@ Bandcamp

2023.02.02 Parable the Fourth: The Root of Escape. (Παραβολὴ ἡ Τέταρτη• Ἡ Ῥίζα τῆς Διασώσεως.)

One hour of a February early morning birdsong collection in Tallahassee, Florida. Birds foraging off the black oil sunflower seed feeder include, cardinals, mockingbirds, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, sparrows and more.  Background sounds are typical urban noises such as; constant roar of cars, occasional motorcycle and ambulances, buses, airplanes and ever present city hum. Sennheiser MKH416 mic & F6 recorder.

Early February Morning Urban Tallahassee Birdsongs

I find this audio to be quite relaxing and have been playing for background ASMR throughout the days.  Hope you find healing, enjoyment and relaxation in Mother Nature's symphony! Over three hours primarily of Southern Leopard Frogs, Lithobates (Rana) sphenocephala and southeastern field cricket, Gryllus rubens from the edge of a fresh water shallow marsh pond in the SMNWR.  Leopard frogs are one of the most common types of frogs in Florida.  Much of the habitat in the SMNWR where I normally record is a mix of fresh and saltwater.  This particular area where the recording was collected was primarily freshwater.  Leopard frogs however are one of the more salt tolerant of Florida frog species.  The nights are still cool here so mating season has not fully arrived.  Rather than the typical frantic mating calls of late spring, the calls here are of a more nuanced conversational type.  Audio recorded from 9pm to 10pm February 18, 2023 with Sony PCM M10 and Clippy stereo microphones, windcovers and drybags.

3 Hours Leopard Frog Calls Feb 2023

I had recorded once before at this location, on a busy weekday (a Tuesday), 11.02.2020. I wasn't consciously aware of the synchronistic date of that previous recording, but I definitely had the location in mind: this factory was my first intuitive stop during my nocturnal wandering through the port and harbour industrial regions, exactly three years later. Three years earlier, though, I hadn't heard the particular enigmatic sound that attracted my attention on this night, an hour before midnight. After I had finished recording (at the farthest corner of the fence-line seen in the track photo, as close as possible to the factory itself), I asked the gentleman who can be seen in the lower left corner of the track photo, working on the electrical control box of the main gate, what was actually causing the remarkable 'singing' or 'wailing' sound emanating from out of the guts of the plant. He explained to me that it was a drag chain conveyor: when the conveyor is more or less empty, metal scrapes against metal, and causes that sound. How apt. How enigmatic. And yes, even, how paradoxically beautiful. I do not hear this as 'music' or 'singing'; rather, I hear 'music' or 'singing' as like this.

This segment of the original recording runs from 22:57:28 to 23:02:28.

2023.02.10 Night Cement Factory

After leaving the cement plant, while visiting two or three other places I had also previously recorded at three years ago, I was stopped at a railway crossing by a freight train travelling out towards the harbour... I turned off my car engine to hear better (I already had my windows wound down). It was a very, very, very long train... The sound of the empty wagons rolling past, as if endlessly, was unique. I would have had time to set up my gear and record some of it passing by; if only I'd known how long it would continue... But I had a good idea of where it was going, and as soon as it had finally passed, I headed out to the wheat silo complex shown in the track photo. When I arrived, the train engines were idling at the entrance to a large building through which the railway track passed. Just as I set up and started recording, the train engines ramped up and slowly moved forward, into that building, pulling the very long line of empty wagons behind them. Soon after, I repositioned at the far end of the building (which can be seen at the far left of the track photo). The engines were already at a distance, slowly pulling the wagons inexorably forward, inch by inch... As the wagons were pulled through the building, they were being filled with wheat grain, one after the other. The whole process took over two and a half hours. The sounds that the wagons made as they  emerged, loaded with wheat, from the building, and inched forward painstakingly along the track, were constantly varying. But I've abridged the whole lengthy process down to a sixteen and a half minute representation, here. Finally, the last wagon emerged. A long pause, while the relevant paperwork was driven down to the engine driver somewhere far in the distance. And then the fully laden train began moving, again... And it was obvious that it would be crossing the train bridge across the Port River, almost eight kilometres farther down the track, on its way to wherever it was going. So the train bridge was necessarily my next stop...

The original two recordings run from 23:57:05 to 02:31:37.

2023.02.10-11 Night Wheat Train at Silos

The fully laden night wheat train passes over the train bridge spanning the Port River. Not far behind us is the road vehicle bridge spanning the river, but traffic is sparse at this time of night (or rather, morning: it is around 03:00).

2023.02.11 Night Wheat Train on Bridge

Listening in a very quiet environment, or at a very quiet time, preferably with good quality headphones, at no more than a moderate volume, is very much recommended. These sounds of late summer dawn in Mallee country were widely dispersed. The original recording level was 60 dB, with a further 12 dB gain in post. Listening at a low to moderate volume will more faithfully re-present the original soundscape experience. Please refer to the Playlist description for some background information: https://soundcloud.com/hearingbeings/sets/2023-02-19-quiet-dawn-of-souls-mallee-country-late-summer.

At first light, the dawn songs of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters predominate, gracing the early dawn soundscape with a beautiful yet melancholy quality. Also occasional Owlet Nightjar calls (which have continued all through the night), Grey Butcherbirds, a couple of Emu 'drummings', some distant Ravens, amongst others; and, in the distance, briefly, a couple of strays that ought not to have been there at all.  Throughout, the sound of the wind rising and falling, through Mallee woodland of Eucalyptus and Casuarina trees.

Recorded respectfully on the land of the Meru and Danggali peoples.

2023.02.19 Quiet Dawn of Souls (First Light)

Spring full moon tides are usually much higher and lower turning gentle flowing brackish creeks into rushing rivers. This audio is one hour of outgoing tidal flow's rushing water sounds along with Pig Frogs, Leopard Frogs, a few Green Tree Frogs calling.  Shorebirds, songbirds, crickets and the occasional overhead airplane and nearby fishing boat contribute to the rest of the full moon marsh audio. Recording rushing water audio is challenging however I find the sounds ground me with the earth (after all our bodies are mostly water).  The Pig Frogs are the perfect bass accompaniment while Leopard Frogs call with out their soprano melodies. I hear Red-winged Blackbirds throughout along with a number of shorebirds.  Mole crickets and Southern Field Crickets round out the recording. The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is always in earth & wildlife orchestra mode.  Sony PCM M10 recorders, Clippy mics, Windbubbles & dry bags.

Amazing Weddell seal sounds below the Antarctic ice

🌎🌍