found soundS
December 2014 – Found Sounds is a project that began with a simple question: What if we could amplify the experience of discovering a new place quite literally by connecting geography to one of our most important senses—sound?
THE BACKSTORY
It's an idea that I was naturally drawn to because of my background in music. And after getting a tip from Aaron Koblin, then director of Google's Data Arts team, to check out inspiring Ted Talk on location-aware music, I was determined to find out for myself.
For the uninitiated, sound maps are digital geographical maps that emphasize the sonic representation of a specific location by associating its landmarks (streets in a city, train stations, businesses, pathways, beaches, oil pumps, etc.) with soundscapes. People have approached these projects with academic, cultural, and social purposes in mind, with a common theme of making us more aware of how sound affects our environment and consciousness.
To develop this idea further, I enlisted the help of the creative team at Yours Truly and DJ/producer Giraffage. Together we set out to create a new storytelling vehicle with musicians at the helm. In each episode, a musician travels to a favorite city around the globe to soak up its sights, stories, and most importantly, sounds, as inspiration and raw material for brand new songs that inspire us to take a second look—and listen—to our surroundings.
SERIES PILOT & INTERACTIVE MAP
The locations Giraffage visited and sampled for his Found Sounds track can be found on the map below. Click on the headphones for Olvera Street, Eighty Two Arcade and Venice Skate Park to hear some of the sounds he use to build his unique Los Angeles soundscape.
Google Maps play a utility role that makes travel experiences more magical. By working with inspiring figures with real reach, Found Sounds re-frames the valuable role Maps plays in the creation of culture (new songs) that spring from the seeds of culture itself (geography), and lives on like great stories do.