28 Songs for a City: Tokyo

28 days
28 locations
28 live improvisations with the city
28 earprints to mark the spot

Over 28 days I went to different locations in Tokyo to make audio recordings. I listened to the sounds around me and then sang back what I heard, improvising a small tune with the city.

In return for this sonic sample I left a token of my appreciation—a temporary imprint of my presence in the shape of an ear—maybe to be discovered by someone passing by, or just to be blown away by the wind, dissolved by rain or eaten by birds.

This was not an exercise in field recording, but rather a documentation of a performative exchange with the city, private acts in public places. Instead of being a silent witness in the recording, I placed myself in relation to the sonic environment—I sang with it, to it, against it. These samples were then manipulated, working with the narrative arc of the recording, to bring out the character of the site. No extra vocal material was added: through editing, filtering, effecting and overlaying, I hoped to draw out the songs of the city

In exhibition the 28 pieces were housed on iPods, with accompanying images and visitors chose between the tracks. Displayed next to the iPods were two handmade swatch books with photos of the earprints at each location.

28 Songs for a City: Tokyo was made during a 6 week residency at Tokyo Wondersite, Aoyama in partnership with Artspace Sydney and was exhibited
as part of
Diorama of a City: 
Between Site and Space at
Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, in September 2008.

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