Kenya 2020

Rainforests of Costa Rica

The sounds of Madagascar

A collection of field recordings from my travels. For recordings longer than an hour check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/georgevlad

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Ethnic music from Mara Rianta village in the Masai Mara. Recorded with Sony PCM D100. Read about my expedition to Kenya at https://mindful-audio.com/blog/2020-sound-recording-expedition-kenya

Masai Traditional Music

It's a calm day at Maliau Basin in Sabah, Malaysia. The dawn chorus is a distant memory and birds seem to be calling for the sheer pleasure of it. Insects dominate the soundscape though with their loud and constant chorus. Longer version at https://youtu.be/a0ORDlC7DkM

Lazy afternoon in Borneo

Night falls in the cloud forest. Several species of frogs congregate in humid areas, from jungle lakes to the smallest puddle. Recorded in Bale Mountains NP, Ethiopia. Long version at https://youtu.be/8iYSre_njk8

Frogs croaking in the cloud forest

Night falls in the Serengeti-Mara savanna. The deep calls of lions resonate through the plains while a hippo lazily moves in the water hole nearby. A thick insect chorus creates a constant background while distant Eagle and Scops owls can be heard occasionally.  Long version at https://youtu.be/STVEYauGOU4

Dusk in the Serengeti

The Empress cicada starts calling as the sun sets, just as daytime birds are winding down their calls and nighttime creatures are waking up. You first hear distant ones, and it almost sounds like some industrial metal cutting process. Long version at https://youtu.be/6ZPDYlvj7MM

The weird sound of the Empress cicada

On my Costa Rica expedition I was reacquainted with howler monkey calls after first having heard them in the Amazon a few years prior. Longer version at https://youtu.be/emtVr3Mbjcg

Dawn in Costa Rica jungle - Howler monkey sounds

In the rainforest, each creature has its own little place in the frequency spectrum or time domain. The apparent chaos is random only when looked at (or listened to, rather) for very short durations. More details at https://youtu.be/E7byvKAJHGU

Costa Rica jungle atmosphere

Deep in the Empty Quarter - the sound of the desert is subtle yet mesmerising. Long version at https://youtu.be/8vGWKrw6Rmg

The sounds of the Arabian desert

The sound of soft rain in the rainforest at dawn is bliss. The soundscape is comforting, relaxing, reassuring. It's the perfect ambience for slowing down and immersing yourself into the jungle landscape. Long version at https://youtu.be/5Uk22dxfJJY

Rainy dawn in Costa Rica's rainforest

Arabian Desert is a collection of stereo and quad soundscapes recorded on the Arabian Peninsula in the Empty Quarter, the largest expanse of sand dunes on Earth. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/arabian-desert/

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MAFX024 Arabian Desert Demo STEREO

The rainforest comes alive with sound at night. Listen to the sounds of the jungle for a few minutes and you'll notice a myriad subtle changes. Long version at https://youtu.be/5mRnCsRXwv8

Night in the rainforest

When you're walking in a lush jungle it's very easy to miss small things like termites, ants, snakes or a gorilla (that totally happened by the way). Long version at https://youtu.be/WQa2E4iAnWQ

Dusk in the rainforest

Calm morning in the English countryside. It's early spring so the dawn chorus is lush and varied, with plenty of birdsong filtering in through the mist. Long recording at https://youtu.be/xFBgMMLTWos

Dawn chorus in the countryside

It's a calm morning by the river Kapamba in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. A few cicadas are winding down their night calls, making room for the daytime sounds of the savanna. Long version at: https://youtu.be/xnGuW1RLgBk

A river in the savanna

The sound of a rainforest waking up on a rainy day is incredibly evocative. Heavy raindrops fall on leaves and vegetation all around. Long version at https://youtu.be/fRDUdndLSdE

Rainy morning in the jungle

Madagascar's dry forests are amazing biomes, full of weird flora and fauna. Huge baobabs tower over thorny scrub, dwarfing everything around them and creating a feeling of awe. Long version at https://youtu.be/Dnsz-1Jjmws

Madagascar dry forest sounds

Of all the rainforests I've visited in Madagascar, Masoala seems to be home to the most complex and lush soundscapes. The best moment to experience this is clearly the dawn chorus, although dusk choruses can also be pretty lively. Long version at https://youtu.be/HVktNJpC6D8

Dawn in Madagascar rainforest

A thunderstorm of epic proportions on the horizon in the Amazon rainforest. Long version at https://youtu.be/R8lLynze4Oo

Massive thunderstorm approaching in the Amazon rainforest

Rain in the Amazon rainforest sounds soothing, calming, meditative. Long version at https://youtu.be/2cwPNJTpl4s

Soothing rain in the Amazon rainforest

Whale Song is a collection of underwater recordings of humpback whales singing and calling in the Indian Ocean. Get the library at https://mindful-audio.com/whale-song.

MAFX025 WHALE SONG Demo

In the montane rainforests of Madagascar, wildlife tends to be quiet. The soundscapes are sparse and their beauty lies in tiny detail. Long version at https://youtu.be/27KD-zP1_G8

Cold rain in Madagascar's cloud forest

The sounds of calm ocean waves crashing on a sandy beach in Madagascar. Longer version at https://youtu.be/i7ds-DhM89I

Ocean waves on sandy beach in Madagascar

African savanna ambience with birds singing and insects calling at various distances - a beautiful and calm soundscape full of exquisite little detail. Long version at https://youtu.be/5NyIPnT1Wpw

The sound of the African savanna on a calm day

Listen to wildlife, nature and people in by the Manambolo river in remote western Madagascar. The soundscape here is beautiful and varied, with lovely reflections from the canyon walls. Long version at https://youtu.be/joQSXRlb5ik

Sounds of Madagascar - Afternoon by the Manambolo river

Wildlife tends to be shy and rather quiet in what's left of Madagascar's coastal rainforests. The soundscape is quiet and subtle. Long version at https://youtu.be/eRw0SGzZqRE

The subtle sound of a primary rainforest in Madagascar

The jungles of the Amazon are calm and still on a hot afternoon. There's a piercing insect chorus - frogs call occasionally - every now and then a bird chirps half-heartedly. Long version at https://youtu.be/l-v3GNgPR78

Lazy afternoon in the Amazon rainforest

Early in the morning in the Amazon rainforest - the air is thick with humidity and wildlife sounds. The insect chorus is deafening, and birds are trying to do their part by calling incessantly everywhere. Long version at https://youtu.be/2KWrudRbgO8

The Amazon rainforest wakes up

The golden eagle is a majestic bird of prey. It generally doesn't call much apart from contact calls between the pair at nesting sites. Recorded in Bucovina, Romania with Zoom F6 and Lom mikroUsi Pro microphones.

The beautiful calls of the Golden eagle - Aquila chrysaetos

Listen to the call to prayer of the muezzin being broadcast from a mosque in the casbah of Algiers.

Call To Prayer In Algiers

Atacama Desert is a collection of stereo and quad soundscapes recorded in the barren but amazingly beautiful desert plateau of Western Chile. Get it at https://mindful-audio.com/atacama-desert

MAFX027 Atacama Desert Demo

African Desert: Sahara is a large collection of pristine soundscapes recorded in the remotest parts of the Sahara desert. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/african-desert-sahara/

MAFX028 African Desert Sahara demo STEREO

Field recording of a small dormouse sniffing the microphones - tree ears setup. Best experienced with quality headphones.

ASMR Small rodent sniffs your brain

4-channel recording of an old Toyota Land Cruiser driving on dirt roads. Recorded by George Vlad and Daan Hendriks in South Africa. Available at: https://mindful-audio.com/1990-land-cruiser-library/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

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1990 Land Cruiser Demo

Woodland Atmosphere gets its first of many updates. 5 more GB of recordings from forests in Sweden, Romania and Scotland. New species include Thrush Nightingale, Redwing, Willow Tit, Tawny Owl, Song Thrush and many more. Get the full library at https://mindful-audio.com/woodland-atmosphere/.

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MAFX001 Woodland Atmosphere 1.1 Demo

MAFX007 is a collection of rare World War 2 aircraft recordings. It features icons such as the Supermarine Spitfire, Bucker Bu-131 Jungmann, North American P-51 Mustang, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Grumman F8F Bearcat and others. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/ww2-aircraft/

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MAFX007 WW2 Aircraft Demo

Nordic Nature is a collection of evocative and immersive ambiences recorded by George Vlad and Pete Smith over a three-year period across the wilderness of Sweden and Norway. Buy the library at https://mindful-audio.com/#/nordic-nature/

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Nordic Nature sfx library demo

African Jungle is a huge collection of unique ambiences recorded in Central Africa's Congo Basin rainforests. It features lush jungle soundscapes, loud insect choruses, elephants and other mammals calling and much more. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/african-jungle/.

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

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MAFX017 African Jungle demo

MAFX019 Volcano is a collection of unique sounds recorded in Ethiopia’s Afar region at Erta Ale volcano. Erta Ale is one of only a handful of volcanoes with lava lakes in the world, situated in the Danakil Depression, one of the hottest and most inhospitable places in the world. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/volcano/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

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MAFX019 Volcano Demo

Amazon Jungle is a collection of unique ambiences recorded in the Amazon rainforest on the border between Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. The library was recorded during the rainy season when birds are vocal and humidity is at its highest. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/amazon-jungle/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

MAFX018 Amazon Jungle Demo

Early morning at a small pond - Tabin Wildlife reserve in the Borneo rainforest. A water hen calls incessantly near the mics while a distant Coucal's notes reverberate through the forest. Longer version on Youtube at https://youtu.be/Q3J9ZSPhPKs

Recorded with Sony PCM D10 and Lom MikroUsi microphones taped to the branches of a dead tree in the centre of the pond. Read about my expedition to Borneo at https://mindful-audio.com/blog/sound-recording-borneo

Borneo Rainforest - Morning At The Pond

A myriad cicadas start calling as soon as the afternoon light begins to fade in Tawau Hills NP, Borneo. Recorded with Zoom F6 and Lom MikroUsi Pro mics. Listen to more recordings I made in Borneo at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRlYmmK1sqrM_BB3xp6quofSq7fYdEPA

Intense Dusk Chorus In The Borneo Rainforest

Calm afternoon storm recorded at Tabin Wildlife Reserve in North Eastern Borneo. Recorded with Sony PCM A10 and Lom MikroUsi mics. Listen to more recordings I made in Borneo at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCRlYmmK1sqrM_BB3xp6quofSq7fYdEPA

Borneo Rainforest - Afternoon Storm with rolling thunder

Beautiful birdsong early in the morning at a coniferous forest in the remote parts of Scotland. Recorded with Sound Devices 633 and Sennheiser DMS mics. Long version on Youtube at https://youtu.be/z1aBPA7b9Is


You can purchase some of my recordings from Scotland and Europe at: https://mindful-audio.com/woodland-atmosphere/

Scotland - Lush Dawn Chorus

It’s 6am in Tsavo NP at Kanderi swamp. A thin dawn chorus braves the dry season, soon joined by a male lion advertising his territory.

Kanderi Swamp - Dawn Chorus With Lion

It's 5am in Mara North Conservancy, just outside Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This is one of the few places in the world and even in East Africa where you can hear lions, hyenas, zebras, buffalo and other wild animals and cattle bells, dogs barking etc from the surrounding villages.  Long version at https://youtu.be/Bm_Gc4MXqfQ

Dawn In The Maasai Mara

This Verreaux's eagle owl advertised his territory from the exact tree that I set up my overnight sound recording rig in. Long version at https://youtu.be/hwYJmGwQ6Mk

Owl Calling In The Savanna

Wild Rain is a collection of rain soundscapes recorded in 4 rainforests across 3 continents. The library features rain falling on vegetation and forest floor, from sparse drops to moderate and heavy rain. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/wild-rain/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

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MAFX021 Wild Rain Demo STEREO

A rock hyrax calling from the edge of a gorge in the Masai Mara. More sounds at https://www.youtube.com/georgevlad

Rock Hyrax calling at Gorge

African Desert is a collection of soundscapes recorded in the Namib desert. It covers a variety of locations, from sand dunes and canyons to desert pavement and rocky outcrops. Available at https://mindful-audio.com/african-desert/

Downloadable demo - all rights reserved. License agreement available at https://mindful-audio.com/eula

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MAFX022 African Desert Demo

Award winning sound recordist, audio director and expedition leader - Dune: Part Two | Mufasa: The Lion King | Horizon Forbidden West | Wordscapes

George Vlad

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