Why?
These readings are here to get you thinking more about your upcoming soundscape project—how to collect, process, and organize sounds; how to think about where to collect sounds and how to use an environment to make sounds; and how to conceptualize sounds.
A soundscape can be defined as “the sonic environment which surrounds the sentient. The hearer, or listener, is at the center of the soundscape. It is a context, it surrounds and it generally consists of many sounds coming from different directions and of differeing characteristics. [. . .] Soundscapes surround and unfold in complex symphonies or cacophonies of sound.”1
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Making Soundscapes from Nature | Stephen Vitiello – ILIO Artist Circle, ILIO
“Stephen Vitiello is an American visual and sound artist, who has a talent for transforming ‘incidental atmospheric noises into mesmerizing soundscapes that alter our perception of the surrounding environment.’ We recently found out that Stephen has been using Delta Sound Labs' Stream (granular sampler plug-in) in his music and art. We had to find out more, so we visited the historic Pump House in Richmond Virginia to witness a day in the life of Stephen as he captures field recordings, then using Stream from Delta Sound Labs, manipulates and transforms those field recordings into grandiose and mesmerizing soundscapes and artistic musical works. Originally a punk guitarist Vitiello has collaborated with Pauline Oliveros, Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud, and Frances-Marie Uitti as well as visual artists Julie Mehretu, Tony Oursler and Joan Jonas. Vitiello was a resident artist at the World Trade Center in 1999 where he recorded sounds from the 91st floor using home-built contact microphones, as well as photocells and used that material in his Bright and Dusty Things album (New Albion Records) as well as in an installation environment, World Trade Center Recordings: Winds After Hurricane Floyd.”
What Is Field Recording? – How To Get Started Field Recording With Hayley Suviste!, PMTVUK
There are good tips in here about how to think about gathering and organizing sound. “As musicians, we're always making noise with our instruments. But there's a whole other world of sound that surrounds us all the time - and the talented Hayley Suviste is here to answer all your questions! Meg and Ria from PMTVUK join Hayley to discuss frequently asked questions such as what is field recording, how do you get started field recording, what skills you need to start field recording and so much more! @hayleysuviste7237 is a sound artist and composer based in Manchester. Working across field recording, archival sound, electronic hardware and live instrumentation, Hayley uses her music to explore community and culture. Her work draws on first-hand oral histories and is made in close collaboration with those who can provide the most accurate document of their environment. Much of her music is immersed in the rural and urban narratives of her local Manchester, observing the city’s threatened natural spaces and our experiences preserving and polluting them. In this video, PMTVUK presenters Meg and Ria are joined by Hayley as she takes them on a sound tour of Manchester's canals. They seek out any and every interesting sound they come across, and Hayley shares her expert advice on how best to capture audio in your immediate environment. She reveals that anyone can start field recording - the only limit is your creativity! There are countless sounds around us that have musical qualities, and the potential to create interesting music, sound effects and soundscapes from them is truly endless.”
How Can Sound Change the Way We Experience Visual Art?, Walker Art Center
Read the article and listen to the six soundscapes. “Can hearing particular sounds affect the way we see things? Los Angeles–based sound designer Joseph Fraioli worked with creative agency Interesting Development and the Walker Art Center to consider this question, creating sonic backdrops, or soundscapes, for three paintings in the Walker’s exhibition Five Ways In: Themes from the Permanent Collection. Visitors can listen to the soundscapes through headphones installed in front of the artworks in the galleries—as well as here on the Walker Reader.”
Supplementary Readings
- Field Recording
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How to Get Started with Field Recording?, Free to Use Sounds
“Interested in recording high-quality audio recordings of natural sounds or urban environments? Field recording is the art of recording sound outside of a studio, and it's a fantastic way to gather unique sounds for music production, film, sound design, or just for fun.”
Avoid These Field Recording Mistakes, Free to Use Sounds
When you can get pas the click-baitiness of this video, there is some useful information. “Are you making these common field recording mistakes? In this video, we break down some of the most common pitfalls in field recording and provide you with actionable tips on how to avoid them. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience in field recording, avoiding these mistakes can elevate the quality of your audio and save you a lot of time in post-production.”
Simplify Metadata Writing For Field Recording with Universal Category System, Free to Use Sounds
“Tired of struggling to write clear and effective metadata for your content? Look no further! In this video, we introduce you to the Universal Category System, a simple and easy-to-use system for organizing and categorizing your metadata. Learn how to write metadata that accurately reflects the content of your videos and makes them easier to find. Get ready to take your metadata writing skills to the next level!”
KMRU: Spaces, Ableton
“KMRU explores the influence our surroundings can have on hearing and composing.”
Field Recording Introduction With Ian Wellman – Zoom H5 Setup And Other Microphones Explained, Perfect Circuit
“In this video, recordist and musician Ian Wellman discusses approaches to field recording, including practical and creative techniques for capturing real-world sounds. Ian Wellman has a unique perspective on sound—as a musician who works professionally as a recordist, he brings a careful ear to sound design...as well as as set of tools uncommon for typical musicians. In this video, Ian walks through some sounds he has recorded, discussing the equipment and mic techniques used to capture them along the way. From stereo miking techniques to tactics for capturing sounds inaudible to the naked ear, this video walks an incredible array of ways to hear and record all the sounds that surround us. Ian also presents an overview of Zoom's H5, an excellent choice for starting out in the world of field recording. With multiple available microphone capsules, it's a great way to explore different mic techniques without needing a ton of specialized equipment—and best of all, it's small enough to go wherever you do.”
Field Recording with Sound Artist Jez riley French | Sound Makers, Sound of Life
“Sound and field recording artist Jez Riley French is renowned for his aural explorations. Capturing sounds imperceptible to the naked ear through his field recording for more than four decades, he’s taken a quietly stunning approach to sound design. Jez riley French’s field recordings often exhibit an awe-inspiring magnitude, taking us to melting glaciers and the tremulations of the Humber Bridge. But his influence in sound design doesn’t stop there – his wide range of field recording mics are widespread in both the film and music industries. Watch this veteran sound artist as he walks us through his field recording process, elevating quiet spaces to new heights.”
”Field Recording Art” Lecture-Workshop with Yiorgis Sakellariou
“”Field recording art” lecture-workshop with Yiorgis Sakellariou
22nd of August
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Kirtimai Cultural Center
Dariaus ir Girėno str. 69This lecture-workshop is a part of the Sonic Vilnius project program. Here we learned more about the history of recorded sound, field recording equipment and techniques. Sonic Vilnius is a project containing the processuality of soundwalk exploring method and actualization of the art of recording field sounds.”
Universal Category System (UCS)
“The Universal Category System (UCS) is a public domain initiative by Tim Nielsen, Justin Drury, Kai Paquin, among others, and supported by sound librarians, vendors, and users from around the globe. Our aim is to provide and encourage the use of a set category list for the classification of sound effects. We hope that in doing so, we can offer a framework for consistent categorization of sound effects, offer uniformity in a filename structure, and ease the pain of maintaining a sound effects library.”
Quiet American
Aaron Ximm works under the project name Quiet American to create field recordings and soundscapes.
- Soundscapes
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Aural Obscura, Twenty Thousand Hertz
“All over the world, there are unique and breathtaking sounds that you can only hear in one specific place. In this episode, we travel to two of the most astounding sonic wonders in the United States. The first is a hidden sound installation in Times Square that might be the most visited art exhibit on Earth. The second is an enormous organ built right into the rock of an ancient Virginian cave. These stories originally aired on the Atlas Obscura podcast.”
The Sound of Life: What Is a Soundscape?, Folklife
This is the first article in a two-part series. Read part two. “Close your eyes for a moment and listen to the space you are in. From my chair, I can hear the rhythmic agitation of my washing machine’s spin cycle muffled only slightly by a closed door. In the next room, my fiancé picks out a lilting melody on his mandolin. Even further away, the hint of a low drone, like that of a jet passing by in the sky, reminds me of the presence of the refrigerator upstairs in the kitchen. If I concentrate more, I can hear the distant whine of leaf blowers down the street, though what they could possibly be blowing in the middle of the winter is beyond me. And right next to the click clack of my typing as I commit these words to the page is the purr of an external hard drive, a reassuring sounding of the digital age.”
The Sound of Life: The Making of a Soundscape, Folklike
This is the second article in a two-part series. Read part one. “The conception of these soundscapes stems from a deep love of history that I have had since childhood. The idea of recreating the sound of the past in a way that was meaningful to modern listeners provided me with a creative challenge. My aim was to tell a story solely through sound while simultaneously presenting an authentic and valid interpretation of a group of people at a specific point in time.”
KMRU: Spaces, Ableton
“KMRU explores the influence our surroundings can have on hearing and composing.”
Field Recording with Sound Artist Jez riley French | Sound Makers, Sound of Life
“Sound and field recording artist Jez Riley French is renowned for his aural explorations. Capturing sounds imperceptible to the naked ear through his field recording for more than four decades, he’s taken a quietly stunning approach to sound design. Jez riley French’s field recordings often exhibit an awe-inspiring magnitude, taking us to melting glaciers and the tremulations of the Humber Bridge. But his influence in sound design doesn’t stop there – his wide range of field recording mics are widespread in both the film and music industries. Watch this veteran sound artist as he walks us through his field recording process, elevating quiet spaces to new heights.”
How Can Sound Change the Way We Experience Visual Art?, Walker Art Center
Read the article and listen to the six soundscapes. “Can hearing particular sounds affect the way we see things? Los Angeles–based sound designer Joseph Fraioli worked with creative agency Interesting Development and the Walker Art Center to consider this question, creating sonic backdrops, or soundscapes, for three paintings in the Walker’s exhibition Five Ways In: Themes from the Permanent Collection. Visitors can listen to the soundscapes through headphones installed in front of the artworks in the galleries—as well as here on the Walker Reader.”
Ten Minutes with Emeka Ogboh: On Active Listening, MoMA
“In 2014, Nigerian-born artist Emeka Ogboh moved from Lagos to Berlin. This experience marked not only a shift in his surroundings, but also a shift in his artwork. ‘Shuttling between two places,’ Ogboh explains, ‘your brain has to do this switch. And that fusion of two places started occurring to me.’ His immersive installation Lagos State of Mind III, currently on view in MoMA’s second-floor galleries, blends the experience of living in these two cities. It includes a sign for an imagined street called Lagosstrasse, and a layered soundscape composed of field recordings made in both cities’ public spaces.”
Hayley Suviste, Soundcloud
An assortment of sound pieces by Hayley Suviste including soundscapes.
Quiet American
Aaron Ximm works under the project name Quiet American to create field recordings and soundscapes.
Response Question
Remember to cite specific instances from the “readings” to support your views.
- What sparked something in your thinking that may impact your project?
- Paul Rodaway, Sensuous Geographies (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), 86–87.