Cities and Memory - remixing the world
Episodes
Up close and personal in the Paris jazz scene
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A lively jazz sextet led by Michel Zenino recorded at the tiny, intimate Paris jazz club Le Baiser Salé. Michel Zenion Zewoaï: Michel Zenino - c...
Kjærlighetsstien, Utøya
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Pryvoz market
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 d...
Global and local: market place in Odessa
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 so...
Utøpya - Osøø
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Ramblings and sound variations with and in the source landscape... dreamy moments... lunar thoughts..." "Kjærlighetsstien" at Utøya reimagined by ...
Sonic Heritage feature, CBC radio, 21 April 2025
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A feature on CBC, Canadian national radio, broadcast on 21 April 2025 about the Sonic Heritage project. Features an interview with Cities and Memory f...
BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Feat...
BBC World Service Newshour: Sonic Heritage interview, 18 April 2025
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC World Service's Newshour programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage proj...
The place of greenstone
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Dawn chorus at Okarito
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sitting concession
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The overlapping sounds – the drone's gentle pulse, the lingering reverb, the admiring whispers, and the sacred music – create a dreamlike and imm...
Clinch variant
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 qualit...
St. Anthony's relics
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Kokiriko bushi
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 danc...
In the metro, Novosibirsk
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recording from the Novosibirsk metro, Russia. Recorded by Pavel Lopatin
Resonant protest in Tirana
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of Albania’s voices are political, and this recording demonstrates that this remains true today. Captured in Skanderbeg Square, in the heart of...
In metropoliten
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded sounds are synthesised with electronic sounds, creating new timbres and syntheses. Novosibirsk metro, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin.
Walls that resist
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Protests embody unrest, tension, and hope. They are activities that display these contrasts while effectively utilizing sound. In this interpretation...
Peter and Paul Fortress Carillon
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Temple sticks at Ayutthaya
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Temple Sticks at Ayutthaya. Stereo 44kHz 16bit. UNESCO listing: Historic City of Ayutthaya Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. IMAGE: H191, CC BY-SA 4...
Together
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Proton motive force
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 embr...
Ayasofya in the dark
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Traditional bell ringing
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located in Georgia's oldest city and former capital, Mtskheta. As I passed through the mai...
Religious procession in Lima
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Religious procession in Lima. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Lima Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ——————— T...
Inside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Binaural recording of a walk around the mosque, November 2015. UNESCO listing: Historic Areas of Istanbul Recorded by David Webb. ——————...
Morning birds in Apoala
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Morning birds in Santiago Apoala. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica Recorded by Eric...
Ponte de Dom Luís I
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Birds of Apoala
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"This piece reflects the birds of Apoala sounding at first light. After 30 seconds there are sounds of music, representing the unique sonic relationsh...
Rust
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 se...
Morning pass
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 i...
The life of Winston Churchill
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Blenheim Palace was the birthplace of Britain's most famous Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and throughout the property there are plenty of reminde...
I loved riding
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Campanas de la Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Mexi...
Bell fall
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 fr...
Naja nostalgia
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 perceive...
Jaguar head instrument at Teotihuacan Pyramids
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Juan imitates the sound of a jaguar with an ancient instrument at Teotihuacan Pyramids. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Pre-Hispanic City of Teot...
The ancient and the new
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This recording was captured in Fanal, a vast forested area with an enchanting atmosphere and ancient-looking trees that are part of the indigenous Lau...
Transformation
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 M...
Misty transmutes
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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, i...
Heritage simulacrum
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider ho...
Day of the Dead at Xoxo
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Day of the Death at Xoxocotlán cemetery. Families gather around thumbs. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Indigenous festivity dedicated to the de...
Skara Brae
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"After carefully listening to my chosen field recording; Skara Brae, I refreshed my memory and researched the Neolithic site in Orkney. "I liked ho...
Skara Brae tourism
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Skara Brae, Europe's most remarkably preserved Neolithic village, offers a profound connection to the distant past. In this recording, the wind carrie...
Does it drive you crazy too?
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Delos, from Egypt to modern day
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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. ...
Soul of Italy
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Wieża
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
""Wieża" considers themes of change, stasis, motion, stillness, and meditation, as suggested by the original field recording. The footsteps that expl...
Wieża Ratuszowa
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 intertwine...
Hagar Qim, Il-Genna Mitlufa (Hagar Qim, Paradise Lost)
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 overlo...
Walking back into Hagar Qim, neolithic temples
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Footsteps on the stony path, hundreds of sparrows, the sound changing when entering under the canopy that covers the temples, other birds, insects buz...
Arranging and rearranging black feathers (the game)
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The inspiration for this fugue-like piece was the imagined relationship between the crows - possibly Rooks by their call - and the Blenheim gamekeepe...
Crows nesting in the palace grounds
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Hema in Mexico City
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Weaving rhythms
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"With its sharp, clipped sounds and natural rhythm, this recording immediately drew me in. It felt like a composition in itself, already crafted, and ...
Names in the air
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 h...
Air raid siren
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 prep...
Mariachis at Plaza Garibaldi
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Distant Mariachis bands play at Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City. Mono 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Mariachi, string music, song and trumpet Recorded ...
Ewe Kente weaving in Kpetoe
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 produc...
Piazza San Pietro
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Pulse of Yellowstone
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The first National Park in the United States was Yellowstone, and the most recognised attraction is the geyser Old Faithful. Predictions of Old Faith...
In those days
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Clogra
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I originally picked this sample because it reflected my research interest in pedestrianism. Listening back, I was wondering what the volume of conver...
Spice market in Stone Town
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inside the spice market a seller offers a variety of spices, flavorants and perfumes. UNESCO listing: Stone Town, Zanzibar Recorded by Marg Laing. ...
Rhapsodie d'Serra
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Composed over several weeks using the entire recording used in sections takes the lively street and voices as introduction numerous sounds sampled an...
Snow memory
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Multiple tracks were played on a keyboard, arranged and combined with the audio field recording using midi workstation computer software. "The sound...
Dos caminos
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The field recording I chose was rich with historical resonance, immediately reminding me of another sacred route in Japan—Kumano Kodo, an ancient p...
Water under the snow
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A short recording with an hydrophone. A stream running under the snow, popping sounds of ice melting and pebbles. UNESCO listing: High Coast / Kvarke...
The mechanical clock
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Praza das Praterías
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the core of Santiago de Compostela, Praza das Praterías (Plaza de las Platerías) pulses with the sounds that embody its spiritual and cultural sp...
Ships sail softly
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The sound of waves and voices intertwine in an endless field, creating an immersive experience that echoes through the depths of the Neva River. Fiel...
The soft entrance
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 importan...
Icthyophaga vocifer
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 throu...
El retiro, Madrid (1 February 2025)
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"In recent years, I've developed a field recording based practice of reworking and remixing sounds using small portable speakers, using binaural headp...
Trains crossing the Forth Road Bridge
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Roa...
Monk parakeets in Madrid
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The national beat
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 rhythm of cicadas
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 sou...
The memory of water
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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. Alre...
Walking and waiting to pass
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This recording captures my experience walking along a "levada," a traditional water channel originally built to transport water from the north of the ...
Cicadas and tourists in the citadel
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Stare Miasto
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Tortillas made at Michoacan
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Traditional home made tortillas process. Stereo 48kHz 24bit. UNESCO listing: Traditional Mexican cuisine - ancestral, ongoing community culture, the ...
Dark hours
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 mak...
Keep on running
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 tog...
The trek to Machu Picchu
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Machu Picchu paces
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Horses at Machu Picchu
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After days of trekking through the Andes, the sight of Machu Picchu is unforgettable. Nearby, the horses that carried supplies for the arduous journey...
Dawn at Machu Picchu
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Guinea pigs at Machu Picchu
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the traditional mountain homes surrounding Machu Picchu, guinea pigs are an integral part of life. Their soft chirping fills the air, a domestic me...
Recollecting
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Cuy
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
For horses, insects, birds, and pedal steel
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Jagged and unrestrained
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The tension in the knife sharpening, and the repeated voice, shouting instruction, morphs into a state of freedom, floating in a beautiful state. Fam...
Raising giants
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
" 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...
Bus ticket vendors, Cuzco
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 capt...
A droning memory
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 afte...
Distant but close
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Knife sharpeners at Arequipa
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Knife sharpeners at Arequipa. Stereo 48kHz 24bit UNESCO listing: Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa Recorded by Erick Ruiz Arellano. ———...
Clochán an Aifir
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...