*purchase the album at any price you’d like – half of the profit will be donated to Iracambi*

This album combines my interest for field recording and nature. A post made months ago around my stay in Brazil mentions Iracambi, the NGO where I stayed three weeks listening and recording how much I wanted in my own terms. Or spend the day reading in a hammock while dodging from all sorts of big noisy bugs; and hairy spiders.

Despite having done research, once there I kept feeling overwhelmed when I first walked through a patch of the Atlantic Forest in São Paulo. At first I thought I was in another planet as I never heard such insanely loud cicadas, and became increasingly surprised as I practiced contemplative listening. The variety of insects one cannot even locate, the super distinct call of the endangered araponga bird, the scary howler monkeys, and “things” we would hear rushing through the ground without us ever laying eyes on it.

What inspired me most about the crucial role of nature recordings, particularly in intricate environments like a rainforest, was the following Bernie Krause talk:

Being a field recordist and sound designer the ideia of listening to what can’t be seen took a new meaning.

I hiked for hours, embroiled myself in the dense foliage, got bitten (hundreds of times), feared my equipment to be stolen but the result has never been disappointing. I learned how people who live surrounded by nature might have a different connection then the ones inhabiting the town or cities and how I can learn from their perception.

in São Paulo I counted 100+ while editing…

A thanks to Robin, Marina, Matheus, Chester, Toni, Maria, Jackie, Alessandro, Arielle, Luís for hiking with me, listening to by recordings, endless conversations and support in many ways.

What’s next?

There is a whole lot more of audio to listen, map and identify the species on it. A data base is being created. If you are interested in contributing by going to record yourself at Iracambi, contact them here and let them know! Or if you simply want to know more, just drop a comment!

If you want to know the species recorded stay tuned to this blog as this is an ongoing project.

Happy rainforest field recording!