As some of you may know, I run a little tape label (which hasn't actually released any tapes yet) called Harmonic Articulation.

I'm a big fan of field recordings and 'natural sound', and i've been mulling over the idea of organising a series of tapes around a concept that captures this.

'Artists' from different parts of the world would go for a 30 minute walk carrying a microphone and some portable recording equipment, and all they would do is record the sounds around them continuously.Whilst they could zone in on particular sounds as they go if they wish, there is no compulsion to do so - the recording should just capture the 'natural ambiance' of the sounds around them.

Beyond the recording of the sounds, the walker would be requested to take photos along the way, record the time and route of the walk and so on. These would then be bundled together along with the tape release to provide a snapshot/documentation of the journey taken and a moment in time.

If enough people got involved I think it could be really interesting. The recordings can be of almost anything, and it requires no 'musical' background - so almost anyone can participate. The recordings could be of a rush hour commute in London; walking through a snow covered forest in Norway; a market bazaar in Marrakesh; crossing an isolated Australian desert; spending some time on the beach in California; a stroll through a rural french village; an evening in Tokyo... literally anything, no matter where you live. The sounds picked up would range from the chaotic city centre, to the quietest sounds of just the breeze or the rain.

When put together in a box set it would document the sounds of the world - providing an opportunity to travel without travelling. What seems mundane in one part of the world can be fascinating to someone in another part. It would capture different languages and sounds, some of which may have been experienced before and others which will be alien and new.

It would require the listener to actually *listen*, rather than just have sound wash over them as happens constantly in day to day life.

To me, this idea seems rather interesting.