Pun Shui Ting and Tang Sin Chee Mid-Semester
Sound Walk
Our project intends to record a Soundwalk in Lei Yue Mun for documentation of Ma Wan Village and Old Lei Yu Mun Quarry. Lei Yue Mun and its nearby include a lot of ruin areas but have a historical value for the society — a model of a ‘fishing village in the city’.
We reference two approaches:
Sound Map is a Macro project. It is a digital geographical map that integrates landmarks and soundscapes. Soundscapes specific to each checkpoint of location such as Grande Valley Civil War Trail – Brazos Island.
Sound walk integrates walking and listening. It is a practice to notice the different sounds in an environment from a different perspective to learn about a location. For a documentary, we captured soundscapes of Lei Yue Mun in the specific time., invited two friends who have stories with this place and became a voice guide as a part of the recording. As listeners, we focus on how humans react during the scene changes, or the same place but at different times (afternoon and night).
Path:
Seafood Restaurant Street > The Walnut Shop > Jockey Club Lei Yue Mun Plus (Before – Hoi Bun School) > Lei Yue Mun Lighthouse (No.88 Beacon) > Ma Wan Village > Ma Pui Village, Lei Yue Mun Tin Hau Temple > Old Lei Yue Mun Quarry
Walk backwards: Ma Wan Village > Seafood Restaurant Street > The Walnut Shop > Friend’s grandparent home > Sam Ka Tsuen Ferry Pier > Ferry to Sai Wan Ho
Sound Events (participation) Happening in the Audio:
Sound | Guess | (Reality) Image |
Woman Voice, Passionate, Question, Close | Neighborhood greeting, selling stuff to others | Shop Owner, run by three sisters |
Woman Singing Voice with reverb & bright intermittent meow sound | Far away, Karaoke (out from mic), more than one cat | We can’t see her, should be from a house nearby by the rooftop of the school. The cats are on the opposite hill |
Constant Sweeping sound & Ring sound (one shot) & consecutive Ding sound | Sweeping floor, bicycle, metal trolley pass by | Ambience randomly happen in the seafood street |
Constant Children sound with context | A few children playing together, near the sea (wind and water) | Children suddenly come and play with sand next to the No.88 beacon (next to sea) |
Rough Stepping Sound | Walking on crushed stone | Nearby quarry, the rocks are big and rough |
Water Sound & Wind Sound | Very close to the sea (water) and wild wind | The wind and waves are touchable, very close |
‘Tung’ Sound | Something pass by and the sound is from the ground cover | Bicycle pass by and get back to the village |
Low-freq Motor Sound, People Chat, later with water splash sound | On boat | People leaving Lei Yue Mun and the sound is like singing |
Sound Analysis:
There are three types of sound.
- Nature: Repeat, texture changes, sometimes mild/ rough etc.
Elements could be found nearby a village close to the sea
- E.g. Water, Wind, Sand, Rocks
2. Random ambience: Unpredictable
Sound from incidents, sometimes would impact on objects
- E.g. Constant Sweeping sound & Ring sound (one shot) & consecutive Ding sound, ‘Tung’ Sound
3. Dialogues: Difference in direction
Livelihood: anywhere, usually not very close, people interact
History Narrative from friends: Close, same direction as the sound source and the recorder are going the same direction, maybe often come from the front