Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Cities and Memory remixes the world, one sound at a time - a global collaboration between artists and sound recordists all over the world. The project presents an amazingly-diverse array of field recordings from all over the world, but also reimagined, recomposed versions of those recordings as we go on a mission to remix the world. What you'll hear in the podcast are our latest sounds - either a field recording from somewhere in the world, or a remixed new composition based solely on those sounds. Each podcast description tells you more about what you're hearing, and where it came from. There are more than 7,000 sounds featured on our sound map, spread over more than 130 countries and territories. The sounds cover parts of the world as diverse as the hubbub of San Francisco’s main station, traditional fishing women’s songs at Lake Turkana, the sound of computer data centres in Birmingham, spiritual temple chanting in New Taipei City or the hum of the vaporetto engines in Venice. You can explore the project in full at www.citiesandmemory.com

Episodes

Train tracks

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

"In my area of North America, train journeys are relatively rare. Taking a train feels like a special occasion because I only have the opportunity when I’m far from home. I’ve always enjoyed the exploratory feel of train rides: a train journey feels almost like stolen time, where normal responsibilities are paused and you are given freedom to simply be, if you choose.

"I was inspired by the F#-A train horn to create ...

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American trains

June 23, 2025 • 9 mins

This recording features train horns as the trains pass by a level crossing just outside Palo Alto train station. The tonality of the train horns and the level crossing warning alarms are clearly identifiable as North American trains, and the sonic identity of the trains themselves as they pass are typical of Californian trains.

Palo Alto is a small town and these sounds can be heard from most parts of town as trains ...

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Ember

June 23, 2025 • 8 mins

"Listening to the original field recording, I was engrossed in the dichotomy of the space - the waterfall and open area versus the man-made sounds of jet and helicopter fly overs. In this scenario, the man-made sounds overtaking the environmental quiet have an intentionality to preserve the space of the forest and the livelihood of people within it. The tension, persistence, and resilience of these elements is what I choose to...

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A landscape in flames

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

Captured during the devastating wildfires of September 2024 in Benfeita, Portugal, this recording reflects the dramatic challenge faced annually. The sky vanished behind ash-laden fog as fires erupted from all sides.

Near the waterfalls, the relentless hum of helicopters and planes filled the air, battling the flames alongside over 5,000 firefighters. This soundscape embodies a community's crisis, resilience, and the...

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Kintsugi

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

"“Kintsugi” is field-recording-based piece honouring both the original sample (from the Hill of the Buddha in Japan) as well as a form of Japanese art. Instead of using lacquer and precious metals to mend broken pieces of pottery, I use sound to bind other field recording samples together while still making that sound part of the design.

"I use the full sample to start and end the piece, with a drone-like part of the...

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Hill of the Buddha

June 23, 2025 • 19 secs

An architectural space of deep spiritual meaning in Sapporo, Japan.

Recorded by David Mintom.

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Movement amongst the trees

June 23, 2025 • 6 mins

"A response to a chorus of tree frogs."

Frog chorus in Yokohama, Japan reimagined by Alex Vald.

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Schlegel's green tree frog

June 23, 2025 • 20 mins

This is the call of the Schlegel's green frog, a frog endemic to Japan. When one of them starts croaking, a call and response begins. The contrast between stillness and movement is beautiful.

Recorded in Yokohama, Japan by Tadamitsu Mizuno.

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Aequoreus

June 23, 2025 • 10 mins

A hydrophone recording from the Adriatic Coast of Italy captures the fascinating and vibrant sounds of marine life. You can hear the clicks, pops, and crackles of mollusks, including shrimps, crabs, mussels, lobsters, and barnacles. As we venture further from human activity, the true richness of these underwater soundscapes comes to life.

Recorded by Rafael Diogo.

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Siennacircle

June 23, 2025 • 8 mins

"In retrospect, this was a tricky choice of audio file, as the original recording is hard to better in terms of sheer absorbing alien sound quality. I had no idea lobsters were that loud & communicative. They sound quite lively and otherworldly, so I felt the music woven around their sounds should be too. It seems to have evolved into something like a cheerful lobster rave.

"In terms of methodology, I made several...

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Local street market, Mtskheta

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities of Georgia and its former capital. The beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features a winding market just outside the 11th century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. This sound walk captures local stall holders laughing and chatting as we meander through the historic streets.

Recorded by Colin Hunter.

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Zulu songs in a game reserve restaurant

June 23, 2025 • 5 mins

An a cappella performance by the staff in the resort restaurant at the end of the evening meal. The waiters and chefs and kitchen staff gather in rows in front of the diners and sing local songs in Zulu, harmonising, dancing, clapping, ululating and whistling.

KwaZulu means place of the Zulu. Harmonies of male and female voices singing traditional Zulu songs is tied to the land and its history. At the same time, the ...

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On Gilbert Bridge

June 23, 2025 • 6 mins

In March 2025 we made a series of recordings in and around the Barbican Centre, with the idea of those sounds being folded back into the Observatory Station sound installation, so that the sounds of the Barbican itself become part of the stories being told by sound from around the world.

A sound walk starting at Gilbert Bridge, which leads into the Barbican above various water features and fountains. The hiss of flow...

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Branches and blades

June 23, 2025 • 3 mins

"I had a passing notion of a ’concerto for chainsaw and strings’ after hearing this recording - this is a fumbling exploratory sound sketch in that direction."

Tree disposal in Greenwich Park reimagined by Fiona Conn.

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Mtskheta

June 23, 2025 • 2 mins

"The voices of the people in the market were so richly expressive and full of life, so I wanted to keep the emphasis on them and utilize their unique intonations and dialogues as the basis for a fun sample-heavy beat. Looping different snippets of voices and overlapping them brought about some interesting textures and tones.

"All the while, it's driven by a steady beat (courtesy of a Moby drum sample via his mobygrat...

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Zigzag

June 23, 2025 • 3 mins

"I found out that Imfolozi means “zigzag” in isiZulu, so this was my inspiration to try and make a piece that never sits still, twists and turns. I wanted to reflect the sheer exuberance of the singing in the original piece where the clapping rhythm shifts and returns."

Imfolozi Park, South Africa reimagined by Dermot Fitzsimons.

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Industrial log disposal

June 23, 2025 • 4 mins

The extremely loud business of tree and log disposal in Greenwich Park. Trees are trimmed, and the branches and logs are thrown into the back of the wood chipping truck, creating a violently loud industrial sound as they are turned into sawdust in an instant.

Recorded by Cities and Memory.

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Breathe brick ghosts

June 23, 2025 • 3 mins

"A drone of "stimvocals" and fountains below mechanical concrete."

Gilbert Bridge soundwalk at the Barbican Centre, London reimagined by Dee Fry.

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Traditional silk weaving, Skye

June 23, 2025 • 2 mins

Traditional silk weaving on a countermarch floor loom, as it has been done for thousands of years. Thanks to Skye Silks for letting us record them at work and taking the time to talk us through their practice.

Recorded in April 2025 on the Isle of Skye, Scotland by Cities and Memory.

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Caller ID

June 23, 2025 • 5 mins

"This piece reimagines a field recording of everyday people calling out, treating their voices not just as source material, but as the foundation. Approached with deep intention, it aimed to honour the original rhythms and harmonies of the callers without overpowering them.

"The composition moves between ambient stillness and percussive energy, layering textures like tracked flute and analogue synth around the calls ...

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Cities and Memory - remixing the world

Episodes

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.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}American trains

Ember

A landscape in flames

Kintsugi

Hill of the Buddha

Movement amongst the trees

Schlegel's green tree frog

Aequoreus

Siennacircle

Local street market, Mtskheta

Zulu songs in a game reserve restaurant

On Gilbert Bridge

Branches and blades

Mtskheta

Zigzag

Industrial log disposal

Breathe brick ghosts

Traditional silk weaving, Skye

Caller ID

Popular Podcasts

Train tracks

American trains