State opening of parliament in September 2012

State opening of parliament was totally different this year than previous three years. Since the bank collapse 2008 people usually had ruction every autumn in the park front of the parliament building.
But 2011 the ruction went to far when one parliamentarian fell to the ground after egg hit his head. So at 2012 the government decided to make it very difficult for everyone to protest. In fact it was forbidden to protest and government took full control of the whole situation. With riot fence and police they make a big circle around the parliament building and nearby church. But that´s not all. The government used speakers to amplify a mass from the church to the crowd that could possibly gather to make a noisy ruction. But the funny thing was just a few protesters arrived. This day mostly armed police was spread all over the park and nearby streets. The few others was staff from media, some protesters, handicap people, curious tourists and drug addicts, so the situation was in fact very peaceful. This mass “cool down” all activism. Most people just pass by or sat down and listened.
This recording contains the last minutes of the mass and the ruction during the parliamentarians walk from the church to the parliament building. Notes the funny situation when some protester start to scream the mass get louder from speakers.
This time no eggs or other garbage was thrown from the protesters to parliamentarians.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 24Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net
 
Recorder: Sound Devises 744T
Mics: Sennheiser MKH30/20 (MS setup)
Pix: Sony CyberShot DSC-P120 (see more pictures)

Nature reserve in Flói 2012. Part2

This recording is almost a straight continue from “Nature reserve in Flói 2012 – Part 1” that was recorded inside the bird watching shelter. Now the microphones are in the wetland, about 300 meters from the shelter. This is close to a pond, early morning 25th of June, around 3am. Now and then the gust strokes the field, but later one it gets more quiet.
This was a busy time for all residents in the area so the recording contains a lot of their activity.
Birds searching for food in the pound or in the grass around the microphones, like Red- necked Phalarope, Arctic stern, Red throat Loon and some ducks. Birds pass by with wing flaps. There is also a lonely barking dog, bleating sheep and whinny horses somewhere far away.
When morning sunbeams warm the field and the wind goes calm, billions of gnats start to fly in thick clouds up and down with impressive noise. Many other bird species are audible in this recording like Common Snipe, Golden Ploer, Whimbrel, Gull, Rooster and many other birds I can not named like some young birds. Sometimes young Loon are crying, while other birds sounds like Tod (n.b. no Frogs live in Iceland).
This is a very quiet nature recording so you should not play it loud. You should play it like you think you will hear it trough open window, as a background sound. Best way to listen details and explore all bird species is using quality open headphones This recording contain also very loud session when all Loons in all ponds in the area “scream” a territory call.
Surprisingly it looks like only one or two motorist is audible in this recording, a truck about 20 km away So the soundscape is almost as nice as it gets on our planet.
There is still many hours left of this recording in Flói. It will be published in coming months.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 40,3Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder: Sound Devices 744T
Mics: Rode NT1a (NOS setup)
Pix: Canon EOS30D (see more pictures)

Free Pussy Riot

At 17th of August 2012 about 100 protesters gathering together front of Russian embassy in Reykjavik call for free Pussy Riot.
The protest stay in one hour between 10 and 11am (Icelandic time). All the time people call “FREE PUSSY RIOT” so in the end when the lips and tongue get tired it start to sound like “Peoples right”.
Protest like this was held all over the world at same time.
Sadly during the protest three member of the Pussy Riot was doomed to stay in prison for two years.
For all those out of space who do not know Pussy Riot or human rights should search in Google for more information.
Please play this recording loud and share everywhere.  Now people all over world need to scream Pussy riot out of prison.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 28,17Mb)

Recorder: Sound devices 744
Mics: MKH30/20 (MS setup)
Pix: Sony DSC-P120
Video: Punk prayer “Fuck off Putin“
Icelandic radioprogram about the Pussy Riot movment