2. We were asked to create a 3 minute sound
scape that was to do with bygone time,
where the sounds could be displaced. Our
theme had to revolve around Liverpool so we
researched about Liverpool and found out the
Albert dock became a port where immigrants
came and were made for slavery. So we came
up with the idea to create a sound scape with
sounds that relate to immigration and slavery,
to then leave our sound scape open to
interpretation. So we then decided to set off
to the Albert Dock to gather a variety of
sounds related.

3. First we decided to get African drums throughout he piece
which directs to the theme of immigration and slavery. The
drums start of at a fast paste which starts to create a tense
atmosphere.

4. However, we then decided on to start editing the rest of the
drums after the original drums by then using sound forge
using the distort effect, to show how the transition from the
familiar culture to a change in culture when the immigrants
started to flee over to Liverpool. We also then wanted to
distort the drums to a point where there was more tension
and fear and huge change in the atmosphere of the piece.
The drums now have a short attack, sustain, decay and a fast
pasted rhythm. The drums are at a low pitch which makes
each beat sound powerful. This edited drum piece now plays
throughout our sound scape, still with the feeling o tension.

5. After that we then layered the beginning of the drum
rhythm with African birds. We chose to have the bird
sounds fade out when the drums begin to distort. The
bird soundings start a high frequency, which makes us
now think we are with the source of the sound and
immersed in the culture. This links to Bill Fontana’s
pigeon soundings, where he used pigeon sounds to
locate where they once lived in an abandoned
building.

6. Then we decided to play the sound of water that we
recorded and then chosen to manipulate it so it was a
lot louder than the other sounds that were playing at
this point. This is there to show how it is a significant
part of our sound scape as the immigrants came over
the seas. This links to Bill Fontana‘s river soundings as
he purposely recorded water, and the displacement of
sounds at sites where there isn’t any running water.
This links to his idea of “suspending visual belief”.

7. We also included the sound of a crying man, which were we
added reverb to it so the sound now feels like the boat is now in
a confined space. Reverb is where it makes the sound echo, and
can help to communicate with the location. The male voice has
a short attack, a long sustain and moderate decay. The
beginning of the sound is a really high frequency, moving to a
midrange frequency, then a low frequency just before just as
the sound finishes. This makes the man that is crying seem
powerful, and yet it also sounds like were close to the source of
the sound, which suggest the lack of space on the boat. This is
backed up by the use of our reverb on this piece of sound.

8. The boats horn starts with a low frequency which does make
the sound more powerful. The horn has a short attack, long
sustain and decay. This makes the sound longer than most,
which could be linked to the question of slavery “when will it
end?” this is also linked to Bill Fontana’s work as this is an
environmental sound that was recorded in Liverpool.

9. So our sound contains a variety of distinct sounds that
can be linked directly to our theme ‘slavery and
immigration’ and also the theme bygone times. Our
sound scapes theme helps it to be displaced in the
means of time and culture. We have also been able to
edit most of our sounds to create sounds that sound
older. For example, reverb has been added to make the
sound echo like the sound is coming from an enclosed
space. Just like on a boat. If I were to do my sound
scape again, I would record more sounds like a whip or
more screaming and shouting, or just distinct sounds
that could be repeated throughout the sound scape.