Field Recordings

“It was a sunny but windy day, with the wind constantly picking up and stopping. The fence kept moving with the wind and banging, along some creaky garden decorations.”

“The intermittent field recordings series of hedges filled to the brim with birds continues… This is the sound of a mobile phone held inside a hedge that was singing.”

“For the past month I keep being woken up around 4am by (what I think is) an exuberant blackbird. Finding myself awake in the early hours, I’ve been reading about their nighttime singing on birdforum.net (which is honestly delightful). As the seasons change and the light shifts, apparently they can often be heard doing ‘midnight serenades’. Two nights ago I had my recording...

“At the beginning of the year the ponds in the park near where we live froze over. One morning we took a hydrophone to a shallow, frozen reflecting pool – pushing the microphone through a hole in the ice. You can hear tinkling fragments, squeaky creaks and the sound of us taking turns to throw large blocks of ice across the frozen surface. Next to us a little boy was having fun smashin...

“This field recording was made at 7:00am on a peaceful August morning on Bois Blanc Island, Michigan, in Lake Huron.  Taken from a cozy, rocky shore, it’s marked by the sounds of lapping waves and early morning bird calls. I used the remaining 12 minutes of the field recording as background for the other 3 tracks on my EP, The Island, which can be heard at thenewrunes.bandcamp.com and...

“Sharing a recording from Naarm/ Melbourne, at the annual Invasion Day rally, held on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House today, 26 January.  In the recording, Arrernte woman, Celeste Liddle, delivers a statement from Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (W.A.R.) calling among other things for 26 January to be declared a National Day of Mourning.”

“To me, the sound of bagpipes playing is like being healed from the inside out. Outside the temperature was 14 degrees, inside the air warmed by the comfort of poetry, scotch, and music — a roomful of people gathered in midwinter.”

“I’ve been doing a tonne of cross-country skiing just north of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in Gatineau Park, Quebec.  One spot, at the intersection of 2 wide trails is popular for stopping for a chat, and has been nicknamed ‘Gossip’s Corner’. Under ‘Gossip’s Corner’ passes a stream which continues to flow most of the winter, often under layers of ice and snow....

“Towards the end of a lunchtime walk I paused for the sounds that were jostling with each other: an intermittent building-site drill, passing planes, water flowing, and some combination (maybe – I’m not an expert!) of parakeets, a robin, magpies, and a crow or two (??)…. Hoping another listener might correct / help on that front.”

“I went to a WSL game last week – Arsenal vs Man Utd at the Emirates in London and took a few recordings in the 37’000 strong crowd. It was 0-0 but still pretty fun. It’s like being at an enormous panto. My 74 year old Man U supporting neighbour came and sat amongst us Arsenal fans – you can hear him quietly singing about midway through. You can do that at women’s games wit...

“On 16-18th of December 2025 tens of thousands of Lithuanians gathered by the Parliament in protest against plans to politicise the public broadcaster, LRT. Over 143,000 people also signed a petition, making it the most popular online petition to date. The list of those calling on the lawmakers to step back included national and international media watchdogs and NGOs, the European Broadcasti...

“My friends and I were told by our hotel host that this is one of the most remote villages in Slovenia, that tonight was a rare opportunity to see many of the mountain-dwelling residents in one place. We decided to make our way to the Midnight Mass at the old church up the hill. And these propulsive, polyrhythmic bells ushered everyone in from the cold.”

A slow weave of some of the past year’s Field Recordings, from a child playing in the snow to a brass band playing Christmas carols in the street. Father and daughter build a snowman in the backyard, Copenhagen, Denmark on 2nd January 2025 – by Joyce de Badts Cracking the ice underfoot over a frozen puddle, Low Bentham, North Yorkshire, UK in early January 2025 – by Charlotte Petts Ice on Queen’s...

“Descending the stairs, I was disappointed to see a two-digit number in the wait time for the train. the music started a couple minutes later. they had a pedal and an instrument i couldn’t identify. i wouldn’t say it was dreamy, and there’s not really a synonym i can find that captures it. maybe bewitching. the train came, they packed up and left, then my train came, and si...

“This first big snow was really dreamy. It started late in the night after I’d gone to bed, and had already stopped by morning. When I woke up there was the shock of a white, white world and a few inches on the ground. I got lost in the stillness of the day, and watched little heaps tumble from branches when a breeze rattled through.”

“16th century Soho fields being ploughed in protest by 21st century musical tractors.”

“I happened to be visiting my family home in Italy this past week and some cows were grazing in the field opposite, regardless of the rain, fog or snow. Their bell kept me company through the week.”