I’m wondering if anyone has a ’sound’ which they’d like to contribute to ‘The Babel Bell’ project at the forthcoming Scenofest at the Prague Quadrennial 2007.

The idea is that before each presentation, or event, on the Scenofest stage some loudspeakers mounted at the top of the Tower of Babel (a huge structure being built nearby) will relay a sound, which will herald people to the theatre. This sound can be anything whatsoever it’s simply down to you and your imagination. The only conditions are; that your sound should be no more than 1 minute long, that no payment will be due or made if they’re used and please do not infringe anyones’s copyright! These sounds must be all your own work…

Please send you your sounds to me, Steve@scenofest.org. I’ll look forward to receiving them, or answering any other questions you might have.

For further info on Scenofest and the Prague Quadrennial take a look at http://www.scenofest.org and http://www.pq.cz.

You don’t have to be a Sound Designer or Sound Artist, anyone can submit a sound….go on you know you want too..

And finally…..something for the weekend…

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9am 

Latitude 53°32′10.69″N

Longitude 2°16′58.52″W

Those who know me, or have read/listened to some of my past posts, will know that I quite like a peaceful Sunday morning, not sure why, because to me this day of the week is much like any other. But I do like to simply lay in bed listening to people endlessly witter on the radio, or sometimes, I watch TV and laugh at the smug ‘oh aren’t we so ironic’ style of presentation on Channel Four. But when I’m in Manchester it isn’t the sound of Seagulls which wakes me, but the sound of this awful ‘electronic’ Church Bell. Yep not the romance real one but a digital ring much like the sound you’d expect from an overlarge wristwatch.

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Nothing on the TV…taking a break; hopping and hoping…

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All I’ve yearned for today is a bowl of Ambrosia Rice Pudding….don’t know why…

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Some experiments with a new piece of software which I did, probably, a couple of years ago and rediscovered whilst cleaning up a hard drive. Interestingly (for me anyway) it kind of reflects my mood today. Spot the White Rabbit?

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Latitude 53°28′54.89″N

Longitude 2°14′19.68″W

7pm

Waiting for my tram home; feeling like summer is about to begin, buskers, lively banter and a crowded early evening city centre.

Saw a great sign today, no camera, but it read “Danger Temporary Flooring Under Foot”…correct me please, if I’m wrong, but are the last two words in that sentence really necessary?

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For Tamara and everyone who loved her. The best friend any of us could ever have wanted.

September 13th 1993 - March 27th 2007

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7pm 

Latitude 53°32′10.69″N

Longitude 2°16′58.52″W

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…talking…21st Century style…..interuption and the start of another conversation at 1′39″

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26/02/07 16:00

City centre courtyard, Prague

Latitude 50° 5′14.43″N

Longitude 14°25′29.13″E

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For those involved in Laptop Connections in June here’s some venue ambience! 26/02/07 10.30am

Latitude 50° 5′16.35″N

Longitude 14°25′58.56″E

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The amazing acoustic in the cavernous rooms below this disused water pumping station in Prague. 25/02/07 10.00

Latitude 50° 6′36.12″N

Longitude 14°24′7.69″E

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But, as always I manage to get back to sleep…until someone decides it would be a good idea to have a parade along the seafront…I love living in Brighton, but you know sometimes, just sometimes, it would be nice to get some sleep on a Sunday morning:)

18/02/07 09:50am

Latitude 50°49′10.73″N

Longitude 0° 8′6.09″W

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So, I’m used to the gentle underscore of the refrigeration and aircon sounds produced by the clubs and pubs around my flat, but then this happens, at first light and after a late Saturday night….natures wake up call

18/02/07 07:10am

Latitude 50°49′10.73″N

Longitude 0° 8′6.09″W

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Manchester looks almost continental in the sunshine today….recording…tea…solo

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I’ll do a good recording of this one day, when I manage to get up early after the late nights I’m working and wrap up warm. Somehow remaining under my duvet on mornings like this always seems more appealing. So, I manage to sleep as the early morning traffic rumbles past my window but as soon as the birds start to sing…This is a cold and frosty February morning in Prestwich, most of the country had snow yesterday, but not Manchester. The wonderful thing is that 5 or 10 centimetres of snow brings affected areas seemingly to a standstill, trains are delayed, schools are closed, people are advised to stay at home and only travel if necessary. Come on that’s no more than a sprinkling! The British are either complete wimps although it’s more likely they’re simply looking for any excuse not to go into work. It makes me laugh and embarrassed.

Latitude 53°32′10.69″N

Longitude 2°16′58.52″W

7.10am 09/02/07

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The moment Umbro revealed the new England football kit for 2007. Recorded in the ‘press pit’ amongst the mass of tv crews and photographers. Manchester 05:02:07 9.45am

Latitude 53°28′56.63″N

Longitude 2°14′40.66″W

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So, I was just going through some recordings, converting, updating, editing, deleting and adding to my library when I came across this…a stroll through a travelling fair which pitched up in Manchester, last year. I love fairs, the smell of cold hot dogs, generator fuel and candy floss. I discovered that some of my distant relatives were fairground workers, which probably accounts for the reason that I’ve acquired an inability to settle, a constant failure in being able cook the inside of cheap sausages properly and it also probably explains my tourettes type affliction of shouting ‘Scream if you want to go faster’ at inappropriate times. Anyway, when I’m away from Brighton, hearing the sound of a fair transports back to the south coast, makes me smile and thoughts of happy childhood summers come flooding back.

Latitude 53°31′48.19″N

Longitude 2°15′37.71″W

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Not sure why but……anyway, my method of travel everyday when I’m in Manchester. Just don’t get on without a ticket, a particularly memorable journey free from pointless mobile phone chat, kids swinging from the handrails and crying babies.  

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I found this message on my ansaphone, a wrong number of course. It’s quite sad but nevertheless this is my audio diary. I’ll clean it up one day and perhaps discover what they’re saying throughout, or maybe I won’t.

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Brighton : A quiet Sunday afternoon in the centre of the city.

Latitude 50°49′10.73″N  

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The 8.45 Manchester to London train, just how many times is it possible to say ‘this train’ in one announcement?

Latitude 53°28′36.93″N  Longitude 2°13′46.19″W 

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A cold, damp, Wednesday evening in Prestwich. Snow down south…I’ll be there for lunch tomorrow. So much noise outside most of it ignored until you listen…trams speed towards Manchester, thumping car stereos, damp tarmac.

Latitude 53°32′10.69″N 

Longitude 2°16′58.52″W   

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