Listening to the sound of your sleep

Sep 30, 2023, 07:57 AM

"Our piece recreates that moment in the darkness where one person restlessly relives the trauma of yesterday and anticipates the dramas of tomorrow. Meanwhile, their partner sleeps soundly beside them. Additional field recordings include the sleeping man, recorded at 4am in London, UK; the sound of the wind and mechanics at Maryport Harbour, Cumbria, UK; a busker playing the piano in Amsterdam, Holland. 

"The soundtracks have been interwoven to present the peace of the sleeper, juxtaposed with the agonising fear of the listener. The original soundtrack, with the sounds of the city and birds at dawn, feeds the angst of the listener, who longs only for silence. This builds to a crescendo of frantic sound patterns, underpinned with the repetitive piano soundtrack. Finally, the listener is released from the torture (they fall asleep) and the sleeper continues aware."

Lisbon singer reimagined by Caroline Grimshaw & Stephen Mugford. 

Part of the Music for Sleep project - for more information and to hear more sounds from the collection, visit https://citiesandmemory.com/music-for-sleep/