This is the sound of skaters in the emblematic "spot" in the Macba square in Barcelona.
The square is about to undergo renovation work and skaters will therefore have to leave this place, thus putting an end to a soundscape that has been very characteristic of the city for many years.
This place has been a nerve centre of street culture in Barcelona, not only skateboarding, urban music, graffiti... and for me it is very sad that the city and this place are losing this scene and the community atmosphere that has always existed here.
I made a lot of recordings in the last few days (February 2025) before the construction works started. Here on the podcast I will upload short versions as sessions, and my intention is to one day use the full audios to make a sound installation and present it in the square as a reminder of the sound it had for many years.
Something quite incredible this summer was the event “Classica a la Platja”. A series of free outdoor concerts with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Catalunya (OBC) conducted by maestro Gustavo Dudamel.
This concert was mind-blowing and beautiful. But this particular recording is not of the concert itself, but I was lucky enough to arrive when Dudamel was rehearsing with the Orchestra on the beach hours before the concert. I think it is a wonderful recording, in which the ambient sound is mixed, people talking and in the background the Orchestra rehearsing two pieces: the Harry Potter theme and then the theme of Jurassic Park !!!!
I hope you enjoy it. I have a few more recordings of the rehearsals, with other themes also by John Williams that I will upload soon.
This is the audio environment of the demonstration in favor of the Palestinian people that took place in Barcelona on February 25, 2024.
It was a very large demonstration, which occupied the entire central area of Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. I have many recordings, but this one in particular, was the first thing I found when I arrived, and it is a person singing surrounded by many people who joined her singing. After recording I spoke with the singer, Katherine Sheng, and she told me that it was a song composed by her, and I asked her permission to publish this recording and she said yes.
Almost before she finished her song, you begin to hear many people walking and chanting for the liberation of Palestine.
FREE PALESTINE !!!
I made this recording in my neighborhood in Barcelona. In it you can hear the classic melody of the knife sharpener passing through the neighborhood and offering his services. It is incredible that this tradition is still alive today and with the same original flute melody.
A mix of ambient sound walking inside the March and Protest for the freedom of Venezuela in Barcelona, Spain - Saturday August 17, 2024.
.
.
.
#HastaElFinalVenezuela
#Venezuelalibre
#Venezuela
Demonstration for Palestina in Barcelona.
the sound and the songs in the massive demonstration in solidarity with Palestine, in the center of Barcelona (Passeig de Gràcia) on October 21, 2023.
#palestina #palestine #demonstration
During the months of May and June 2023, I had the opportunity to visit China (several cities and towns). This is a recording made in the beautiful and modern city of Chengdu. Being a huge city, the street where my accommodation was located was very small with only two lanes of cars and absolutely full of life (fruit and food stores, street food stalls, businesses and even a seamstress who sewed in the street with her machine on a little table on the sidewalk. I was captivated by this street where you could hear so many sounds from day to day, from the daily life of this special Chinese city.
I made recordings every morning sitting on the sidewalk drinking my coffee. I would place the recorder at one point and let the city and I wake up at the same time and be able to listen to its sound.
(CLIP #2)
Recorded on 05 June 2023
During the months of May and June 2023, I had the opportunity to visit China (several cities and towns). This is a recording made in the beautiful and modern city of Chengdu. Being a huge city, the street where my accommodation was located was very small with only two lanes of cars and absolutely full of life (fruit and food stores, street food stalls, businesses and even a seamstress who sewed in the street with her machine on a little table on the sidewalk. I was captivated by this street where you could hear so many sounds from day to day, from the daily life of this special Chinese city.
I made recordings every morning sitting on the sidewalk drinking my coffee. I would place the recorder at one point and let the city and I wake up at the same time and be able to listen to its sound.
(CLIP #1)
Recorded on 06 June 2023
This episode was recorded during the feminist march of 8M (March) - International Women's Day. Recorded in the center of Barcelona in the Plaza Universitat. In this audio you can hear many chants, ambient sounds from the crowd, marches, dances, drum sounds, slogans, and it ends with a very beautiful song sung a cappella.
This year's (03/08/2023) was a very beautiful march, very emotional and powerful!
*I have many more audios, so maybe later I will upload a second part.
This episode was recorded at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona. In it you can hear the ambient sound of the bowling alley, the sound of the machines and the racks for returning the balls and their bearings, the people playing, strikes, the pin repositioning machines, etc.
This episode was recorded in the Hall of the Mercat de Les Flors dance theater in Barcelona on a sold-out night for a presentation by choreographer Lucinda Childs with her show "DANCE". This is the ambient sound of the packed treato hall before entering the performance.
In this recording made in the Horta neighborhood (Barcelona) during its main festival, you can listen to a very beautiful tradition such as the CASTELLS (or Human Castles). This group of CASTELLERS (name in Catalan, of the group of people who build Castles), took place in a small open-air square.
In the recording you can hear the atmosphere that surrounds the creation of the Castell (Castle), the instructions that are given from below, while traditional music plays. At the end of the successful attempt of this magnificent human tower, the audience cheers!
You can learn more about the Castellers in the following link:
Protest chants at the Catalonia Day Demonstration (Diada), September 11, 2022 in Barcelona.
This mix of recordings made during the demonstrations on the day of Catalonia, are focused on some of the protest chants. Here you can hear a few that I was able to catch more clearly.
For your better understanding, I have written the songs in Catalan (numbered in order of appearance in the audio), and below the translation into English and Spanish.
*I hope that the songs and their translation are correct, if not, you can contact me to correct them.
- CHANTS -
1- Els carrers seran sempre nostres!
(ENG) The streets will always be ours :: (ESP) Las calles serán siempre nuestas.
2- Volem, volem, volem, volem la independència, volem volem volem Països Catalans.
(ENG) We want, we want, we want, we want independence, we want we want Catalan Countries :: (ESP) Queremos, queremos, queremos, queremos la independencia, queremos queremos queremos Países Catalanes.
3- Voluntaris, voluntaris ...
(ENG) volunteers, volunteers :: (ESP) voluntarios, voluntarios
4- No tinc por!
(ENG) I’m not afraid :: (ESP) No tengo miedo
5- No ens mouran!
(ENG) They won't move us :: (ESP) No nos moverán
The impressive sound of the sirens (air-raid) in the city of Linz, Austria (June 2022). This was an exercise and a test of the sirens all sounding at the same time. It was a very shocking sound that could be heard from anywhere in the city.
The beautiful sound of the bells and the barriers in a train crossing in the city.
Recorded in Linz, Austria.
This is the sound of the acoustic signal for visually impaired pedestrians at the traffic lights in the center of vienna. It's a very dry beat that starts out steady and speeds up until it becomes a rush and then slows down again.
THERE
Part II - (Recordings 2010-2022)
These are recordings that I have made in the last 10+ years of travels in China, Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Venezuela, United Kingdom, United States ...
The recordings (the oldest ones) were made with my first and very rudimentary portable recorder and over the years it has evolved with better equipment.
However, each recording has a lot of magic and history.
I find it amazing what happens with field recordings, because when I listen to the pieces and the fragments I can travel totally and vividly in time to those places.
I hope you enjoy them and you can download or share them ...
Places in PART I & II
- Seoul
- New York
- Tokyo
- Alicante
- Málaga
- Miami
- Jeju Island
- Valencia (Venezuela)
- Ullastret
- Reykjavík
- Barcelona
- Manchester
- London
THERE
Part I - (Recordings 2010-2022)
These are recordings that I have made in the last 10+ years of travels in China, Japan, South Korea, Iceland, Venezuela, United Kingdom, United States ...
The recordings (the oldest ones) were made with my first and very rudimentary portable recorder and over the years it has evolved with better equipment.
However, each recording has a lot of magic and history.
I find it amazing what happens with field recordings, because when I listen to the pieces and the fragments I can travel totally and vividly in time to those places.
I hope you enjoy them and you can download or share them ...
Places in PART I & II
- Seoul
- New York
- Tokyo
- Alicante
- Málaga
- Miami
- Jeju Island
- Valencia (Venezuela)
- Ullastret
- Reykjavík
- Barcelona
- Manchester
- London
Recording of a ride on the Budapest tram in October 2021.
In this episode I recorded the atmosphere of the summer solstice rarty in Barcelona called Revetlla de Sant Joan. Recorded at 11pm on Wednesday June 23rd. This was the first big celebration in the city since the Covid shutdown and it was one of the loudest nights in a long time. We can hear the sound of firecrackers everywhere.
