track from automatic recorder in Barbacoas, central Colombia. Researchers: Paula Caycedo & Oscar Laverde

Sound recording from Barbacoas

Turdus grayi

Rhythm and Roots presents ‘A Guide to the Birdsong of South America’, an compilation of music inspired by birdsong and a project fusing art with activism. We challenged some of South America's most talented young musicians to create an original piece of music inspired by and using the song of an endangered bird from their country.

The result is a beautifully diverse and rich album of fresh new music, fusing electronica with natural sound, folkloric rhythms with modern-synthesisers and precious singing with rich instrumentation. Each song tells a story and paints a picture of these magnificent birds.

Using music as a tool for change, 'A Guide to the Birdsong of South America' aims to raise awareness about the plight of these beautiful but threatened species, many of which are on the edge of extinction. It will also raise funds for those working to protect them. All of the proceeds will be donated to the Ecuadorian birding organisations Aves y Conservación and Fundación Jocotoco, two non-governmental organisations with the aim of ensuring the survival of birds and their vital habitat in Ecuador, one of the most rich countries for biodiversity in the world.

The album will be released digitally and on vinyl in March 2015 via Rhythm and Roots. It will be accompanied by a series of one-off illustrations and post-cards from the American designer Scott Partridge.

For more information see here: rhythmandrootsblog.com/label/birdsong/

For press photos, graphics and artists bios see here:
http://cargocollective.com/rhythmandroots/

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Lulacruza - Cucarachero de Niceforo

Buy the album

Grim

One of the catalysts for this whole project has been the work of El Búho. I was already familiar with his production and remix work (for the uninitiated check out his mesmerising remix of Chancha Via Circuito - Sueno en Paraguay) when I stumbled across his ‘’Roots & Rhythms’’ podcasts. I was blown away. He was compiling, on such a regular basis, a vast range of beautiful music and sharing it with the world. I hoped that I could too help share the music that I love and support these amazing artists.

Unsurprisingly El Búho was one of the first people I contacted about contributing to the series, so it is with great pleasure that I am now able to present to you his Métron Musik Mixtape. It’s as smooth and peaceful a journey as it is a beautiful and triumphant rural adventure across many sonic worlds, finding it’s final peak at the very last moments with an outstanding unreleased track of his own. Inspired by the mystical notion of musical nirvana, it’s a vivid depiction of a small part of the sonic universe, but one that feels very much at one with his impressive output to date.

Be sure to check out his soundcloud page for more productions and the awesome ‘Rhythm & Roots’ podcasts. Keep your eyes peeled for a new EP out in November via Wonderwheel.

https://soundcloud.com/el-buho

Check out the full project at the link below, or click the Métron button on the player.

http://www.metroncreativestudios.com/musik/#/mmm005-el-bho/

Tracklist:
1) Kike Pinto - Zorro Negro
2) Nicola Cruz - Invocacion
3) Naphta - Lys (Peter Power Edit)
4) Thomash - Remixing Raoui
5) Oceanvs Oreintalis - Bab - I Ali
6) Vruno - Remisión Espontánea (Rodrigo Gallardo Remix / El Búho slowedit) vs Kurup - A MARCHA NATIVA DOS ÍNDIOS QUIRIRIS (quinteto armorial)
7) DJ Djeff - Os Dois Velhos (Jose Marquez Remix)
8) Yapla! - Cegre (SidiRum Deep Mix)
9) Pigmalião - Monstera Deliciosa
10) Asam Shama - Kei Shi
11) Spaniol y ElPeche - Saudação a Ogum
12) Yosi Horikawa - Letter vs Lulacruza - Lagunita
13) El Búho - Unreleased
14) Carrot Green - Zulu
15) Lulacruza - Commandante (El Búho Remix)
16) Mr. Pauer - Pasión (Borchi Remix)
17) Barrio Lindo - Milong
18) Carlos e Mafalda - Chega
19) PrΛΛh - Chamada
20) El Búho - IJ

Métron

Metrón Mixtape - 005 - El Búho

An EP of tracks inspired by South American birdsong. Each song takes a bird call as the base and is built up around it.

El Buho - Spix's Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus Spixii)

El Buho - Pauraque (Nyctidromus Albicollis)

Cactus Wind Song - a binaural soundscape celebrating the unique hissing sound of gusting wind rushing across the spines of an Organ Pipe Cactus. Recorded near the base of Alamo Canyon in Organ Pipe National Monument. 1pm, 30 March 2017. © Lang Elliott, musicofnature.com