Pittsburgh Field Recordings: Blvd of Allies and Wood Street 011313
January 27, 2013
I walk through this intersection each morning from the bus stop over to my office building. The pedestrian walk signs have an associated alarm sound. I'm not sure how to interpret the beeps. I would expect that the signal would beep when there was a green "walk" sign, but each signal seems to be beeping all the time. Although I'm confused whether or not to cross the street, this does create an interesting soundscape. Overlapping patterns change intensity with my position in the street.
I set out to record this on Sunday morning a few weeks ago. Here's the video and soundtrack.
It's possible that I'll manipulate the source recording, perhaps call it Field Recording with Unfolding Sonic Manipulations. That would fit with other pieces, like Impossibly Loud and Unbearably Silent (for singer, automobiles and the 16th street bridge) or Hurdy Gurdy and Freight Train (for Hurdy Gurdy, East Side Parking Lot and the Norfolk and Southern Railroad). Pieces where the landscape is a counterpoint for the composed bit. Part of the larger exploration of Pittsburgh sonic Psychogeography.
But for now, this is the sound of a street corner, with waker.