Field Recording

Field recording on vinyl: sounds from the real world

In short: Field recordings are recordings made outside the studio – nature, cities, people, machines. The tradition stretches from ethnographic recordings and the sound-effect records of the early stereo era to today’s sound art, which shapes music from such recordings. The Vinyl Room currently has 15 records featuring field recordings.

What is field recording?

The world as an instrument: from the fifties come records such as “Sounds Of Sebring 1958”, with racing cars on the track, and “Vintage Sports Cars In Stereo”. Hawaiian chant and hula are captured on “Hawaiian Chant, Hula, And Music”.

Curious and touching at the same time is the Thai Elephant Orchestra, in which elephants play instruments. Today artists such as Beatriz Ferreyra, C.W. Winter, Mark Leckey and Taavi Suisalu – with a piece for lawn mowers – shape new works from recordings.

What to look for

Many old sound-effect records came out as stereo demonstration records; label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Musique concrète · Electroacoustic · Ambient · Folk & world on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is a field recording? A recording of real sounds outside the studio – such as nature, cities, people or machines.

Is it music? Sometimes pure documentation, sometimes raw material for sound art – you’ll find both here.

What is the Thai Elephant Orchestra? A project in which elephants in Thailand play instruments.

Are there old recordings too? Yes – for example recordings of racing cars at Sebring from 1958.