Being in Shanghai was strange and beautiful — a blend of wonder and solitude. The culture felt distant, not unfriendly, but quiet in a way I hadn’t expected. In the depths of the metro, people moved like rivers — flowing, efficient, barely speaking. 

Unlike the crowded noise of European subways, here the sounds were hushed: soft footsteps, the occasional laugh, or a whisper passing between friends. Most were silent, eyes down, voices lost to screens. And yet, I found comfort in the station announcements — their calm rhythm, their clarity. A kind of mechanical poetry that grounded me in the flow of an unfamiliar city.

Recorded by Rafael Diogo.

"Melodic ambient soundscape, underlined with the voices from the station. Floating pads, atmospheric aesthetics.Esoteric dialogue for a deep diving and emotional layers of kindness."

Shanghai metro reimagined by John Ov3rblast.

"A lot of my current work includes text so I was drawn towards this recording of a sound installation of people talking. I edited the original audio so that most of the sound between the speaking was removed. I then put that file through the software that I developed for an earlier work that chops the original audio up into smaller sections and plays those sections back at random times, volumes and positions in the stereo field. 

"I have then processed the final recording to make it sound more like a surveillance recording through a small speaker and added a drone that runs through the piece." 

Bowler hat exhibit at Blenheim Palace reimagined by Simon Belshaw.

At Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England (the birthplace of prime minister Winston Churchill), there are exhibitions dotted around about ways of life at the palace over the years. The entire stables area is converted into a museum about past ways of life in the grounds, one of which is a series of traditional English bowler hats suspended from the ceiling. Each hat contains a speaker, which plays interviews with workers from the palace estate, talking about their jobs and daily lives. As you walk around underneath the hats, you're exposed to a sound collage of lives being revealed to you. 

Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

"I have used the source track recorded in a church in Valletta, which is an ambient recording of a sacred space and created a composite sound piece to show a sound world to reflect inner and outer sacred spaces. The additional sounds are from my own field recordings of woodland sounds, myself and my daughter singing in Merlin's Cave in Tintagel, a heartbeat repeating, and a choir singing at rehearsal.  

The Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta reimagined by Mary Hooper.

The Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta, the first church and building completed in the city, carries with it centuries of history and gratitude. Commissioned by Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette in 1566 as a thanksgiving offering after the Great Siege of Malta, its walls have stood as a tribute to both faith and resilience. 

Today, the church echoes with the sighs of anticipation as people gather for a baroque concert beneath its grand arches. Amid the summer heat, the faint buzz of fans offers a quiet counterpoint to the sacred stillness, blending with the whispers and soft steps of concertgoers. As the space fills with the energy of the present moment, the church’s rich historical legacy lingers in the background, awaiting the first notes of the performance to lift the air. 

This recording immerses us in a moment where the rich history of the space resonates alongside the growing anticipation of a new musical experience, creating a dynamic atmosphere in this timeless setting.

Recorded by Serge Bulat. 

"I envisioned a hot day in Italy a large square full of restaurants people eating lunch and the waiters movements as they serve the guests. Using sounds from the soundscape as a backdrop with elements pulled out and repeated ,some Foley sounds of my own for table and restaurant atmosphere."

Treviso city soundscape reimagined by Al Mavrik.

A very hot August afternoon in Treviso, Italy. The city is on its post-lunch break, while the sun is at its hottest - shops are closed, there are very few cars or pedestrians, and everyone is seeking shade. We sit under a tree next to the river and record the sounds of a city a rest in the summer.

Recorded by Cities and Memory.  

A huge, multi-organisation street protest in Paris, France, recorded on 14 December 2024. Multiple groups, ranging from labour rights and workers' organisations to pro-Palestine campaigners march through the city, with music, drumming, dancing, chanting through megaphones and in large groups. This recording comes from close to Barbès–Rochechouart metro station, and you can also hear trains clattering in the background in places during the recording as we move back and forth around the crowds.

Recorded by Cities and Memory. 

This recording captures a poignant moment from my time living in one of southern Portugal's most secluded villages. Each evening, the shepherds and their dogs orchestrated a dance around the cattle, a ritual filled with nostalgia and reminiscent of my childhood. 

In today's rapidly modernizing world, such traditions are sadly fading, making these sounds all the more precious.

Recorded in Vilarinha, Portugal by Rafael Diogo.