Monday, August 15, 2005

grab your passport...and headphones


motion. as i sit here on my back deck, watching the planes fly to and from o'hare, wondering about points of departure and arrival destinations (shouldn't planes have bright, scrolling LED displays on their bellies revealing such things, so curious observers below could know?) i'm also taking a trip in fact, from lappland to indonesia, with stopovers in andalucia and tanzania, by way of sounds recorded in all of these places and uploaded to sound transit, my new favorite daydream- generator.

sound transit is a collaborative online travel agency for your restless, peregrine ears. field recordists, phonographers and audio artists from around the world have posted some of their richest recordings to the site, allowing visitors / fellow travelers to listen or download them individually, or as part of a self-designed itinerary.

tonight's sojourn included very crunchy footsteps in snow, fireworks off in the distance, and a full moon gamelan festival. all of which just barely trumped the roaring cicadas, which somehow are thriving even in the middle of chicago. sound transit welcomes your own sound souvenirs, so don't forget to pack your recorder, next time you venture out into the world...


[happy trails]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i love this:

(shouldn't planes have bright, scrolling LED displays on their bellies revealing such things, so curious observers below could know?)

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right you are, shapiro.