Northern Beaches Soundscapes
A series of five Soundscapes inspired by locations on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. The tracks include 'found sounds' and field recordings taken around Narrabeen Lagoon, Turimetta Beach, Warriewood Wetlands and Ingleside Reserve.The soundscapes can be accessed here directly via the Soundcloud player below or via scanning QR codes placed along the walking / running / cycling / mountain bike tracks in the area.
Click and play while you enjoy the natural environment.
Click and play while you enjoy the natural environment.
Facilitated by a Northern Beaches Council Arts Grant 2021 [no.02341]
In early 2020 and with Covid lockdowns and working from home becoming the norm I started daily exploring my immediate local environment. The walks are typically 5km or longer and I always include some vertical elevation for a better cardio workout. The Bush trail typically has over 150m of elevation. I realised that though I’ve lived in the Northern Beaches for 20 years I hadn’t properly explored the wealth of the natural environment. Just within the area between Narrabeen and Mona Vale alone there are Beaches, Lagoons, Wetlands, natural Bushland and Waterfalls. For me walking and hiking is the best way to experience the environment and I found that the benefits were both physical and mental.
These Soundscapes are inspired by the walks I regularly make at these five locations and include sounds of the natural and man-made environment recorded on the trails, including various birds, insects, marsupials, passing people and even local road works (as heard at the end of the ‘Bush’ Soundscape where the man-made environment abruptly cuts into the natural bush).
Recording:
The field recordings are processed by various electronic devices and the musical soundscapes were developed around them. The tracks are generally melodic in nature to hopefully appeal to a wider audience and provide an interesting soundscape to accompany the views and environment. Track 5 ‘Waterfall’ moves into more experimental territory more in common with the style I normally compose and perform.
Equipment used includes a Eurorack Modular Synthesiser, an Elektron Digitone Keys, Mutable Instruments Ambika Poly Synthesiser, Tasty Chips GR-1 Granular Synthersiser. Recording and arrangement in Ablelton Live on a laptop.
Aboriginal history of the area:
The Garigal or Caregal people lived in the areas where these Soundscapes were made. They lived in family groups and moved around the area. The coast provided an abundant food supply. Fish and seafood was the staple diet.
Men and women were highly skilled at fishing, both from the shore and from canoes using spears, lines with shell or bone hooks, and nets, with chewed shellfish for bait. Often a small fire was kept alight in the canoe and the catch cooked on board. Other food sources were birds, reptiles, marsupials, roots, fruits, berries and nuts.
European settlement in 1788 brought disaster for the Aboriginal people. Between 1789 and 1790 many died of diseases, to which they had no immunity.
Most of those who survived moved away from the coast as Europeans occupied their territory competing for food and land. (info via Northern Beaches Council)
About Allinaire:
More details and maps below.
Background:
In early 2020 and with Covid lockdowns and working from home becoming the norm I started daily exploring my immediate local environment. The walks are typically 5km or longer and I always include some vertical elevation for a better cardio workout. The Bush trail typically has over 150m of elevation. I realised that though I’ve lived in the Northern Beaches for 20 years I hadn’t properly explored the wealth of the natural environment. Just within the area between Narrabeen and Mona Vale alone there are Beaches, Lagoons, Wetlands, natural Bushland and Waterfalls. For me walking and hiking is the best way to experience the environment and I found that the benefits were both physical and mental.
These Soundscapes are inspired by the walks I regularly make at these five locations and include sounds of the natural and man-made environment recorded on the trails, including various birds, insects, marsupials, passing people and even local road works (as heard at the end of the ‘Bush’ Soundscape where the man-made environment abruptly cuts into the natural bush).
Recording:
The field recordings are processed by various electronic devices and the musical soundscapes were developed around them. The tracks are generally melodic in nature to hopefully appeal to a wider audience and provide an interesting soundscape to accompany the views and environment. Track 5 ‘Waterfall’ moves into more experimental territory more in common with the style I normally compose and perform.
Equipment used includes a Eurorack Modular Synthesiser, an Elektron Digitone Keys, Mutable Instruments Ambika Poly Synthesiser, Tasty Chips GR-1 Granular Synthersiser. Recording and arrangement in Ablelton Live on a laptop.
Aboriginal history of the area:
The Garigal or Caregal people lived in the areas where these Soundscapes were made. They lived in family groups and moved around the area. The coast provided an abundant food supply. Fish and seafood was the staple diet.
Men and women were highly skilled at fishing, both from the shore and from canoes using spears, lines with shell or bone hooks, and nets, with chewed shellfish for bait. Often a small fire was kept alight in the canoe and the catch cooked on board. Other food sources were birds, reptiles, marsupials, roots, fruits, berries and nuts.
European settlement in 1788 brought disaster for the Aboriginal people. Between 1789 and 1790 many died of diseases, to which they had no immunity.
Most of those who survived moved away from the coast as Europeans occupied their territory competing for food and land. (info via Northern Beaches Council)
About Allinaire:
Paul Allinaire is a Northern Beaches based musician and performer who makes electronic music and video using Monome, Max, Eurorack, Serge, Buchla & LZX modular synthesisers. He also uses field recordings, ‘found sounds’ and repurposed instruments processing them and working with both ‘musical’ and abstract sounds and rhythms.
Many Thanks to Northern Beaches Council and its officers for awarding me a 2021 Arts Grant which has allowed this work to be produced.
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