Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Cities and Memory - remixing the world

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Cities and Memory - remixing the world episodes

  • 3541: Wood of suicides
    Wood of suicides created by Scott Wilson.

    "In the Wood of Suicides, Dante describes how the souls of those who have died by their own hands are transformed into trees who must endure constant assault whilst in Hell, and cannot fully reunite with their bodies at Judgement Day for having discarded them so willingly. 

    "This composition mixes manipulated field recordings made at a series of wooded and forested locations and seeks to represent the ways in which the voices of those lost whisper across the audible spectra, but in languages we no longer understand. "

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    14 min
  • 3537: Canto Eresia Quattordici
    Heresy created by Andy Billington.

    "The track was started by me speaking the word "Heresy" into a simple 8 bit sampler (Bastl Microgranny 2.5). The sample was then trimmed and shaped forming 3 distinct glitch tapestries onto which i layered (via an OP1 synth) heavy drones that sounded like screaming voices. I added a simple refrain with a number of layered church organs cello and harp samples. 

    "Finally extra static and chaos was added via the original 8 bit samples. The word "Heresy" had been lost by now and the screaming voices sound more like Swallows whirling in a hot southern Italian sky. It might not be too bad being deemed a Heretic after all?"

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    11 min
  • 3538: Canto Decimo
    Heresy created by Clelia Ciardulli.

    "This 'cerchio', circle, as Dante calls the zones of Hell, inspired me to research the history of heresy, and to try and reach as many as possible recorded executions of individuals under the charge of disagreeing, not accepting, contradicting the dogma of their place and times.  

    "It turns out to be a mix of catholics in Protestant areas; protestants, proto-protestants and anabaptists in Catholic areas; people from other religions, like Judaism; as well scientists, philosophers, astronomers who were beginning to see other truths, including influences from spirituality outside Europe - their growing knowledge nurturing a vision utterly unacceptable to the powers that be.  

    "I have read their names out, and in the background I have layered the sound of heavy slamming doors (Virgilio and Dante are at the gates of the city of Dis) and what sounds like hauling ghostly winds, which is nothing else but the sound of the motorway through Berlin through a rainy night.  
    "PS: I will always cherish the story of Dirk Willems, who escaped from his prison over a thin iced moat, and then turned back to save his pursuer who fell into the broken ice, and was thus recaptured.  There is a statue in his honour in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    5 min
  • 3539: Souls on fire
    Phlegethon created by Manja Ristic.

    "Phlegethon was always one of the most intriguing aspects of Dante's Inferno. The realm of the darkness seeded in the human soul that reflects in extreme actions such as murder, tyranny, and violence fuels the deepest fears we struggle to comprehend or even just to look at. In the
    process of making the composition, I used field recording of the howling wind as a metaphor for the voices within the souls that are about to be set on fire. 

    "Then harsh metal sound of the bass guitar magnets occurs as the flames swallow the souls. Cracklings, heavy breathing, the sound of boiling water, treatment of the cardboard box, and occasional pulsating bass build tension in the space filled with pain.

    "Phlegethon is not the place where any hope could be found, it is the place of destruction.

    "Instruments used: hydrophone and field recordings, bass guitar, contact mic, voice, cardboard box."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno
    5 min
  • 3540: Phlegethon
    Phlegethon created by Terminal Optimism (Stuart Chapman).

    "Although aware of Dante's Inferno, I hadn't read it. A bit of research informed me that Phlegethon is a reference to much earlier classical references to hell, and that it's a circular river of fire, with souls submerged at various heights, held there by demons, according to their sins. 

    "The piece starts off gentle enough, or does it, the sound of the river you hear isn't quite right, the sound of then river morphs with that of a roaring inferno, again it has a slightly off flavour. You can hear the souls screaming and wailing as they drift endlessly by, along with the odd shriek out delight from a demon. 

    "The recordings of fire, river flowing and screams, were rerecorded out of the box through chorus and or delay units, manipulated by hand in real time. The 2 screams had been re pitched either digitally or by slowing down, then fed through a BBD on one channel and a PT2399, on the other. I was considering using really harsh incidental bedding tracks. 

    "I became aware of the endless nature of damnation and felt that something depicting that aspect of the suffering more apt. I often perform live with a large bank of edits, some looped, blending the layers, creating deep aural textures. 

    "I chose 3 of these, first a remix of Long Player, the thousand year long piece of music by Jem Finner, to depict Hell's bells, then a reworking of a Sate piano loop, through this you hear the sound of the angels, lamenting the fallen tortured souls drifting through the gaps in the sulphurous clouds, these clouds clear and you hear them grieving, but again, nothing sounds right here, the demons are mimicking them."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    12 min
  • 3542: Wood of suicides
    Wood of suicides created by Simon Woods.

    "The initial recordings are taken from a local woodland, bird sounds and magpies. These are gradually engulfed by the choir and white noise / wind with tree / hedge cutters joining in. Other sounds include gas hob ignition, match striking, drills and voices. 

    "All very unpleasant."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    6 min
  • 3531: Panderers and seducers
    Panderers and seducers created by David Henckel.

    "I liked the idea of using a combination of field recordings and synthesised sound in this piece. I was inspired by the idea of using seductive sounds layered with harsher sounds - so I guess existing in the seductive moment and hell at the same time. 

    "I used a variety of shepherd tones (The barber pole of sound - where it seems to be constantly rising but goes nowhere - perhaps like a limbo) passed through guitar amplifier simulators as a backdrop. 

    "The main seductive sound is our kitten Alan purring - one of the greatest sounds in the world. The other sounds are from a walk with my wife in Richmond park at the weekend with Parrots and crows screeching in the trees, kids playing and then crying (something I don't think you often hear in field recordings) . 

    "Hopefully this piece is enjoyable to listen to - but if it's not - well, tough - you're in the inferno!"

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno
    7 min
  • 3532: 8C
    Panderers and seducers created by Bleep Eater.

    "8C  stands for the eighth circle. The whole idea of this is very dark and twisted, which really suited my style. It's harmonically rich yet smoothed off resonantly - a hauntingly realistic audio depiction of being there in Hell."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno
    3 min
  • 3533: Their sins run deep
    The great barrier and waterfall created by Jeff Dungfelder.

    "After Dante takes us through the Vestibule for “undecided” and Agnostics; a place for Virtuous Pagans who lived good lives but weren’t baptized; then four levels of punishment for those whose sins were based on lack of self-control; a separate level for Heretics; and finally a level for those whose sins were violent. 

    "To get to the next level Virgil and Dante have to ride down through the Great Barrier and Waterfall on the back of the winged mythological creature Geryon. Here Dante informs us that “there is a place in Hell called Malebolge” (literally translated as ‘evil pockets’) where those guilty of Fraud and Malice have been consigned.  

    "Their sins run deeper than simple lack of self-control or violence. The sinners (Pimps, Simonists, Soothsayers) are intentionally deceptive and malicious so the punishments are more severe.

    "My piece of music “Their Sins Run Deep” is a reflection about where they have been and where they are headed. The journey downward is full of many details, many things to think about, to contemplate. 

    "Listening to these musical details is the key of discovery in searching for our true selves. In Dante’s view of human nature we’re all hypocrites in one way or another. But some hypocrites learn about their true selves. Then they repent and make sincere efforts to do better. Hell, on the other hand, is reserved as a kind of “college of sullen hypocrites.” 

    "Sullen students never learn and never change; not now, not ever. That’s why they’re in Hell forever. Their sins run deep."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno
    7 min
  • 3534: Where we find ourselves
    The great barrier and waterfall created by John Downey.

    "Given the dark centre stage of US politics, I decided to use only a few tracks and avoid creating a piece that would pile on that mood.  I chose some stock samples as well as two of my own.  

    "The percussion was an afterthought but I thought it grounds the drifting ambient drones, making this short composition introspective, fitting for the position we find ourselves in as Americans. Note - the piece will increase volume very slowly over six plus minutes, so keep playback gain at medium-low."

    Part of the Inferno project to imagine and compose the sounds of Dante’s Hell, marking the 700th anniversary of The Divine Comedy. To find out more, visit http://www.citiesandmemory.com/inferno

    8 min

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Cities and Memory remixes the world, one sound at a time - a global collaboration between artists and sound recordists all over the world.