Cities And Memory

This composition is a multi-layered synth improvisation, reacting in real time to the sounds of the breaking waves and calling birds in the field recording. Listening through to the full recording four or five times to immerse myself in the location, I then responded live to the recording on three passes with three separate synth sounds, allowing the emotions I felt listening to the recording to guide the performance, instead of a formal structure. The title comes from the poem by druidic bard Amergin Glangel: “I am the Wind that blows across the Sea I am the Wave of the Ocean I am the Murmur of the Billows I am the Bull of the Seven Combats I am the Vulture on the Rock I am a Ray of the Sun I am the Fairest of Flowers I am a Wild Boar in Valour I am a Salmon in the Pool I am a Lake on the Plain I am the Skill of the Craftsman I am a Word of Science I am the Spear-point that gives Battle I am the god who creates in the head of man the Fire of Thought. Who is it that Enlightens the Assembly upon the mountain

The rising tide, gently lapping at rocks, with the quieter general sound of the sea in the background. The recording contains many bird sounds – both land-based such as blackbirds (Turdus merula) and sea-based such as oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus). Recorded at dusk as the birds chorus before nightfall.  Recorded at Tarskavaig on the Isle of Skye, Scotland by Peter Brooks.

"The collective murmuring in the original recording filled me with comfort as soon as I heard it. There is something very nurturing about praying together and singing together in a beautiful resonate space.  "It’s almost like the murmuring becomes a vast benevolent beast. This is an ode to the collective power of the voice, a huge hopeful entity moving against the tide of conflict and division." Sanctuary at Viano do Castelo, Portugal reimagined by Jess Bryant.

This recording offers a glimpse into the spiritual heart of Portugal, where tradition and faith come together in a celebration of devotion and praise. Step into the serene atmosphere of the Santuario de Santa Luzia in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, as a Sunday church service unfolds. This recording captures the intimate moments of devotion and worship, as the priest leads the congregation in prayer. The gentle murmur of the congregation's responses creates a sense of community and reverence. As the service reaches its close, the congregation rises to their feet, and the majestic sound of the organ fills the sanctuary, accompanied by joyful singing of the worshippers. Recorded by Colin Hunter.

A walk outside IRCAM in Paris around the Stravinsky Fountain at noon, a trumpet player performs in public, a quick chat with a colleague, crowd and water sounds from the fountain, elevator speech synthesis, walking underground inside IRCAM, water splash from a sound installation, walking in the studios corridor, stopping by a closed room with a ventilation mechanism, taking the elevator, door opens.  Recorded on a sunny day, ordinary things in a special place. Recorded by Guillaume Piccarreta.

"I approached the piece by breaking it down into three dimensions: rhythm, texture, and the relationship between inside and outside. What first caught my attention was the richness of the different sonic layers — the interplay between interior and exterior spaces, and the elevator movements that added "depth".  "The triggering element for me was water. "In connection with my project Cyclaudio, which involves recording soundscapes during my bicycle travels, I wanted to invert the original gesture of the piece: instead of going into an enclosed space to listen, I imagined a movement outward — from the inside to the outside. "I incorporated some of my own recordings, especially in the indoor sequences, to affirm that another way of listening to the world is possible — an open, living form of listening that resists being confined within walls.  "The fountain heard at one point in the original piece became, in my version, a conclusion — a pause, an opening toward the natural world, suggesting that listening to

"Golden Hours unfolds like a friendly conversation between two friends who truly see each other. What begins as a light exchange - about work, retirement, and small everyday things - turns into something deeper, almost poetic. In just a few minutes, they drift through life’s big questions with humor and grace: When is it time to stop working? What happens next? Why do we live by the beach but never go there? "Their dialogue flows effortlessly, full of warmth, wit, and openness. Each line is both funny and revealing, showing how two people can cover an entire lifetime of ideas in a few gentle turns of talk - money, time, marriage, hobbies, decisions, and the strange rhythm of growing older. It’s the kind of exchange that feels spontaneous yet full of insight - where every answer sparks another thought, another laugh, another 'maybe'. Beneath the humour runs a tender honesty about time passing, the search for meaning, and the art of simply being curious about each other. "There’s beauty in the pauses, laughte

"Hearing the original sample it suggested an idea for an imaginary space accessed that exists inside the birdsong itself - so I used the sample and through a range of different processes including re-synthesis, granulation, reverberation, repetition and resonation, I created a ton of sound material to create a sense of a surreal space that exists within and without - with close and distant echoes of the bird song.  "The only other additions are a bass pulse and a bee buzzing past to bring a little more depth into this space within the song." Teshima night recording reimagined by Warren Anthony.

Following Terry Riley’s concert at Yokoo House on Teshima Island, I walked through the darkness back to the ryokan when an enigmatic, high-frequency resonance caught my attention.  Curious and compelled, I ran to fetch my two recorders and spent the night listening and recording. The sound — from a summer insect I still can’t identify — remains a mystery that hums in memory. Recorded by Heu.

Retired mail carrier Laura returns to her old work place at the post office West Carrier Annex in Oakland. The mail carriers are just leaving to their routes to deliver the mail with their carts. But they have time to greet Laura shortly as they are hurrying to their work pulling the carts, the sound of which can be heard in the recording.  Laura remembers her old customers and she meets the man who took up her route, where the 106 year old woman still lives and remembers Laura. Recorded by Sirpa Jokinen.

"The piece involves a sample of the ships horn used as part of the melody along with traditional Turkish instruments played in 9/8 time." Ships on the Bosphorus recorded by Anders Vinjar, reimagined by Simon Woods.

"Ambisonic recordings on the Bosphoros, with the sound of large ships' engines, carrying grains from Ukraine to the world. All accompanied by distant calls to prayer by the muezzins." This soundscape is part of the HEYR project, presenting 3-dimensional soundscapes from special locations, connected to special events. Find out more by visiting https://www.heyr.no Recorded by Anders Vinjar.

Huge pre-communion service bells ring out from the Berliner Dom cathedral across the Mitte district of Berlin.  A solid eight minutes of impressively full bell sounds that reverberate through your entire body. As the bells fade, we walk towards the fountain in front of the cathedral. Recorded by Cities and Memory, September 2025. 

"I wanted to dive inside the sound of the bells and reimagined the drones as a kind of symphony. As a counterpoint to the location, I added waves of sounds so we can drift on a sea of drone." Berliner Dom cathedral bells, Berlin reimagined by Gareth Evans.

This is the sound of a midday call to prayer at the Zangi Ota Memorial Complex. The complex, located just outside Tashkent (20 km), is very popular pilgrimage site as it houses Zangi Ota and Anbar bibi mausoleums.  Visitors from all over Uzbekistan and neighboring countries Anbar bibi or Anbar Ona Mausoleum is quite special, as it is dedicated to a woman, the wife of a prominent Sufi Sheykh, and it draws women young and old to perform pilgrimages and make very intimate requests - a child, happiness in marriage, harmonious relationship with mothers-in-law.  Recorded by Shahnoza Nozimova.

"The recording made me think of a journey through the darkness, trying to find the light, to find the thing that has been searched for. I had the field recording playing throughout the track, blending in and out of the pads playing, until finally at the end when you can finally hear the singing, when you make it to the end of your quest.  :It was very enjoyable working with a sound from somewhere else in the world, a place i have never been able to visit, but I feel like now i have been able to travel there, at least for a time.  Zangi Ota memorial complex, Uzbekistan reimagined by Ellipses (Ant Beloch).

"My composition, titled “Berliner Mauer,” draws inspiration from ambisonics recordings made by Anders Vinjar at the Berlin Wall. "The Berlin Wall, officially known as the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart, was a fortified concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It physically separated West Berlin from East Berlin and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961, by the government of the GDR. The wall featured guard towers along large concrete walls and a wide area known as the “death strip,” which contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails, and other defensive measures. The primary purpose of the Wall was to prevent East German citizens from fleeing to the West. "The intricate history of the Berlin Wall captivated me. Its origin as a tangible symbol of the Cold War division holds immense power. It embodies various aspects, including the brutal suppression of East Germans and their families, its unintended symbolic significan

Ambisonics recording at the wall, physically separating Eastern Europe from Western Europe in Berlin during the Cold War in the years 1961 to 1989. This recording is part of the HEYR project, presenting 3-dimensional soundscapes from special locations, connected to special events. Find out more by visiting https://www.heyr.no Recorded by Anders Vinjar.

"I liked the space in the recording, and used it to slot in percussive and electronic elements to create a composition where all elements had parity of presence." Sanlin Old Street, Shanghai reimagined by Fergus Kelly. 

"Estonian autumns arrive with shortening days, cooler air, and long, unbroken stretches of rain. There is also a particular sound to this small country — quiet, restrained, and deliberate. Voices fall softly; movement slows; even the strings of daily life seem slightly muted. In such an atmosphere, time itself can begin to blur. "This recording, made in Nõmme, Estonia, tries to capture that sensation — the drift of sound and stillness as they dissolve into one another." Nõmme food market, Tallinn reimagined by Paul Beaudoin.