven appears on a tall tree. Only three cars pass by.
This recording is a part of the Funereal project, an artistic and research project based on the practice of field recordings in old cemeteries. It is set in the broad context of death studies and considerations on memorial sites and deathscapes. It focuses on the soundscapes related to the heterotopic space of old, forgotten cemeteries. In its considerations, it combines seemingly distant threads, regarding memory, sound ecology and the parascientific EVP - Electronic Voice Phenomena.
https://soundcloud.com/user-685437514
The recording has not been modified. The project assumes a deliberate search for places free from anthropophonic noise, green enclaves of cemeteries, but it also indicates that this task is almost hopeless. It is still, a search for deep contemplation in the world full of excess stimuli and information.
Recorded by Lena Achtelik.
À propos de Cities and Memory - remixing the world
Cities and Memory remixes the world, one sound at a time - a global collaboration between artists and sound recordists all over the world.
The project presents an amazingly-diverse array of field recordings from all over the world, but also reimagined, recomposed versions of those recordings as we go on a mission to remix the world.
What you'll hear in the podcast are our latest sounds - either a field recording from somewhere in the world, or a remixed new composition based solely on those sounds. Each podcast description tells you more about what you're hearing, and where it came from.
There are more than 7,000 sounds featured on our sound map, spread over more than 130 countries and territories. The sounds cover parts of the world as diverse as the hubbub of San Francisco’s main station, traditional fishing women’s songs at Lake Turkana, the sound of computer data centres in Birmingham, spiritual temple chanting in New Taipei City or the hum of the vaporetto engines in Venice. You can explore the project in full at http://www.citiesandmemory.com
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