Cities and Memory - remixing the sounds of the world

A walk along the Greenwich foot tunnel right underneath the River Thames. We descend in the lift, hearing the announcements, and walk the length of the long concrete tunnel, hearing cyclists whizz past and catching snippets of conversation from passing pedestrians, before emerging at the exit at the other end.  Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

"Taking the underground announcements and creating the echoing effects that you often hear in the tunnels of the underground using dub techniques." Greenwich tunnel, London reimagined by Dubberrookie.

In the summer of 2019, while sitting beside a small unnamed lake/pond, which friends and I called Crater Lake (because it looked like a crater), I was attempting to record loons in the late afternoon/early evening. Instead, a beaver swam around circling and splashing about near the nest of a pair of loons and their loonlets, messing with them far as I could tell. Thus, we get no loon sounds but some reverberating beaver tail whips.  The lake itself was situated where I was sat several meters from the shore nestled in an almost amphitheater type setting, and the recording reflects as much (especially when listening with headphones or a good pair of speakers). The frogs, songbirds set the stage for a sound rich environment, and the beaver tail led the way, so to speak, or at the very least, punctuated the recording with deep bass resonance.  Hence, the playful title I attributed to the recording. I find the tail whip sounds especially unique and felt serendipitous I was able to capture it - sounds of the northwoods at its finest. It remains one of my favourite nature recordings that I have made.  Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Iron River, WI recorded by Tenali Hrenak.

"We travel through many sonic landscapes. Lately, I've been flying back and forth from Massachusetts to Wisconsin to help my elderly parents. I selected this field recording from from the north woods of WI (a shared past) paired with my own similar recordings from the deep forest in MA/VT (a shared present), and a nearby pond at the Clark Art Institute.  "In a sense this becomes an ambient travelogue. As we age and travel, there are many delights and familiarities, but also many unknowns, so I composed this piece to be both lovely and a little ominous, performing bowed bells, percussion, and modular synthesizer in addition to the field recordings." Chequamegon Nicolet national forest, Iron River USA reimagined by Gregory Scheckler.

"This piece is a personal journey through the experiences of being born and growing up on an island with complex cultural, political, and historical roots. I felt strong connections and disconnections between where I grew up and where I lived afterwards, realising that identity and belonging can continue to evolve in subtle ways. Making every moment of interaction with the space and culture dynamic, as the individual affects the space, and in turn, it affects the individual.  "I primarily used the recording allocated to me for this project for rhythmic and timbral purposes. In a sense, the selection of the recording was both informed by and, in turn, informed the piece that I was composing. It helped bridge the metal and soundscape genres with its natural timbre and rhythmic qualities." Fez medina work sounds reimagined by Berk Yagli.

This was recorded in Fez Medina in Morocco in 2008, I feel that this sound sums up not only the sense of place that one feels when inside the Medina, but it is seemingly a sound which defines temporal definition.  One might hear this sound at any point in the last 2,000 years, a unique soundmark, which also personally resonates with my own memories of that time in my life, the time in Morocco and also the feelings of hope and optimism for the future which seemingly seem distant in 2025. Recorded by Neil Spencer Bruce.

This recording captures the "Isha" call to prayer in the medina of Nabeul, Tunisia. "Isha" is the night prayer, and is announced after dark.  Nabeul has two main mosques in the medina, plus other call to prayers can be heard in the distance. The presence of space is well recognisable due to the various distances of the different Isha calls. Recorded by Colin Hunter.

The recording is made sitting on a pier by the Kukkia lake. One can hear waves under the pier and sounds coming across the lake but also insects. The contact microphone was placed on a floating metal plate on water and animals smaller than the eye could see were walking on it and made sounds. Recorded by Sirpa Jokinen.

"The piece was about seeking answers or at least a response and receiving silence. There is a resignation or even frustration that is represented with the ebbing and flowing of the instruments.  "Harmonium, guitar, saxophone, and Mellotron alongside a field recording of a call to prayer. Every time a melody would emerge, I would intentionally pull back as if the melody was an answer to the pleas from the instruments. It was challenging and somewhat frustrating, but I would audibly say “refrain” when things started to flow and bring that instrument to rest. This is a topic touched upon in Ingmar Bergman films: faith and silence." Nabeul call to prayer reimagined by Jeff Brown.

"Blossoming Wake was inspired by the field recording “By The Kukkia Lake” by Sirpa Jokinen. I was drawn to this field recording, which was made with a contact microphone, simply because I too have been using contact microphones to record outdoors.  "My sound sources consist of contact microphones placed in dead hollow trees (Clark Reservation, Jamesville, NY) and on a creaking gate (Three Falls Woods, Manlius, NY).  "Additional sound sources (made with a shotgun microphone) include rubber balls rubbed against a wooden sculpture (Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, NY) and various water sounds (Crystal Lake, Benzie County, MI). All audio files used to create this “blended landscape” have been edited and processed in the studio using Cubase and Ableton." Kukkia lake, Finland reimagined by Edward Ruchalski.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"What grabbed me about the original rainforest recording from Colombia was hearing two opposites collide – the raw, wild roars of howler monkeys and a strange, mechanical buzz. The longer I listened, the more apparent it became that this recording, much like the composition it inspired, revolves fundamentally around the idea of distance. Different kinds of proximity mix here – the clash of nature and machines, things that are near or far (those birds!). It provokes urgent questions: What is our place in nature? Where do we fit in the chain of evolution? What is our impact on the surroundings? "That friction between what's wild and what's wired creates a kind of unease. You can hear it in the music: a low, unsettling rumble, sharp spikes of noise, and a quiet ache that hums underneath. It's that feeling when things don't quite line up - like we're close to nature, but also miles apart." Choco rainforest, Colombia reimagined by Przemysław Scheller.

"My composition “Skała” (which means rock) is based on a field recording from the Skała Choleric Jewish Cemetery in Pabianice, Poland. One might think what sounds could there be in a cemetery? Silence? Wind? Birds? When I first heard this field recording what I heard were the sounds of history. A very deep complicated history. Skała dates back to the 13th century, and the first Jews appeared settled there at the end of the 18th century.  "After the German army entered the town in September 1939, the Jewish community was immediately targeted with persecutions. And by the spring of 1941, an open ghetto of 3,000 Jews was established in Skała. In August 1942, some of them were deported to the Słomniki Ghetto, and then to the Bełżec extermination camp. The rest were murdered in the town or in local Jewish cemetery. It is with this historic background that I composed “Skała”.  "I was interested in the dual possibility of such a tragic history lying under the ground, while up above the peaceful sounds of silence, wind, and birds were in the air. This is my attempt to create a piece of music that would embody both realities. Electronic sounds relating to both worlds have been layered and woven together around the original field recording, to create a new way of thinking about this sacred place. “The traces were still there. But time would slowly blur them and nothing would be left.” – Edgar Hilsenrath Cemetery in Pabiance, Poland reimagined by Jeff Dungfelder.

"This composition is built entirely from a field recording of an electrical storm, whose raw energy and unpredictable structure inspired the form of the piece. I preserved the full length of the original audio, allowing its natural rise and fall to guide the listening experience.  "Through heavy processing, the storm's dynamics are brought into sharper focus — from piercing, harsh bursts of energy to more subdued, crackling textures. Randomized sound transformations reflect the storm's inherent volatility, creating a sonic environment that is both violent and delicate, chaotic and contemplative." Electrical storm in Perth reimagined by Stefan Strasser.

"I live on the Danish island of Bornholm, which is in the western end of the Baltic Sea. People here share a long, rich history with the Baltic countries, so choosing a field-recording from Tallinn felt natural. The dastardly Russian war feels really close here at the moment, and many of us here are more conscious about our cultural heritage and friendship across the sea now than we used to be. "This is, however, not a work about war, but more about celebrating the fact that we're still able to take a silly walk through the old historical part of Tallinn, not being at war, walking through a town that isn't in ruins - and simply exploring and enjoying what that's like.  "As you can probably hear, all sounds heard throughout the piece are from the original field-recording. I've used samplers and various sampling effects (like delays and reverbs), and a ton of manual edits (literally thousands of manual edits made over a two week period). The tonal sounds were made with "frozen reverbs". All this editing mainly serves to enhance the original recording, which is kept mostly intact (the enhanced version follows the original recording closely - and therefore also ahas the same duration). "The effect is a sort of personal interpretation of micro-events along the way, as I responded to them while slowly working my way through the piece. "The idea of doing it this way was partly inspired by reading Wittgenstein's "Philosphische Untersuchungen". At one point the philosopher asks about thought-images: "How does one point twice at the same image?" (PU 382), - and, in a way, this way of working with field recordings is a possible answer to this - presenting the same image twice in two different versions at the same time." Tallinn old town walkthrough reimagined by Samatha Dubs (Karsten Høegh).

Walkthrough of Tallinn's medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on a morning with pouring rain. The streets are quite empty compared to the usual bustle, and we hear rain overflowing from drainpipes and gutters. The soundwalk ends at the famous, beautiful medieval alleyway St. Catherine's Passage. Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

"The port of Brindisi, end of the Appian Way at five in the afternoon, along the steps at the foot of the Roman columns. "Two stretches of still and silent sea, the engine of the boat that connects the shores of the port, the bar and its cheerful customers, birds singing in spring, a sudden plane that takes flight from the nearby airport. "A counterpoint with an insistent rhythm that melts and drops a semitone at the moment of takeoff and detachment before nostalgia. An instant in a place of transit for centuries, voices and travellers who went." Brindisi port reimagined by Giuseppe Schirone. IMAGE: Freccia53, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The port of Brindisi, end of the Appian Way at five in the afternoon, along the steps at the foot of the Roman columns. Two stretches of still and silent sea, the engine of the boat that connects the shores of the port, the bar and its cheerful customers, birds singing in spring, a sudden plane that takes flight from the nearby airport. Recorded by Giuseppe Schirone.  IMAGE: Freccia53, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Feature on French national radio station Radio France on Sonic Heritage, broadcast on 9 May 2025 - French language only. "Une bibliothèque où sont rangés les environnements sonores de 270 sites du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO Et aussi des objets immatériels , tous réimaginés par des artistes du monde entier. « Accessible gratuitement cette collection permet d'écouter les sons emblématiques du Taj Mahal, des gondoles de Venise, du Fado portugais et de la Tour Eiffel » lit-on dans Times.. Le nouveau projet de l'artiste que l'on pourrait dire gigogne vient s'intégrer à une collection encore plus vaste Cities and memory qui donne d'ailleurs son nom au site internet où l'on peut naviguer sur des cartes interactives à la recherche d'un lieu du monde que l'on voudrait visiter par les oreilles. Cathédrales, ponts, monuments, parcs et square, places et marchés mais aussi danses et chants traditionnels. Aujourd'hui elle compte près de 7000 enregistrements réalisés par plus de 2000 artistes dans 130 pays. Sonic Heritage, la bibliothèque sonore de 270 sites du patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco à retrouver sur le site internet citiesandmemory.com"

This recording captures the early morning sounds of an ancient Waorani warrior in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Staying with him in his traditional palm-thatched longhouse, the tranquility of the environment was profound, with minimal external noise. Despite a language barrier—he spoke only Waorani (Sabela)—we connected through gestures and shared moments. At dawn, as we emerged from our hammocks, I asked if I could record him. The resulting sounds offer a glimpse into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for centuries, providing a powerful auditory link to the past. Recorded in the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador by Rafael Diogo.

"The original field recording is awesome so I wanted to keep as much of that as I could in the new piece. The background rhythm is created from a small sample of the orginal with some echo added. I then added some background melodies and overlay the original recording." Ancient Waorani Icaro in Ecuador reimagined by Richard Watts. 

"The original recording reminded me of woozy days listening to my children play when they were young. The music I've added intentionally loses focus / zones out and hopefully evokes a dreamlike state." Swimming in Mooste reimagined by Adam Leonard. 

It was beautiful summer day in 2013 August and I was staying at the artist residency in Mooste. I wanted to record some local sounds and went to the swimming place at the lake nearby.I asked the people who were picnicking by the lake if they thought it would be ok to record and they said yes. I sat on the pier. Recorded in Mooste, Estonia by Sirpa Jokinen.

Waves crash onto a rocky beach in Elgol, with the close sound of water smacking against the hard rocks of the beach. One boat passes by into the harbour during the recording.  Recorded on the Isle of Skye by Cities and Memory. 

"I recorded and reinterpreted this sound myself. Our common bond, apart from kinship, is playing the guitar." Cemetery in  Kemerovo, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin.

The sound is in good weather at the cemetery, near my great-grandmother's grave. It's a bright place, despite the sadness. On the recording, you can hear birds, rustling, and a few other people, perhaps you can hear the wind.  Recorded in Kemerovo, Russia by Pavel Lopatin.

"A dense re-mix for the Cities and Memory project." Waves on Elgol beach reimagined by {AN} EeL.

"The composition is made samples cut from the original field recording, with a little additions, looped and rearranged. It finishes with a nod to a Paris Jazz great." Jazz show at Le Baiser Salé, Paris reimagined by Simon Woods. 

A lively jazz sextet led by Michel Zenino recorded at the tiny, intimate Paris jazz club Le Baiser Salé.  Michel Zenion Zewoaï: Michel Zenino - contrebass Leo Montana - piano Christophe Monniot - alto saxophone Jeff Boudreaux - drums Manu Codija - guitar Adriano Tenorio - percussion  Recorded on 14 December 2024 by Cities and Memory. 

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 murderer Anders Behring Breivik massacered 69 young people on July 22nd, 2011, exactly 11 years earlier. At "Kjærlighetsstien" 11 youth tried to hide and play dead, but were discovered and shot by Breivik, only a single survivor. The sound of the waves, forest, birds etc. is the same while recording as it was during the shooting 11 years before, minus the cries of pain and panic and shots. Recorded by Anders Vinjar.

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 despite the ongoing conflict. There was a sense of resilience in the air, but beneath the bustle, a quiet sadness lingered. It reflected the uncertainty of the war between Ukraine and Russia, casting a shadow over the moments of normalcy that still persisted. Privoz market, Odessa recorded by Rafael Diogo.

"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 sonification of real time changes to Wikipedia) to try and convey the global backdrop to the everyday business of the buyers and sellers at Privoz Market in Odessa." Privoz market, Odessa reimagined by Roland Pyle.

"Ramblings and sound variations with and in the source landscape... dreamy moments... lunar thoughts..." "Kjærlighetsstien" at Utøya reimagined by Philippe Neau.

A feature on CBC, Canadian national radio, broadcast on 21 April 2025 about the Sonic Heritage project. Features an interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes, and several field recordings from the project.  

Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Tower of London, the Sistine Chapel and Valparaiso, Chile. 

Interview with Cities and Memory founder Stuart Fowkes on BBC World Service's Newshour programme on 18 April 2025, introducing the Sonic Heritage project. Features sound clips from the Sistine Chapel, Coimbra in Portugal and Okarito in New Zealand. 

"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 to read of the world-building legends about how this part of the world came into being.  "I wanted to hold this sense of the sacred close to me as I explored the sound - and what it represented - more deeply. This piece contemplates the very different meanings of the same heritage space to different people. What might be one person's stunning view or rewarding hike could be another person's sacred space, and in exploring the world we are also intruding into other people's worlds and values, and must be respectful of that. This is a composition of contemplation, repetition and respect. The title comes from the Māori translation of Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone'." Okarito soundscape reimagined by Cities and Memory. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

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 manu birds are busy feeding and grooming in the warm sunlight. Mixing with this birdsong is the constant rumble of waves that can be heard wherever you are in town. The trail where this was recorded was dripping with rainwater and steaming as the temperature quickly rose. Residents and visitors to Ōkārito frequent this trail as it leads up to a gorgeous view of the native bush, lagoon, and beach. UNESCO listing: Te Wahipounamu Recorded by Janina Castro. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

"The overlapping sounds – the drone's gentle pulse, the lingering reverb, the admiring whispers, and the sacred music – create a dreamlike and immersive experience. It's as if the drone has become a silent witness, its sonic capture blending the everyday wonder of visitors with the profound spiritual atmosphere of a Christmas Mass. The drawn-out notes act as a unifying force, binding these disparate sounds into a cohesive and emotionally resonant whole, a sonic meditation on the Basilica's enduring beauty and its role as a place of both artistic appreciation and profound faith. The recording becomes a hauntingly beautiful reimagining, a drone's-eye (or ear) view into the soul of Sant'Antonio." Interior of Sant'Antonio, Padova reimagined by Karhide. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

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 quality. For this remix, the original recording has been cleaned, removing unwanted noise while preserving the inherent intimacy of the space. Layers additional music have been introduced, transforming the raw performance into a chilled-out sonic journey.  Kokiriko bushi reimagined by Karhide. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

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, as well as a Christmas service taking place in the centre of the church. We join the queue to view the relics of St. Anthony, which include the saint's tongue, jawbone and vocal chords.  UNESCO listing: Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles Recorded by Cities and Memory.  ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

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 dances in front of a small audience. The setting is a traditional house made of dark timber, embers shine in the ash pit in the middle of the room. As he dances he plays the binzasara, a traditional instrument that can double as a decoration to ward off evil at home. UNESCO listing: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama Recorded by Riccardo Fumagalli. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

Recording from the Novosibirsk metro, Russia.  Recorded by Pavel Lopatin

Many of Albania's voices are political, and this recording demonstrates that this remains true today. Captured in Skanderbeg Square, in the heart of Tirana, this recording showcases the soundscape of a protest organized by the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania.  In the recording, the voice of the individual speaking into the microphone during the protest in front of Tirana City Hall reverberates off the nearby museum, opera house, and Hotel Tirana surrounding the square. The preparations for the fair and the speeches happening in the square are also included in this recording, contributing to the intricate soundscape of the area. Recorded by Uğur Aslan.

Recorded sounds are synthesised with electronic sounds, creating new timbres and syntheses. Novosibirsk metro, Russia reimagined by Pavel Lopatin. 

"Protests embody unrest, tension, and hope. They are activities that display these contrasts while effectively utilizing sound. In this interpretation, I sampled a protest recording from Tirana and approached it in four distinct ways. The first is in its original form. The second features a louder megaphone effect. The third presents a distorted, unclear, and incomprehensible sound enhanced with a phased bite effect. The fourth highlights noise alongside speech. These four interpretations simultaneously convey feelings of tension, uncertainty, and hope, complemented by pads and chord accompaniments." Tirana protest reimagined by Uğur Aslan.

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 cathedral on the empty night square.  UNESCO listing: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments Recorded by Masha Sha. IMAGE: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage