Field recording

Till Bovermann

Field recording is a method of collecting sounds in an environment. It has been used by scientists, artists and musicians since the invention of sound recording technology. From the early days on, field recordings were mainly utilised to document natural or artificial phenomena. Until today, the field recording genre is often associated with the documentation of natural and rural soundscapes: Many discussions in field recording forums focus on technical aspects of the recording of natural sounds such as birdsong, insects or wind. When the discussion turns to more than the technology, it is often centred around the difficulty of isolating the intended protagonists of the recordings from unwanted interferences of aircrafts flying overhead or cars on adjacent roads. There tends to be a romantisation of the environment, with its authenticity disturbed by human artefacts. I find this a strange way to approach field recording since urban, industrial and hybrid contexts are similarly part of our life-world. I would even argue that recordings become exciting because they are created in a hybrid environment.

My personal field recording practice started about ten years ago as a complement to my existing sound art practice, which, back then, mainly consisted of generative sounds. However, the reason I started with field recording was not because of my existing artistic practice; I think I was just curious to try out recording as a technique and apply it to collect quiet sounds from my immediate surroundings.

Before long, I realised that field recording helps me to concentrate and pay attention to my surroundings. Not only does it allow me to amplify small noises that I would otherwise not have noticed, but it soon opened up a whole new world of sonic sensations, which I soon expanded by integrating unconventional sensors such as geophones, hydrophones or electromagnetic sensors to record otherwise inaudible dynamic processes.

However, a particular highlight of my field recording practice is not the recording itself, but the fact that I spend a lot of time in one place. Unlike in photography, where an image is made nearly instantaneously, a recording of, say, 30 minutes takes at least half an hour, as one would expect. And because I do not want to leave my recording equipment completely unattended for such a period of time, I usually stay in close proximity. This in turn requires me to remain silent unless I want to be heard on the recording. I practically have to spend this time by listening to my surroundings. A circumstance that provides me with the opportunity to gain insights into the dynamics of a place that otherwise would not have been possible.

If you are curious, you can find more recordings and other material under the tag field-recording.