pushplayurbanism: Title / Les écoutis le CaireArtist / Gilles Aubry (b. 1973)Release / 2010Label / GruenrekorderProfession / Sound Artist, Musician SoundCity / CairoCountry / EGType / drone, filtration, horn, music, voice, alarm 1 Track 1 [29:15]2 Track 2 [23:30]  Les Écoutis Le Caire (The Listeners of Cairo) is defined by Aubry as a study of ‘indirect listening.’ The artist uses usually empty spaces—such as a bathroom, market hall, basilica, courtyard, refrigerator and parking house—to study the natural filtration of urban sound.  The album includes carefully cut-and-paste assemblages of field recordings.  Strategically placed field recordings at the beginning and end of the first track result in a ‘fade out’ effect while the second maintains a somewhat consistent volume.  The sonic variety emphasizes the degree to which Cairo, both internally and externally, is saturated in sound. The disordered blend of car horns, street music, voices, alarms, etc. is softened as a result of Aubry’s ‘indirect’ recording method, which creates a seemingly ‘processed’ album of indistinguishable sound origins. The CD itself is embellished with an untitled city plan and is accompanied by a fold-out poster, or ‘wordmap,’ by the Swiss artist Stéphane Montavon, who together with Aubry completed a residency in Cairo.  Three circular cut-outs on the CD cover seem to be a viewfinder, allowing one to discover new ‘wordmap’ combinations.  Lastfm, Discogs, Preview

pushplayurbanism:

Title / Les écoutis le Caire
Artist / Gilles Aubry (b. 1973)
Release / 2010
Label / Gruenrekorder
Profession / Sound Artist, Musician

Sound
City / Cairo
Country / EG
Type / drone, filtration, horn, music, voice, alarm

1 Track 1 [29:15]
2 Track 2 [23:30] 

Les Écoutis Le Caire (The Listeners of Cairo) is defined by Aubry as a study of ‘indirect listening.’ The artist uses usually empty spaces—such as a bathroom, market hall, basilica, courtyard, refrigerator and parking house—to study the natural filtration of urban sound.  The album includes carefully cut-and-paste assemblages of field recordings.  Strategically placed field recordings at the beginning and end of the first track result in a ‘fade out’ effect while the second maintains a somewhat consistent volume.  The sonic variety emphasizes the degree to which Cairo, both internally and externally, is saturated in sound. The disordered blend of car horns, street music, voices, alarms, etc. is softened as a result of Aubry’s ‘indirect’ recording method, which creates a seemingly ‘processed’ album of indistinguishable sound origins. The CD itself is embellished with an untitled city plan and is accompanied by a fold-out poster, or ‘wordmap,’ by the Swiss artist Stéphane Montavon, who together with Aubry completed a residency in Cairo.  Three circular cut-outs on the CD cover seem to be a viewfinder, allowing one to discover new ‘wordmap’ combinations. 

Lastfm, Discogs, Preview