Observatory Station: Field Recording featured at Barbican

One of my field recordings has been selected by artist Miyu Hosoi for Observatory Station; a new sound installation that will travel the globe over the next five years.

Created with the help of Cities and Memory, Hosoi's Observatory Station opens at the multi-sensory Feel the Sound exhibition at the Barbican, London, before moving on to Japan later this year.

Miyu Hosoi writes that: “Observatory Station is an evolving archive of field recordings that explores how sound connects people, places, and time. Each sound used in the work includes metadata such as the location and recorded time, which are essential to how the piece invites listeners to imagine the world through listening.”

The recording I submitted was made at 11:35am on the 28th August 2024, and was recorded on location in the village of Holbrook, Suffolk UK. 

Alongside the recording I submitted the following information:

“Home to both the village hall and quoits club, the Holbrook village green sits almost slap bang in the centre of the village. With the COOP supermarket, Methodist Hall, Swan public house and an independent butcher all nearby, this area of the village is the central hub of village life. 

What interests me sonically about the present day village green is its flagpole, upon which the union flag is raised and lowered daily (like many other villages across the country). Even the gentlest breath of wind can cause the rope to clang and vibrate against the hollow metal pole. 

On a breezy day in August 2024, I set up my recording equipment in the late morning and sat back to listen. There was a palpable hum of activity as people came to run errands or shop. And, as always, a pigeon could be heard cooing away.

Whilst I was recording, the sound of the dustbin lorry approaching could be heard. This sound is one of the regular sounds of any community, and the hissing and clanking of the heavy lorry can often jar your focus from whatever task you are currently doing, to run out and check that your bin is ready for collection (as missing it would mean a lengthy period of time until they would return).

I love the sounds of a bin collection: the hissing of air brakes, pneumatic lifting, the drones of an emptied wheelie bin wheels on concrete, the slamming of lids and occasional shouts from the workers, and (if you are lucky) the beeping warning sound of the vehicle reversing.”

I am hoping to visit the Barbican to see if I can hear my recording, and am interested to hear what others have submitted. It is wonderful to think that some of the sounds of Holbrook will travel the globe, and I wonder what listeners will make of the recording.

Observatory Station can be found at the entrance of the Barbican Centre in London between 22nd May to Sun 31st Aug 2025 as part of Feel the Sound.