A collection of field recordings – set 18
An impression of Rakiura, or Stewart Island, the third largest island in New Zealand. A wonderful place alive with birds and green forest, and hardly a car around.
A piece based on two principles: the development of a certain friendship determines the form. Background noise from field recordings is layered to try and create new colours.
A collection of field recordings – set 17
Franz Jozef National Park is on the windward side of the Southern Alps, so even when starting a hike in pefectly clear weather, one can reasonably expect to be helplessly washed away a few hours later. Because of the heavy rain, waterfalls and dripping water are everywhere.
A collection of field recordings – set 16
With the sea breeze being funneled by New Zealand`s major islands, and then funneled some more by nearby hills, New Zealand`s capital is notorious for its strong winds. Huddled in a street corner, we hear litter being blown past, and the cityscape reverberating between stone buildings.
A collection of field recordings – set 15
1. Tasman Sea
2. Water wheel
3. Tasman Sea
A collection of field recordings – set 14
1. Geothermic pools, Rotorua
The earth`s heat makes the soil boil.
2. Gullery, Lake Rotorua
Two colonies of black-billed and red-billed gulls lie side by side, causing an enormous racket. First quietly audible in the distance, their squeels quickly fill the sky.
3. Taupo by night, Taupo
This whole hostel is made of wood, except for thin, prefab walls. In a closed room, the sound of people is leaking in from everywhere.
4. Lake Taupo, Taupo
One can hardly tell, gazing across the beatiful Lake Taupo, over the water to the mountains – Tongariro, Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe – beyond, that one is standing on the edge of a large vulcano. Taupo was in fact created by a huge vulcanic explosion, one of the largest we know of, some 26.000 years ago. It is suggested that this eruption may have triggered the last glacial period.
Taupo`s most recent large eruption, around 180CE, was noted by at least one Chinese and one Roman scribe. Though unaware of the existence of New Zealand`s North Island, as all humans were in those days, they could tell something huge had happened, as the horizon turned red with dust. Standing at the craters edge, nothing hints at this violent past. The vulcano remains dormant, and the water ever exhales soothingly upon the shore.
Up next: a series of field recording sets done in New Zealand.
A collection of field recordings – set 13
1. Mt. Eden, Auckland
From the summit of this long extinct vulcano, now a lush green hill, we listen to New Zealand`s only metropolis below.
2. Queen Street, Auckland
Queen street, Aucklands busiest, on a saturday night. Waves of cars ebb and flow to the rhythm of traffic lights.
3. Breakfast on Vulcan Lane
A wooden café in Vulcan Lane, near Queen Street. Quite a noisy place to have breakfast.
4. Queen Street, Auckland (reprise)
5. Mt. Eden, Auckland (afternoon reprise)
A collection of field recordings – set 12
Field Recording Set 12 – into the Nullarbor by HarroldRoeland
We take the Indian-Pacific, a train that travels from Perth to Sydney and back, through the arid zone, and across the haunting Nullarbor Plain. Most we hear is the rattling of the train on its single track, rumbling on for three days. This concludes the Australian recordings. Hope you enjoyed them!
A collection of field recordings – set 11
Field Recording Set 11 – Perth by HarroldRoeland
1. Going up
We`re going up!
2. Reading room
The doors to the balcony are open, enabling the sound of heavy traffic to reverberate from the wooden floor and walls in this very large room.
3. Going down
We`re going down!
4. Courtyard
A trains passes the hostel`s courtyard.
5. Swan bells
The swan bells sound across government house park.
6. Courtyard reprise
A train passes, leaving only beautiful noise when gone.
7. Courtyard/reading room reprise
A collection of field recordings – set 10
Field Recording Set #10 – Northern Territory, Alice to Darwin by HarroldRoeland
1. Desert frogs, Todd River, Alice Springs
Running through deep desert, Todd River does not flow very often. This is one of the rare occasions that it does. Frogs that have hibernated for months have come out of the sand, and are croaking loudly in the night, hoping to find a mate before the drought returns.
2. Building tropical apartments, Darwin
High up above, construction workers work on two apartment buildings, overlooking the sea.
3. Bicentennial Park, Darwin
Bicentennial park in Darwin is filled with birds.
4. Todd Mall, Alice Springs
Alice`s city center.
5. Stuart Highway, NT
Stuart Highway connects Alice Springs to Darwin. On this particular part of the road, a vehicle passes about once every 10 minutes; usually a large truck or road train. Here`s one.
6. Flying foxes, Darwin NT
A tree full of flying foxes produces a myriad of high-pitched screeches.
7. Desert frogs reprise