Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

By Daniel Raymond. ""In his publication of the Dada Manifesto from 1918, Tristan Tzara wrote that, 'Advertising and business are also elements of poetry.' Tzara's words form the basis of my experimentation within this Sound Art project. I have applied Dada techniques usually associated with image-making to create an aural and sonic presentation that examines the ambiguous nature of modern, urban environments and the dramatic effect of mass-marketing.

Exploring the possibilities of collage I have appropriated advertising slogans and catchphrases to create a form of hybrid poetry that alludes to the uncertainties of modern living. Authoritative in tone, these reimaginings ask questions but provide no clear answers. This form of psychogeographical play enables me as an individual to negotiate through my urban surroundings and make sense in an increasingly uncertain world.

I have also utilized collage techniques in my handling of the Paris soundscape provided by Cities and Memory. Rather than working with my own original field recording, I again felt it important to adopt the traditons of Dada artists such as, Hausmann and Höch applying their two dimensional working methods to a piece of sound material. The appropriation of sound elements in the work enabled me to recontextualise, to play with chance and create new meaning, to challenge the assumed and offer a varying worldview. I cut and sliced soundbites to create a monotonous rhythm, an anthem for the harsh realities of the urban everyday.

My intention in the work was to capture the rhythms and confusions of a contemporary urban setting, to explore a specific point of view and offer up a personal and poetic response to this evergrowing ambiguity."

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

By Dave Procter.

Recorded by Jase Warner. Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

Reimagining of rain on a drum by Sebastian Pappalardo, January 2016.

Recorded in Newcastle, England by Tim Shaw.

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

By Nick Campbell. "“For us, art is not an end in itself,” wrote Dada poet Hugo Ball, “but it is an opportunity for the true perception and criticism of the times we live in.” Thematically, I chose to turn the sound of a car wash into a menacing, industrial anti-song... sonically dissonant and foreboding. Fossil-fuel burning cars are at the core of debate related to pollution and how we choose to organize as modern humans if we are to survive. The mutilated sounds of the car wash mirror the apocalyptic undertones of this debate."

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

"For this re-imagined field recording I attempted to embrace the idea of chance. I achieved this by completely messing up and through my bungled actions I recorded the original field recording in terrible,mono quality. Comitted to using this botched sample I then cut it up, manipulated the various pieces independant of each other (abstraction), and began collaging the random pieces together into something that looked visually as if it would sound good. Reasonably happy with the collaged audio I then attempted to tidy up the rougher edges and ended up with the track attached. The sounds you hear here are a woodchipper disposing of some fallen trees next to the swings in the childrens playground of the Phoenix park and the duck pond near by."

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds By Stu Geelon.

Part of our Dada Sound project (February 2016) - see more at http://www.citiesandmemory.com/dadasounds

By Anna Stereopoulou. "CanShell composition by Anna Stereopoulou is based on the Field Recording “Venice to Lido Ferry, Italy Maria Ponce” as selected through the Cities and Memory playlist and as a response to the Dada Sounds project /call.

The only audio material the specific composition consists of, is the above mentioned Sound, as used both in its original form (selected excerpts) and in various technically modified forms, such as Modulation, Process (Reverse, Pitch Shift, Stretch, etc.), EQ, various Filters and Effects (Delay, Chopper, etc.). The specific sound manipulations are inspired by Dada techniques [Chance, Collage /(photo)Montage, (imitation of) Automatism, and other], as well as on the Dadaists' Manifesto quote “To be against this manifesto is to be a Dadaist!” [Huelsenbeck, Richard (1892-1974); 'En Avant Dada' article, 1920] . As a movement of protest, Dadaism triggers the need to express one of the characteristics of our times, during which we tend to loose our ability to -consciously- listen to, or create Sound, in comparison to the amount of Image information we receive on a daily basis. Within CanShell, the “anti” element is used in many forms; sound creation based on Image (Text on graphic score attached); demolition ↔ reform of the word “Dada”; cancellation /rejection of R. Huelsenbeck's quote – Against the “against” [double Strike-Through (grammar)]. These hints are also found within the title, CanShell [Cancel; Qualities (Can-) / Imprisonment (within a Can-) of a Shell (Sound)], amongst other allusions, memories and dreams, as 'woken-up' by the location of the Field Recording used in the composition."