Field Recording

Field recording is a genre that began in the early 20th century, mainly through the efforts of adventurous ethnomusicologists looking to capture the soundscapes of remote locations, which sounds more interesting than it is if you're just sitting in your garden whispering to the birds. Essentially, it involves recording environmental sounds, often layered in a way that makes you feel as if you’ve been plopped into the middle of a lively, if slightly disjointed, audio collage. Though some say it's great for meditation, others might argue it's simply an excuse to justify listening to a rainstorm for an hour; either way, it’s found a niche amongst those who fancy themselves as sound connoisseurs.