Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Recorded by Paul Collins. "During my stay in Caochangdi, I was told that the cicada's song is so loud, that were one to chirp in too close proximity your ear, it would damage your hearing. Here we have cicadas and a bird in incessant syncopated song on a hot summer afternoon, while an errant dog barks at nothing." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature

Recorded by Valentina Villarroel Ambiado. "Registro de un ave llamado Diucón, en la comuna de San Pedro de la Paz, sector Laguna grande." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature

Recorded by Matt Rogalsky. The call of eagles can be heard over a bay in Canada. Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

Recorded by John Roach.  "This is a recording in the early evening at Danum Valley in Sabah in Borneo. Danum is a relatively undisturbed lowland dipterocarp forest. The recorder (a Zoom H2n) was left by the edge of the road as we waited at some distance for the appearance of the flying squirrels. The loud sounds at the beginning are the Rhinoceros Hornbills flying by. Our guide informed us that as the sun went down, the squirrels would appear shortly after the cicadas started to call. He was correct, and what I have edited out of this recording is the very human chorus of AHHHHHHHHHH! As the squirrels sail from one tree to the next." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature

Riga tram reimagined by Wendy McCredie.  The original recording felt quite prosaic and ordinary, but I was playing around with reverbs and another of my recordings from Riga to create different effects, and thought I'd try it on the Tram recording and thought it sounded like a ghost train. There's a lot of history in Riga, the obvious older history, and the more recent history lurking just below the surface. It felt a little like the tram had just rumbled out of the past and if I dared get on it, it might take me off to another time entirely.

Recorded by Wendy McCredie in Riga, Latvia, in front of the National Theatre.

Valle d'Aosta reimagined by Michael Lilley. "I was inspired by my inability to distinguish the sound of running water from sizzling bacon and/or rain.   I used mainly Eurorack modules, a smattering of iPad synths and my Korg Wavestation." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature

Skilpadkloof, South Africa reimagined by Glenn Sogge. "A fragment of about 4:30 was isolated and and stretched by a couple of slightly different factors in addition to different settings for harmonics. These were used both forwards and reversed. The original recording was shrunk a little to fit the time frame and then run through the Reaktor Prism FX modal resonator. The six resulting tracks were then mixed together." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Goncalo Verdasca on Unsplash

Thai birdsong reimagined by Asmus Korn. "Growing up in Thailand rainy season was my favourite. Especially going to Khao Yai national park and walking through the forest while it was drizzling. I would start to imagine all the periods the world had been through to get to where I was. All of the periods experiencing rain; I would imagine rain being one of the onsets for life on earth. In the case of Thailand Tone sample 68 I was brought to the Cretaceous Period with my favourite dinosaur Deinonychus hunting through the forest." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Matthew Cabret on Unsplash

Cladagh Glen River reimagined by Kent MacPherson. "The source recording seemed quite static. I wanted to add an element of dystopia and a dark ambience. Dynamics, movement and a hint of melody. Alongside the source recording, I have added some recordings made from a local playground where I live in Hamilton, New Zealand." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature

Locusts reimagined by Kenneth Lyons. "The file selected for me was chosen at random. When Stuart sent me the title/file number, I was very keen to hear the recording though I was not at all expecting to hear the sounds I was to hear in it. Having developed tinnitus over the past year, I have often described the sound I hear to folk when the tinnitus is peaking as ‘like having a plague of locusts buzzing and panning around in my head”. Oh the irony … and the challenge! The original sound recording I was allocated to work with is predominately 5 mins of locusts making a racket of static with only three moments of a clearly discernible human presence in the landscape : a car passing, a plane passing overhead and a short burst of male voices. Those three human/mechanical sound elements, distinct as they are from the hiss of the locusts was where I began this composition. My first attempt to develop a sound piece for this project was firmly in the realm of ‘ambient’ with an intention to smooth out and sweeten the locust static to counter the ever present sound of my tinnitus by using a range of effects in my DAW. It worked. However, in the last few seconds of the original source recording, there is a sound of what may be a cart going over a wooden bridge. The ‘clunkiness’ of this moment inspired me to bring some beats into the piece. I cut up these ‘clunks’ and constructed some intricate rhythmic patterns which form the drum patterning and some of the, what I call, ‘blip phrases’ which are peppered throughout this final mix of ‘CAMBODIMENTS’. All the sounds heard, including the beats are sourced from the original sound recording and put through a myriad of effects. No external or proprietary sounds or beats are employed." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Hippos reimagined by Jose Manuel Paez Moncaleano.  "The soundscape captured by the recording is an absolutely astonishing piece by itself. Out of respect for nature's perfection, I felt I could only resonate with it, so the piece is basically a resonance exploration over the hippos' bath time." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Ben Stern on Unsplash

Cranes reimagined by Isaac Bries. "The cranes sounded incredibly vocal to me, almost as if they were all trying to talk over one another. My goal was to separate the voices so we can explore the intricacies of their conversation. Most of the sound alteration comes from filtering the original recording through a generative feedback patch made in VCV Rack, as well as some basic pitch shifting and reversal." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Reimagined by Andy Billington. "The original field recording is rich, full of melody, rhythm and complexity. The sound of a forgotten Britain played out every day. The soundtrack to a changing landscape, never the same, fragile and beautiful. I tried to capture all of this with the birdsong leading the piece and informing the decisions and shape of the track. Strings, synths, marimba and drones complement." Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Katerina Radvanska on Unsplash

Hippos resting early in the morning in a pool in the Masai Mara national park, Kenya. Recorded by Eloisa Matheu de Cortada. Part of the Sounding Nature project - for more information, see http://www.citiesandmemory.com/sounding-nature Photo by Ben Stern on Unsplash