Field Recordings

“The Cutty Sark sits on the edge of the Thames, quietly away from busy Greenwich. The river was lively, with seagulls, a Mudlarker looking for treasure and passing boats creating waves that slapped against the shore.”

“This recording was taken from the yard of Vahandukht Melkonyan – an 89-year-old great-grandmother and the last person left living in an almost-abandoned Armenian village. Her home sits on the border with Turkey. Just a few hundred meters from her home, across that border, are the ruins of the famous 11th-century Armenian city of Ani. Even though Vahandukht looks at Ani from her garden...

“After dinner we went to find a place to watch the sunset and wound up at a park a few miles up Route 9. It was dusk and we settled on a bench facing a pond where the fish were having a feeding frenzy. Their heads would ripple up out of the water to grab a bug and I tried to get a clean recording of the sound but couldn’t manage it. Every time their head popped up, one of us would laug...

“Late one August evening, my partner and I were driving through the mountains of Portugal’s Serra da Estrela. As we were passing through the village of Sabugueiro, we suddenly heard a chorus of bells. In a flash, we saw a shepherd leading a herd of goats to their shed for the night. We stopped the car and I followed them through the small, cobbled streets for a while, un...

“One of the sounds I associate most with Lisbon (where my mother was born), is the eerie polyphony of the Ponte 25 de abril. The red suspension bridge across the river Tejo hums and howls as cars and trucks drive over its metallic grating. Now and then, trains join in from the lower deck. This recording was made around midnight, right underneath the bridge on the north bank.  ( rec...

“I want to share a recording from June 2025. It was recorded with zoom h1n – X/Y capsules, near Campo Imperatore in a place called ‘Little Tibet’ in Parco nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise – Italy. I recorded it during Abruzzo Trail, a bikepacking event.”

“At the very bottom of the Iberian Peninsula Spain and Portugal are separated by a natural border – the river Guadiana. Vila Real and Ayamonte sit on opposite sides of the river, two towns very much connected, with people constantly moving back and forth across the border.”

“This tape was gathered in Boise, Idaho with a contact microphone affixed to a tree root partially submerged in the Boise River.”

“Photo is view from lying in tent where I recorded when the sun came up in morning.”

“I was having a drink at the back deck of the Historic Mayflower Pub in London, right on the Thames. The tide was high and choppy. I managed to slip a couple of microphones through the floorboards to get the wonderful sound of the Thames. I love how you can hear passing boats and the pub crowd in the background.”

“On the morning of the second day whilst at Arvon Lumb Bank writers’ retreat I walked up the steep hill cow-heavy to Hepenstall Cemetery where Sylvia Plath is buried. I recorded my footsteps crossing the cemetery and the sounds that surrounded me whilst stood at her grave. I was so struck by the life, insects, birds, a lawn mower and at one point an aeroplane which on the recording sou...

“Alcoutim sits on the shore of the River Guadiana, which acts as a natural border between Portugal and Spain. While having a drink nearby the wind picked up and the boats and Jetty started making a wonderful noise. Note how the local Church bell rings 3pm and, a couple of minutes after, the Church in Sanlucar De Guadiana (across the river in Spain) rings 4pm! Marking the time difference betw...

“About 300 people watched the Euro’s final at MOTH club in Hackney, London. It ended with a tense penalty shoutout and joyous celebrations (at least from the Lionesses’ supporters).”

“Hundreds gather outside Downing Street banging pots and pans as Israel’s blockade continues to cause the starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza strip. 120 people – 80 of them children – have been confirmed dead from famine as of 26th July. In the last 24 hours two babies have died from malnutrition. Nearly 1000 Palestinians have been shot to death by Israeli soldiers whils...

“Binaural recording made on Samsung Galaxy S20 using Roland CS-10EM earbuds.”

“This is from February, so not very current at all… But I still love the sound. The snow was delightfully squeaky and I took every chance I could to stomp around during my wonderful stay there this past winter.”

“An emergency protest hours after parliament voted 385 to 26 to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Palestine Action are a direct action protest group who target Israeli weapons factories in the UK and their supply chain. This vote happened on the same day that MPs – including Yvette Cooper who drafted the order to amend the Terrorism Act – dressed up in sashes to ce...