The Sound of 2025
A slow weave of some of the past year’s Field Recordings, from a child playing in the snow to a brass band playing Christmas carols in the street.
Father and daughter build a snowman in the backyard, Copenhagen, Denmark on 2nd January 2025 – by Joyce de Badts
Cracking the ice underfoot over a frozen puddle, Low Bentham, North Yorkshire, UK in early January 2025 – by Charlotte Petts
Ice on Queen’s Park Pond, Glasgow, Scotland in January 2025 – by Katie Revell
“Recorded using a contact microphone at Queen’s Park pond on the Southside of Glasgow, during a cold snap in January. The pond had frozen over (which doesn’t happen often), and people were walking and skating on it. One person asked if I was measuring the thickness of the ice. I handed my headphones round a group of kids, and it was fun to watch their reactions to the sci-fi noises…”
Snow slowly melting from a bridge next to Ribblehead viaduct, North Yorkshire, UK in early January 2025 – by Charlotte Petts
Listening to the river flow as the snow melts into the water from the fields nearby, River Wenning, Bentham, North Yorkshire, UK in early January 2025 – by Charlotte Petts
Tawny Owls voicing the starry dark, the foot of Dartmoor, UK at 5am on 3rd January 2025 – by Kirsteen McNish
“I stood on the doorstep to look at the stars because of the ice bright visibility and heard them calling to each other.”
Primal scream atop Bernal Hill, San Francisco, USA on 20th January 2025 at 9am – by Kristina Loring
“A group of organizers had distributed flyers in our neighborhood for a timely cathartic moment atop the large mountain park that overlooks the city of San Francisco and the bay. It was organized to coincide with the swearing-in of the newest conservative American regime on Inauguration day. But one’s rage can’t be limited to whoever is in the presidential office. We scream for a litany of injustices—an endless list that cannot be exhausted here. Many rages filled my lungs that day and escaped my mouth in an inarticulate howl. Beneath the rage was a yearning for: Justice for Palestinians everywhere. Justice for trans folks everywhere. Justice for refugees everywhere.”
Dead leaves on a silver birch, Stanton Moor, Derbyshire, UK on 5th February 2025 – by Rose de Larrabeiti
“I took myself to Derbyshire for a few days in early February. I walked up to Stanton Moor with my dog Rosie (not named by me!) looking for a Bronze Age stone circle called the Nine Ladies. Nearby were silver birches with their dead brown leaves rustling in the wind.”
Babble of Ta Ta Creek spring, British Columbia, Canada in early February 2025 – by PJ Howe
“Here is a little recording of our local spring. We hiked through 2ft of snow in the -10 temps to the head of our local creek. Due to the deep cold we are in, the ice formations around the spring are spectacular. The quiet babble of the creek makes this such a special place.”
Geothermal mud pools in Rotorua, Aotearoa (New Zealand) on 8th February 2025 – by Will Coley
Woodpecker in back garden, south-east London, UK on 14th February 2025 – by Cesar Gimeno Lavin
“This morning I was delighted to find that, after quite a few months, this woodpecker has returned! Back to the very same tree. I love how the sound echoes around the garden.”
‘Silence’ in Doubtful Sound, Aotearoa (New Zealand) on 15th February 2025 – by Will Coley
Steam train arriving and then departing, Haworth, West Yorkshire, UK on 17th February 2025 – by Cesar Gimeno Lavin
Walking in the dry, squeaky-crunchy snow on Elm Street in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada on 22nd February 2025 – by Laura Nerenberg
“The snow was delightfully squeaky and I took every chance I could to stomp around…”
The last performance of the world’s largest pipe organ, Philadelphia, USA on 22nd March 2025 – by Alex Lewis
“Thousands of people gathered on Saturday, March 22nd at Macy’s in Philadelphia, PA to hear the last performances of the Wanamaker Organ – possibly the world’s largest pipe organ – as the department store marked its final weekend in business. This is an excerpt from the final recital by John Wanamaker Grand Court Organist Peter Richard Conte. My wife gave this piece the unofficial title: ‘an elegy for in-person shopping’.”
Squeaky frogs, Watcarrick, near Eskdalemuir, Scotland on 25th March 2025 – by Geoff McQueen
‘Hands Off’ March, New York, USA on Saturday 5th April 2025 – by Jon Moskowitz
Nightingales at Knepp, Sussex, UK in April 2025 – by Charlotte Petts
“…from my camp out at the Knepp estate last week – managed to creep up pretty close to a nightingale singing in the shrubby hedgerows. Absolutely gorgeous to fall asleep to them calling out to each other through the night.”
Cows in Los Lagos de Covadonga, Asturias, Spain in May 2025 – by Sarah Kramer and Nina Porzucki
Bells heard through a window, Vilnius, Lithuania in the morning on 26th May 2025 – by Eleanor McDowall
Creek bed, Lerderderg State Park on Wurundjeri Country, Australia in May 2025 – by Camilla Hannan
Bingo on a roasting Saturday evening in Derbyshire, June 2025 – by Andrew Conroy
‘Little Tibet’, Parco nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, Italy in June 2025 – by Cosmin Sandu
River through wood, Boise River, USA on 22nd June 2025 – by Ariana Martinez
“This tape was gathered in Boise, Idaho with a contact microphone affixed to a tree root partially submerged in the Boise River.”
Dawn chorus, Lopez Island, USA in 2025 – by Joe Harvey-Whyte
Primary night watch party after Zohran Mamdani’s win, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, New York on Wednesday 26th June 2025 – by Rachel Humphreys
Protest after the vote, Westminster, London, UK on 2nd July 2025 – by Eleanor McDowall
Ringing the peace bell, Hiroshima, Japan on 14th July 2025 – by Lisa Hack
Knossos Palace, Crete, Greece on 17th July 2025 at 11.30am – by Giles Stokoe
Pans protest outside Downing Street, London, UK at 6pm on 25th July 2025
“Hundreds gather outside Downing Street banging pots and pans as Israel’s blockade continues to cause the starvation of Palestinians in the Gaza strip. 120 people – 80 of them children – have been confirmed dead from famine as of 26th July. In the last 24 hours two babies have died from malnutrition. Nearly 1000 Palestinians have been shot to death by Israeli soldiers whilst queuing for food.”
Goats going home, Sabugueiro, Serra da Estrela, Portugal, late evening on 13th August 2025 – by Katherina Lindekens
Gongs, Glastonbury Tor, Somerset, UK on 21st August 2025 – by Barny Smith
Waves on a shingle beach, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK, late September 2025 – by Eleanor McDowall
New York Mayoral Election Results, Paul’s, Brooklyn, NY, USA on 4th November 2025 – by Brian Pester
Democratic Socialists of America election night party, Bushwick, NY as Hell Gate NYC livestream called the race at 9.44pm on 4th November 2025 – by Kalli Anderson
Inside a rainwater collection tank, London, UK on 10th November 2025 – by Cesar Gimeno Lavin
2 minutes silence from the rooftop of St Paul’s Cathedral, Rememberance Sunday at 11am, 2025 – by Joe Harvey-Whyte
Unknown instrument in the subway at two minutes to midnight, Metropolitan / Lorimer St station, New York, USA on 12th November – by Jonah Buchanan
“Descending the stairs, I was disappointed to see a two-digit number in the wait time for the train. the music started a couple minutes later. they had a pedal and an instrument i couldn’t identify. i wouldn’t say it was dreamy, and there’s not really a synonym i can find that captures it. maybe bewitching…”
UK farmers tractor protest on the day of the budget, Rupert Street, Soho, London, UK at 14.29 on 26th November 2025 – by Clare Lynch
“16th century Soho fields being ploughed in protest by 21st century musical tractors.”
Cows grazing in the fog, Cerro, on the Lessini Mountains, North of Verona, Italy in late November 2025 – by Davide Erbogasto
“…some cows were grazing in the field, regardless of the rain, fog or snow. Their bell kept me company through the week.”
Crystal Palace Band playing at the Crystal Palace Christmas Tree lights turn-on, London, UK on 29th November 2025 – by Alan Hall
First big snow of the season, Pittsburgh, USA on 2nd December 2025 – by Dennis Funk
“This first big snow was really dreamy. It started late in the night after I’d gone to bed, and had already stopped by morning. When I woke up there was the shock of a white, white world and a few inches on the ground. I got lost in the stillness of the day, and watched little heaps tumble from branches when a breeze rattled through.”
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