Last July, RE:VIVE and seminal Rotterdam label, MORD Records teamed up for a new conceptual release that turned archival sounds of Rotterdam into a sonic map of the city’s history and iconic landscape. The release features 14 new tracks composed solely out of archival field recordings of Rotterdam from the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision’s sound archive. By limiting the artists in their sonic palate, the final 3xLP box-set cohesively captures elements that to any Rotterdamer, help define the city. The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest port perhaps being the biggest star on the record with its blaring ship horns and heavy machinery that blend perfectly with MORD’s signature cold techno sound. Coupled with the equally metallic and mechanic sounds from the Maastunnel, Sint Laurenskerk, gone by steam engines and the near absence of organic human sounds, create palate where humanity is derived from work; a quality any Dutch person will equate with those from Rotterdam.

Challenging each artist to work with a limited sonic palate pushed their creativity and sound design chops to the test. For some, it wasn’t enough material and for others it was an overwhelming sonic playground. With such limitations and carte blanche from RE:VIVE and MORD, all artists were invited to escape their comfort zone and let the sounds guide the way, allowing them to explore new styles and moods.

You can now also partake in the experiment and discover new sonic possibilities in your music you’ve never heard before. The same sample pack used by all 14 producers is available for download and free re-use here.

Check out all our free sample packs here.

All sounds are provided by the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision under a Creative Commons BY-SA license.

Image provided by the Nationaal Archief under a CC0 license