Audio escapism ðŸŒ
Unplug with these immersive soundscapes
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Hi friends,Â
How is everyone doing? Wow, what a rollercoaster of a week. My emotions ran the gamut from despair, worry and doomscrolling (yes, doomscrolling is an emotion in my house), through to relief, elation, joyful tears and finally — hope.
I don’t know about you, but my concentration has been totally shot; I couldn’t seem to focus on anything. So I’m going to do something a bit different in today’s newsletter and give our tired minds some aural escapism. Comfort listening, if you will. These immersive soundscapes are pushing the envelope of what’s being done in audio, and for me they have the added benefit of being really rather calming.
So put on your headphones, kick back... and float away.Â
🔮 SoundhouseÂ
‘Intimacy and distance’ are the guiding themes for Soundhouse, a truly immersive experience where you choose one of three different ‘listening rooms’ playing sound on a loop. Each room is curated by audio artists Axel Kacoutié, Ariana Martinez and Arlie Adlington, and features everything from striking vignettes to raw, textural sounds. Pay a visit here.Â
🔮 The World According to Sound
The World According to Sound podcast went ‘live’ earlier this year by launching a communal listening series called Outside In. Listeners receive eye masks in the post, and they all tune in together for an hour of experimental sound. This great episode of How Sound delved into the how and why of the show — and I’m excited to see that creators Sam Harnett and Chris Hoff will be running another series of communal listening nights starting in December. Deets here.Â
🔮 Future Cities
The new initiative from Cities and Memory maps more than 650 sounds from 81 countries: proper escapism, this. Everywhere from Delhi to Florence, Tokyo to Santiago is represented in this ambitious field recording project that aims to emphasise how the sound of urban spaces is changing. Listen here.Â
🔮 Questionable Hobbies of the Socially Isolated
Host Jeff Emtman brought an audio producer’s ear to the concept of blackout poetry with this super cool episode of Here Be Monsters. Jeff used his old cassette collection to mash up vintage sound effects, music and narration to make this absurdist poetry. This ep really made me think differently about the creative potential of sound.
Quick note here: if you’re enjoying The Audio Storyteller, I’d really appreciate you recommending it to a coworker or audio-loving friend. I’d also love to hear what topics you want to read about in the newsletter. Send me your ideas/requests/comments.
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What I’m listening to
💜 Ok, I feel like I keep recommending BBC podcasts here, but I couldn’t not mention this one. Goodbye to all this is a memoir from Sophie Townsend about the loss of her husband. It’s beautifully written, expertly crafted, and utterly heartbreaking. Makes you want to grab the people you love and hold them close.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your comments, thoughts and what you’re listening to / working on: tweet or email me.