Electronic Sound Magazine Issue 79 Back Issue

The day you first discover you can capture sound for yourself is quite something.

A good number of us will have started on that journey in much the same way. A mono cassette recorder with a dinky microphone held up close to a television speaker and lots
of shushing of parents and siblings as we picked out the prime cuts on ‘Top Of The Pops’.

Being able to listen back to those tinny recordings at our leisure was a real revelation. The thrill of being able to record the sounds around us never seems to diminish. It’s such a quick and simple act, the technology affordable and portable, and the results are often magical.

We’re exploring the fine art of field recording in this month’s issue. We have a star-studded cast of sound recordist extraordinaires too, including Chris Watson and Simon Fisher Turner. Chris told us he was out in the woods at 2am on the morning we spoke to him. “There’s only me who can hear the world like that at that particular moment,” he said. “It’s a unique, intimate experience. But you can make a piece, and whether it’s a radio programme or a film soundtrack or, even better, a live performance or a presentation, you can then share the moment and put the listener in that place.”

So what else have we got for you? The new LoneLady record is irresistible, as is our interview with her. Richard Norris drops in for a chat about the three albums he’s releasing this month (yes, that’s right, three whole albums) and we meet up with Sunroof, aka Mute boss Daniel Miller and ace producer Gareth Jones. Oh, and you might need to sit down for this next bit, because we’ve let a guitarist in. It’s OK, though, because it’s the most excellent Will Sergeant from Echo & The Bunnymen, whose side hustles totally belong in our world.