Tag Archives: Field recording

Down by the river: Thames Barrier Test & Greenwich Yacht Club Regatta; October 2016

13 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by in Down by the river, London, Photography

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Up and out early (well, early for a Sunday morning) to meet The London Sound Survey and head down to the Thames Barrier in the hope of recording the dramatic sights and sounds of its annual test closure. It turns out, though, that the Barrier goes about its business very quietly and with little drama; good for London, I guess, not so good for field recording.

I got some photos, anyway, and after a diversion to Woolwich for breakfast and a walk along Powis Street, we returned to the river to check out Greenwich Yacht Club’s annual regatta and to check the state of play with the Barrier.

Regardless of the field recording outcome, it was a good morning: down by the river in good company, with interesting light; hopefully we’ll do more of this, but with more sound accompaniment.

Click images for full-size versions.

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Listening: Surface Tension

20 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by in London, Music

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Surface Tension, by Rob St. John

Surface Tension is a field recording, photography and writing project by Rob St. John exploring pollution, life and biodiversity along the River Lea in East London.

It was commissioned in Summer 2014 by the Thames 21 charity for the ‘Fixing Broken Rivers‘ project as part of the Love the Lea Campaign, which raises awareness and takes practical action to improve water quality of the rivers of the Lea Catchment.

I’ve listened to the full album pretty much in its entirety every couple of days since I downloaded it a week or so ago. It’s a relative rarity in the world of soundscape/ambient music in successfully combining field recordings with music; often these things end up as soundscape with music tentatively weaved in, or music with ambient noise that sounds layered on after the fact. There’s a dynamism in the transition of sounds through the piece that doesn’t sound forced, taking in the sound of the river, train doors closing, Sunday League football, and sounding true to the location; not a bucolic rural setting, but the everyday sound of a river in the post-industrial semi-suburbs.

The album can be downloaded here: http://surfacetensionriverlea.bandcamp.com/releases – good value at £6 inc. photobook.

 

Sounds like Spring

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in A recording a week for a year, London, Music

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East Greenwich Pleasaunce, February 2013

East Greenwich Pleasaunce, February 2013

A different kind of recording for this week’s A Recording A Week For A Year:

Just past the midpoint of February and suddenly: a break in the interminable cold. Over to East Greenwich Pleasaunce on Sunday morning; kids and dogs playing, the birds singing. More of this kind of weather, please.

PS, for this kind of thing done properly, I can’t recommend London Sound Survey highly enough.