Sounds from my Archive - #2
The peaceful natural soundscape of the Calanques de Figuerolles
Sounds from my Archive is a series in which I’ll be selecting a recording from my archive and sharing with you the tale of its coming into being…
Here I lay down to listen to the rolling waves
Lapping against the ancient cliffs
Small wrens echo in the valley
Recording of the soothing waves of the Mediterranean Sea made at the Calanques de Figuerolles - a beautiful cove located just off the coast of the town of La Ciotat, Provence.
The word calanque (from the Provençal calanco) refers to a valley dug by a river, then recovered by the sea. The Calanques National Park stretches 20km across the Southern coast of France and comprises of 5,000 hectares of majestic marine and terrestrial landscape. The Calanques de Figuerolles is a peaceful pebbly cove, looking out on the Mediterranean Sea to the West of the coastal town of La Ciotat.
Le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt
The world belongs to those who rise early.
Since adopting the practice of field recording as a mode de vie, my perception, interaction and integration with my surroundings have become influenced, it seems almost unconsciously, by this craft. My objective has a beautiful simplicity — seeking to observe and record nature in its natural state. The Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote:
The path to finding and experiencing this reality as a sound recordist, one that is free from the hums, drums and drones of our Anthropocene age — this, it turns out, is one of the greatest challenges that constantly remind us of the limitations that threaten the preservation of quiet, constructing a barrier surpressing our kinship with Nature.
Anyone practicing field recording knows well the great many measures to be considered when seeking purity in environmental sound - both from a technical and technological perspective.
If you haven’t discovered his work already, George Vlad creates comprehensive, insightful content discussing his field recording practice, philosophy and field trips. Well worth checking out his YouTube channel too!
For this recording, I had to wake up pre-dawn, which I’ve been getting used to. Except on schooldays. I had packed my kit the night before (essential field recording tip #1), ready to drive down and park up in the town of La Ciotat. I had a steady trek along the coast, stopping at a few pre-empted locations to record before discovering the Calanques de Figuerolles for the first time. I arrived just as dawn had broken. A crisp sea breeze welcomed me - caffeine for my preparations. Microphones in place, I knew that it wouldn’t be long before other humans would be joining me to revel in the secluded serenity…
Perched on a small rock, tucked between the rising cliffs and the water, I picked a spot where I could hear the sounds of the sea swirling and sloshing all around me. I have come to appreciate deeply the many layered frequencies of moving water — soft consonants spoken by the rumbling roars and the trickling tide… accompanied here by the sweet morning song of the troglodyte mignon (Eurasian wren) echoing in the ancient valley.
Hypnotic and assuring.
Listen long enough and it’s almost as though you hear a voice…
They have heard its voice and listened to it, and the river has become holy to them, as it has to me. "Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?"
Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha
EARTH.FM 🌍
https://earth.fm/recordings/calanques-de-figuerolles/
This recording can be found amongst the earth.fm archive - a completely free streaming service of 700+ nature sounds from around the world, offering natural soundscapes and guided meditations for people who wish to listen to nature, relax, and become more connected.
Check out their recordings of nature ambiences from sound recordists and artists spanning the globe, including some contributions of my own. Also check out their curated playlists of immersive soundscapes and their wonderful Wind Is the Original Radio podcast.
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