Migration Sounds by Cities and Memory

Migration Sounds is the first ever global collection of the sounds of human migration, using sound to reframe and reimagine conversations around migration.

The project is the result of a year-long partnership between Cities and Memory and the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford.

Sound recordings telling the personal stories of migration from 51 countries have been recomposed and reimagined by artists from all over the world, taking these sounds to an entirely new place.

This album collects some of the highlights from the project - the field recordings upon which each composition is based are included as bonus tracks.

Migration Sounds features 120 sounds and stories of migration across 51 countries from Argentina to Australia, with personal stories from diaspora communities and people who have migrated all over the world, as well as sounds from migration camps or dramatic sea rescues.

The project is packed with remarkable sound recordings, and – crucially – each is accompanied by the story behind the sound and what it means to the person who recorded it.

Taking the sounds of migration to an entirely different place, each recording has also been reshaped and reimagined as a creative composition by more than 100 musicians and sound artists from all over the world.

Many of these artists are from migrant backgrounds themselves, and the compositions reflect new and highly personal perspectives on migration, settlement, home and exile, all conveyed through sound.

Artistic approaches used to reimagine the sounds of migration include the creation of entire lyric songs from the source material, electronica pieces, poetry, ambient music, sound art, neoclassical, spoken word and many more.

You can listen to all 120 recordings and compositions and find out more about the project at www.citiesandmemory.com/migration.

Tracklist

1.	Jaspal Singh Bhogal - My journey, my Ardas (London, England)	4:48

2.	Simon Holmes - Foam and flow (Hamilton, Canada)	5:31

3.	Kid Kin - Portland (Portland, USA)	3:26

4.	Laura Romero Valldecabres - Ocak (Ljubljana, Slovenia)	3:41

5.	Elissa Goodrich - Monarch butterflies' moonlight symphony (Zitacuaro, Mexico)	7:01

6.	Omar Alkilani - Nostalgia from the east (New Delhi, India)	6:12

7.	The Odyssey Ensemble - Threads across the sea (Mediterranean Sea)	5:14

8.	Andrii Shamanov - Migrant dub (Marrakech, Morocco)	4:25

9.	Alex Hehir - Al-wusool ila al-madina-al qadima (Nefta, Tunisia)	4:07

10.	Rhoald Earl & Emo - The South Sea narrows (Ljubljana, Slovenia)	7:38

11.	Amanda Stuart - Le loup et l'agneau (Cartagena, Colombia)	3:36

12.	Joseph Aquilina - Mindful of Malta (Victoria, Malta)	4:35

13.	Rob Knight - Nomadication (Villa del Conte, Italy)	6:18

14.	Cities & Memory - A space for Joseph (Mediterranean Sea)	5:42

15.	Arozian with Samantha Hannan - Like monsters (Eidomeni, Greece)	3:19

Credits

released September 16, 2024

Each composition and field recording is individually credited.

You can listen to all 120 recordings and compositions and find out more about the project at www.citiesandmemory.com/migration.

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