Introduction
The artist who inspired this project is Hildegard Westerkamp, particularly through her work A Walk Through The City. In this piece, she recorded the seaplanes around Vancouver, capturing the essence of daily life in the city. By utilizing the authentic soundscape of Vancouver and treating it as a sonic object, she created an enchanting psychedelic symphony that intertwines with the environment. Westerkamp’s project encouraged me to explore and document diverse sounds within the bustling urban landscape. Her work highlights the intricate relationship between sound and environment, which aligns perfectly with my objective of immersing the listener in a chaotic yet captivating auditory experience.
Drawing inspiration from Westerkamp’s approach, my project will also focus on the city, capturing authentic and everyday sounds that surround us. The narrative begins by portraying the intense stress experienced by a university student during the final semester. I aim to amplify the feelings of overwhelm and panic that arise at this time, expressing sensations of disorientation and hallucination through sound. Consequently, the story follows a student ensnared in a cycle of frustration while attempting to complete an assignment. He ultimately decides to step away from his computer to clear his mind. He traverses a bustling street, passes by a shopping mall, and finally enters another shopping complex and MTR station. Throughout this journey, the chaotic sounds of the city begin to merge, reflecting a surreal auditory experience that mirrors his mental state.
Recording
To capture this sound landscape, I utilized an H3-VR microphone mounted on a tripod to capture a surround sound of the cityscape throughout the recording.
Mixing and Panning
In the post-production, I used Reaper for mixing and Panning, focusing on creating a cohesive and immersive audio experience. I used EQ to eliminate unwanted high and low-frequency noise to enhance the key sound. I also added Reverb to create a dreamlike quality by adjusting the wet-dry mix and delaying some parts of the sound, filtering the high frequencies, and softening the overall sound. Moreover, I also manipulated the speed, layering, and echos of the sound in the last part of the whole audio which is the sounds recorded in the shopping mall and subway to reflect the auditory hallucinations. I also applied panning to enhance spatial awareness and create a three-dimensional auditory space to feel the movement alongside the student, capturing the intricate interplay between reality and the student’s mental state.