R.J. Stefanski - Midnight Trails with Late Summer Crickets, Bats, Frogs & More [Field Recorded Sound Map 1.2]

For the second installment in my series of experimental sound maps, I invite the listener to travel about an hour's drive North of our last meeting (Belle Isle, Detroit), to Romeo, MI. The bulk of the recordings for this project came from two weekends spent at my parents home in the small rural village in late August and early September 2015. When I stay at their house, I have a nightly walking routine that takes me through some of the nearby fields and woods surrounded by stars and crickets. These walks are the genesis for this sound map, as it is designed to present the listener on a guided tour solely using field recordings of a few of these excursions. 

The listener is greeted with the soft hum of a small town backyard just after sunset. It is shaping up to be a hot and muggy night as sounds begin to fill the neighborhood: a chorus of crickets two backyards away, a train's horn from much further, and then a low flying plane seems to split the sky in half. Slowly the chatter of neighbors enters the mix along with the family pet and some passing cars. As we head out from the backyard and towards the expansive athletic fields just a few blocks away, some frogs briefly appear and the variety of crickets changes as well.

Night fully descends as the sounds from the fringes of the village fade even more out of range as we reach the open fields west of town. The overhead sky is clear and bursting with stars and about a dozen low flying bats, clearly audible as they make a distinct sound which mimics that of a mouse chewing from a room away. Entering deeper woods brings us to a bizarre insect, some form of giant cricket with a rattle. Suddenly the clear skies have turned ominous, with rain slowly sneaking in before erupting into thunder. Something is not quite right in this part of the forest, as dark melodies are slowly played on an antique piano, and are soon accompanied by scattered AM radio transmissions. Just before it seems like the journey might be doomed, the trees begin to thin out and we are back in a familiar backyard. Tired and confused, the only remnants of that strange night are some hazy memories and these recordings.

All sounds recorded and edited by R.J. Stefanski 2015-2016. Including original piano composition and artwork. Use good headphones and enjoy!

Midnight Trails with Late Summer Crickets, Bats & Frogs [Field Recorded Sound Map 1.2 | Romeo, MI]

Brooklyn NYC + Detroit | Message directly for inquiries about sampling recordings, bookings, collaborations, or questions | Since releasing a series of diverse mixtapes in 2011, Stefanski has slowly turned his focus to his own ambient productions, often built entirely of original field recordings. He has released a wide array of original soundscapes ranging from brief, high-def clips of thunderstorms to extended sound collages, each project sharing a hazy, psychedelic glow. Before moving to Brooklyn, Stefanski curated the chill out room for infamous Detroit after-hours rave BAK DØR. After relocating he released an LP of short field recordinged ("20 X 2"), a podcast for an experimental NYC label (Metamorph) and an album for Bivouac's "60 Minute Cities" series. His relaxing rain soundscapes are some of the most popular on soundcloud, with one clip nearing 14 million streams as of late 2020. More recently Stefanski expanded his productions with visual components, including a new website which hosts the unique travelogue "The San Diego Tapes" and photography prints for sale.

~FEEL FREE to use my field recordings/original tracks in any of your own works, I only ask you cite me as a source and please send me a link of the finished product.  MESSAGE ME for questions, I won't see questions in comments.

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