Sonic Journal EP17: British Camp / Herefordshire Beacon. Crickets in the dry Grasses / Woodland stream - Binaural Soundscape. Recorded by Mike Rucinski on July 27th 2023 / 0827h

Day four of 'Seven days of Hills' mini series exploring the soundscapes of the Malvern Hills area every day for one week.

**As this is a Binaural recording - please wear headphones for the best spatial stereo listening experience**

We hop along a little further today, crossing over the A449 for the continuation of the hills at todays recording spot of British Camp. This area was once a fort and has also been radically re-shaped to look 'nicer' by the Victorians back in the day, giving the Herefordshire Beacon a very distinctive loaf-like appearance from afar. The terrain is mostly grassland and very open with a series of small connecting hills and valleys making up the first section near the beacon, but I was more interested in the lower lying section near the reservoir today, discovering some shelter from the wind and nearby road noise. My microphones were positioned for a wide sound picture from the low level crickets and insects, to distant Buzzards in the older surrounding wooded areas. Oh, and then moving around the corner and into the closest woodland to hear a lovely little stream running past an ancient Holly tree more than a meter in diameter!

For more info on the Sonic Journal Podcast including accompanying blog and location pics from each recording session head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/ or Tweet me https://twitter.com/Reefunit_ And Instagram: https://instagram.com/recordinguk/

— Sonic Journal is now featured in the top 25 Best Field Recording Podcasts list by Feedspot, take a look and listen: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/field_recording_podcasts/ —

Nice one:)

— #soundscape #binaural #7daysofhIlls #malvernhills

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Sonic Journal EP16: Jubilee Hill Sycamore in the breeze - Binaural Nature Soundscape. Recorded by Mike Rucinski on July 26th 2023 / 0530h

Day three of 'Seven days of Hills' mini series exploring the soundscapes of the Malvern Hills area every day for one week.

**As this is a Binaural recording - please wear headphones for best listening experience**

Moving along and down from the Worcestershire Beacon high point, across the Wyche cutting and along Perseverance Hill, Jubilee Hill is today's location. As a relatively small bump of a hill, this Hill is interesting because it sits on a crossroad of walking paths as well as dropping off steeply on both the west and east sides into different kinds of wooded coverage. Owls and rooks can often be heard around this location, although no owls this morning, instead my ear was taken by the rattling of a medium sized Sycamore tree in full leaf... so I placed the microphones up among the branches to really try and get amongst the movement of the leaves in the morning breeze.

For more info on the Sonic Journal Podcast including accompanying blog and location pics from each recording session head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/ or Tweet me https://twitter.com/Reefunit_ And Instagram: https://instagram.com/recordinguk/

— Sonic Journal is now featured in the top 25 Best Field Recording Podcasts list by Feedspot, take a look and listen: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/field_recording_podcasts/ —

Nice one:)

— #soundscape #binaural #7daysofhIlls #malvernhills

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Sonic Journal EP15: Sugarloaf Hill - Binaural Soundscape. Recorded by Mike Rucinski on July 25th 2023 / 0550h

Day two of 'Seven days of Hills' mini series exploring the soundscapes of the Malvern Hills area every day for one week - A soundscape snapshot.

**As this is a Binaural recording - please wear headphones for best listening experience**

Sugarloaf Hill is today's location, which sits between North Hill and the beacon high point. To the east the hill drops down into a tree lined valley and eventually into the town, yet somehow it can be very quiet up here. Weather wise there was a proper clear sunrise and the wind speed was very low, so good conditions for recording up here. There was a little very light rain which quickly passed, and a little vehicle sound from nearby roads, although the bees in the fresh growth Wood Sage were certainly making themselves known while going about their busy busy chores!

For more info on the Sonic Journal Podcast including accompanying blog and location pics from each recording session head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/ or Tweet me https://twitter.com/Reefunit_ And Instagram: https://instagram.com/recordinguk/

— Sonic Journal is now featured in the top 25 Best Field Recording Podcasts list by Feedspot, take a look and listen: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/field_recording_podcasts/ —

Nice one:)

— #soundscape #binaural #7daysofhIlls #malvernhills

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Sonic Journal EP14: North Hill Quarry Rain - Binaural Soundscape. Recorded by Mike Rucinski on July 24th 2023 / 0615h

This is the first episode of Sonic Journal 'Seven days of Hills'; a mini series exploring the soundscapes of a particular location over the space of seven days in July 2023 - A soundscape snapshot.

**As this is a Binaural recording - please wear headphones for best listening experience**

The area of focus is the Malvern Hills in the UK, which spans three counties (Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire) and is shaped a little like a narrow dragons back. To walk from the north to the south you will meet 13 hills and cover around 12 miles. This area is a local stomping ground of mine which I have been exploring and recording for quite a few years now, and while it is not a vastly large area one thing I have noticed is the variety in soundscape as you pass through when walking or biking the paths and trails from hill to hill.

The focus is on bringing a sample of the soundscape recorded from a selection of different locations along the hills over a seven day period, with recordings made around the same time each day, using the same equipment and settings, and the location being the alternating factor. Episode one will start in the north, and as the week progresses recordings will be made gradually moving south.

For more info on the Sonic Journal Podcast including accompanying blog and location pics from each recording session head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/ or Tweet me https://twitter.com/Reefunit_ And Instagram: https://instagram.com/recordinguk/

— Sonic Journal is now featured in the top 25 Best Field Recording Podcasts list by Feedspot, take a look and listen: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/field_recording_podcasts/ —

Nice one:)

— #soundscape #binaural #7daysofhIlls #malvernhills

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #13 - A binaural spring water soundscape. 2021. Each week or so i look forward to visiting a local spring, where water flows out of an old pipe in the side of a hill, under a road, into a stone basin and out down into the fields... 

Head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/post/713668508878241792/spring-water-collector to see more on this along with a photo or two captured during the process.

For more info on the Sonic Journal Podcast including accompanying blog and location pics from each recording session head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/ or Tweet me https://twitter.com/Reefunit_ And Instagram: https://instagram.com/recordinguk/

— Sonic Journal is now featured in the top 25 Best Field Recording Podcasts list by Feedspot, take a look and listen: https://podcasts.feedspot.com/field_recording_podcasts/ —

Nice one:)

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #12 - This is an audio version of the Sonic Journal Blog entry 'Early May Moorland Field Trip [Dryburn Moor Night sounds]'. A binaural account from a field trip in early May 2022, I bring thoughts and feelings from my time up on the open moors in the North Pennines / Northumberland. The nighttime soundscapes in May are stark and distinctive. Such a special place.

Head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/post/712336005488934912/early-may-moorland-night-sounds to see more on this along with photos captured during the process.

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #11 - **Binaural recording - please wear headphones for best listening experience**

Today we are marking the Balinese new year and day of Nyepi with an appreciation of going back to nature and a binaural dawn chorus recording from an English woodland on the borders of Herefordshire. Enjoy this soundscape recording, but if you can take the time to be outside and amongst nature without being tethered to technology, then do that too :)

#dayofsilence #soundscape #binaural

https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #10 - This is an account of a summer solstice woodland recording session with a good friend and nature connection expert, Alex Hampson. The actual interview is for a project, which I hope to share at a later date, so in this episode i share some of my thoughts from the day on the location, surroundings and recording process.

Head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com to see more blog entries and photos from experiments and trips out in the field.

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #9 - This is an audio version of the Sonic Journal Blog entry 'Listening, Really Listening' [Original post: July 12th, 2021]. When I meet people for the first time when out working (as in, recording) and they take an interest in what i am doing, the first question they tend to ask is about the kit I am using; what mics, which DAW i use for mixing, etc. This is fine as I love a good gear chat, but the equipment is only a tool, what I am really doing is listening. The listening always comes first...

Head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/post/682822222542520320/listening-really-listening to see more on this along with photos captured during the process.

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Sonic Journal Blogcast #8 - This is an audio version of the Sonic Journal Blog entry 'Bike Mic' [Original post: July 12th, 2021]. To bring new and interesting sonic worlds into my practice is an ongoing journey, and with the concept of binaural and spatial audio in mind and the ability to put the listener at the centre of a sonic stage to experience a soundscape from within rather than as a forward observer, my thoughts led me to a favourite activity of mine, cycling...

Head over to https://sonicjournal.tumblr.com/post/682821697332707328/bike-mic to see more on this along with photos captured during the process.

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