A daisy through the asphalt sees the sky
Oct 08, 2022, 08:52 AM
"The Chinchineros are traditional street performers in Chile, with a large bass drum strapped to their back and a noose around their foot to control a cymbal - they perform in small groups, conducting synchronised dances along with their drum patterns. Here we listen to a group of four chinchineros on the streets of Santiago, Chile, where they represent a cultural tradition played out on the streets of the city.
"When I began thinking about creating an audio work for the C40 Cities conference, I firstly referred to the question posed by Cities and Memory -
‘What does well being in the context of a city mean for you?’
"My answer was my starting point -
Places to escape to. A sanctuary from the noise. A sea of calm amongst others. A tiny plant growing through the asphalt. A tree living on top of a derelict building. To see the sky.
"Many of my audio works have a story behind them and the sound pieces that I create are often based on memories, thoughts, reactions, images, things I see and experience and this piece is no different. On further thinking about well being cities, A Daisy Through the Asphalt developed with several influences and layers of meaning.
"Firstly, there is a walk that I often take, that starts in the city of Newcastle- upon -Tyne, in the North East of England. It follows the river and in a fairly short distance, winds along the riverbank through a tree lined path. In the spring it is filled with the sounds of spring birds, in Summer it’s the nesting Kittiwake colonies, in the autumn it bursts with the colours of rust, gold and orange. As I walk, I can physically feel like I unwind and although surrounded by the urban sprawl, it feels like I am in a more rural setting than I am. The sounds of the city fade to be overtaken by rusting leaves, flowing water and birdsong.
"Secondly, there is the analogy of the daisy. Based on a photograph I took, it never ceases to amaze me how nature finds a foothold in some of the most unlikely places. Derelict areas are soon populated with plants, ferns grow out of crevices in walls and tiny daisies burst through the cracks in the asphalt. The daisy also represents the feeling I get when I break away from the noisy city and find some solace in a green space, where I can stretch and look up at the clouds.
"Finally, I thought about the things that I dislike about cities. The noise, the sirens, the traffic, lights, concrete, crowds, pollution that affects my asthma. The fact that I haven’t seen a dark sky for over 20 years and can’t remember when I last saw Orion.
"A Daisy Through the Asphalt is an imaginary soundwalk about all of these things.
"It begins with the noise of the city; cars, machinery, construction sites and sirens, representing the chaos and noise. The drums of The Chinchineros were very loud and there was also a lot of movement in the field recording. I wanted to keep the integrity of the original drum recording, to represent the huge variety of human activity, the bustle and jostling of crowds and the increasing wall of noise of the city. I used three short sections, overlaid them and double tracked to create greater impact and to depict the increasing levels of noise pollution. By use of midi, I used the whole of the drum patterns of the The Chinchineros, which I overlaid sounds to create the many drones, arps and rippling sound patterns, to, in effect, add to the cacophony of sound, to make it overwhelming, mimicking sirens and car engines. Surges in sound levels also create an image of a city that is restless and at times frantic.
"As we continue our imaginary soundwalk, the noise begins to fade and transition into a sonic idea of seeing a tiny daisy growing through the pavement, thriving and turning its face skywards. Synth bird sounds, created from the midi patterns of real birdsong, match with the daisy bell like sound to combine with more ethereal keyboard improvisation. As the day begins to draw to a close, the electronic bird songs fade to become twinkling stars. I tried to show the connection between the heavens and the earth and how small we are in the wider cosmos. Finally, there is a quieter, more contemplative cosmic atmosphere, a sense of expanse, of being able to breathe. To be able to see the stars.
"I think what I am trying to say, is that, what I feel is important to the health and well being of those living in large cities, are the places of calm we can escape to. Sanctuaries of quiet, of green and to be able to see the sky. To do this we have to tackle noise, light and air pollution.
"We are a tiny rock in a huge collection of galaxies. We have to protect it, it’s the only tiny rock we have and it’s worth nurturing, protecting and saving."
Chinchineros reimagined by Museleon.
Part of the Well-Being Cities project, a unique collaboration between Cities and Memory and C40, a global network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis. The project was originally presented at the C40 Cities conference in Buenos Aires in 2022. Explore Well-Being Cities in full at https://citiesandmemory.com/wellbeing-cities/
"When I began thinking about creating an audio work for the C40 Cities conference, I firstly referred to the question posed by Cities and Memory -
‘What does well being in the context of a city mean for you?’
"My answer was my starting point -
Places to escape to. A sanctuary from the noise. A sea of calm amongst others. A tiny plant growing through the asphalt. A tree living on top of a derelict building. To see the sky.
"Many of my audio works have a story behind them and the sound pieces that I create are often based on memories, thoughts, reactions, images, things I see and experience and this piece is no different. On further thinking about well being cities, A Daisy Through the Asphalt developed with several influences and layers of meaning.
"Firstly, there is a walk that I often take, that starts in the city of Newcastle- upon -Tyne, in the North East of England. It follows the river and in a fairly short distance, winds along the riverbank through a tree lined path. In the spring it is filled with the sounds of spring birds, in Summer it’s the nesting Kittiwake colonies, in the autumn it bursts with the colours of rust, gold and orange. As I walk, I can physically feel like I unwind and although surrounded by the urban sprawl, it feels like I am in a more rural setting than I am. The sounds of the city fade to be overtaken by rusting leaves, flowing water and birdsong.
"Secondly, there is the analogy of the daisy. Based on a photograph I took, it never ceases to amaze me how nature finds a foothold in some of the most unlikely places. Derelict areas are soon populated with plants, ferns grow out of crevices in walls and tiny daisies burst through the cracks in the asphalt. The daisy also represents the feeling I get when I break away from the noisy city and find some solace in a green space, where I can stretch and look up at the clouds.
"Finally, I thought about the things that I dislike about cities. The noise, the sirens, the traffic, lights, concrete, crowds, pollution that affects my asthma. The fact that I haven’t seen a dark sky for over 20 years and can’t remember when I last saw Orion.
"A Daisy Through the Asphalt is an imaginary soundwalk about all of these things.
"It begins with the noise of the city; cars, machinery, construction sites and sirens, representing the chaos and noise. The drums of The Chinchineros were very loud and there was also a lot of movement in the field recording. I wanted to keep the integrity of the original drum recording, to represent the huge variety of human activity, the bustle and jostling of crowds and the increasing wall of noise of the city. I used three short sections, overlaid them and double tracked to create greater impact and to depict the increasing levels of noise pollution. By use of midi, I used the whole of the drum patterns of the The Chinchineros, which I overlaid sounds to create the many drones, arps and rippling sound patterns, to, in effect, add to the cacophony of sound, to make it overwhelming, mimicking sirens and car engines. Surges in sound levels also create an image of a city that is restless and at times frantic.
"As we continue our imaginary soundwalk, the noise begins to fade and transition into a sonic idea of seeing a tiny daisy growing through the pavement, thriving and turning its face skywards. Synth bird sounds, created from the midi patterns of real birdsong, match with the daisy bell like sound to combine with more ethereal keyboard improvisation. As the day begins to draw to a close, the electronic bird songs fade to become twinkling stars. I tried to show the connection between the heavens and the earth and how small we are in the wider cosmos. Finally, there is a quieter, more contemplative cosmic atmosphere, a sense of expanse, of being able to breathe. To be able to see the stars.
"I think what I am trying to say, is that, what I feel is important to the health and well being of those living in large cities, are the places of calm we can escape to. Sanctuaries of quiet, of green and to be able to see the sky. To do this we have to tackle noise, light and air pollution.
"We are a tiny rock in a huge collection of galaxies. We have to protect it, it’s the only tiny rock we have and it’s worth nurturing, protecting and saving."
Chinchineros reimagined by Museleon.
Part of the Well-Being Cities project, a unique collaboration between Cities and Memory and C40, a global network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis. The project was originally presented at the C40 Cities conference in Buenos Aires in 2022. Explore Well-Being Cities in full at https://citiesandmemory.com/wellbeing-cities/