Flying containers

 

In last week of August the first “real winter storm” arrived to Iceland, with strong cold wind and snow down to 300 m o.s. Luckily it was not as bad as weather forecast expected.
But for sure more and stronger storms will arrive in coming months. Sometimes it happens during high tide and with extremely low air pressure so the whole harbor is floating in deep seawater.
Last autumn 2012, we got at last two times a “real storm”, and both this storms arrived while I was at work. It was really dangerous to be outside so we spent most of the day inside. Regularly we heard loud “drumming sound” and got a taste of an earthquake when containers and reefers flew of the stacks to the ground.
Following recording was recorded in one of those bad weather situations 2nd of November 2012. It is mostly audible wind noises with flying garbage around when suddenly somewhere in the harbor one container take off from a stack and fells to the ground.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 29,7Mb)

Recorder: Sound Devices 788
Mics: Sennheier MKH30/40. MS setup in Recote windshield
Pics: Nokia N82

Rumbling noise from Mordor

At 13th of May I cycled to the shore, west side of Reykjavik to make some microphones setup test in quiet environment. It was sunny and calm, but cold as it has been all this year’s spring.
This coastline is mostly unspoiled from humans works so there is miscellaneous birdlife. Along is a very popular walking and cycle path. Some places can be very quiet like the beach south of Skildinganes where I have recorded many times nature sounds…as far as it goes.
As usual where nature are close to humans automotive world there is a deep rumbling noise, a terrifying noise from burning fossil fuel. It does not only disturb my ears or recordings, it is a very clear warning about our stupid lifestyle that will sooner or later destroy our planet within a century.

Download mp3file (192kbps / 37,3Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder: Sound devices 788
Mics: Sennheiser MKH8040 (ORTF setup)
Pix: Canon EOS-M

Flags in the wind

Sometimes when I am going to record a specific sound I bring home something totally different.
That happened 4th of July 2012. It was a very nice weather, calm and dry, so I made a decision to cycle with my gear to the shore at Seltjarnarnes to record bird sounds and ambiance.
But shortly after I left home the wind started to blow and it got stronger with cold northern breeze . When I arrived to Seltjarnarnes the wind was too much for almost any wildlife recordings. So as usual with most cycle trips like this, I decided to go back.
But before the wind blow me back home again I found a shelter on wooden platform beside a golf clubhouse. And there was an interesting sound. Two golf course flags with poles were flapping and hammering two picnic tables. Their flaps were like an “audio indicator” for the wind waves.
Arctic Tern, Oystercatcher and other bird spices in combination with heavy sea waves at the shore made this all as a great concert.
I stayed there about one hour while I recorded and listened to the concert, watching a thick smoke coming from burning garage in Kopavogur district, seven kilometers away.
Following is twenty minutes of this session.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 32,6Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder: Sound devices 744T
Mics: RodeNT1a (NOS 90°/30cm)
Pics: Nokia N82

Reykjavik Marathon 2012

Reykjavik downtown was a peaceful place when annual marathon was held 18th of August 2012. The weather was calm and no painful traffic noise as usual. Many streets were closed for cars so there was plenty of space for almost fourteen thousand runners this day.
I placed my microphones in a bush about 500 meters from the starting point.
In the beginning of the recording most footsteps are coming from right to left when runners are on the way to the starting point.
Air plains pass by from left to right and land on Reykjavik Airport.
Runners continue to pass on the way to the starting point, some of them arriving too late.
Few seconds after the race starts, runners begin to pass the microphones from left to right. And there is a lot of runners. Thousands of footsteps in just five minutes….and another airplane passes by the same way, but on the way to the airport.
Then, everything gets normal agin.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 28,2Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net

Recorder: Sound Devices 744
Mics: Sennheiser MKH30/20 (MS setup)
Pics: Canon 30D (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

Accordion day 5th of May 2012

Accordion day was celebrated all over in Iceland 5th of May with concerts in many public places all over the country. This was a perfect opportunity to cycle downtown and record a “squeeze box concert”. The concert was held in an open place at Hallærisplan (Ingólfstorg) in Reykjavik center and the players were members of the Reykjavik Accordion Club. In background, mostly on right side, are some bang and rumble noise from skate boards and motorcycles.
This recording was made with “binaural microphones” and Primo EM172 capsules.  There were rather much wind which sometimes disturbed the recording. So -20db was enabled at 20hz  in post.
Best to listen with headphones.

Download mp3 file (192kbps / 24,2Mb)
See more and listen at: www.fieldrecording.net    

Recoder: Olympus LS10 (24hz/48Khz)
Mic. Binaural (Primo EM172)
Pix: Sony DSC-P120