The Inner Echo community releases their field recording community challenge project to take you around the world in 30 minutes

When I think of ambient record labels in the UK, Whitelabrecs is always the first community that pops into my head. They do some fantastic events that go way beyond releasing music. These range from in-person performances and creative workshops to introduce people to making ambient music and sound recordings. Inner Echo is the private community for fans, artists, and friends of the Whitelabrecs, Driftworks, Elm and Evergreen record labels. It’s a place to share music, discover new artists, discuss ideas, exchange recommendations, and take part in community challenges and projects.

For July, Inner Echo focused on field recordings from around the globe. Each contributor was invited to record 1-2 minutes of audio taken from a local environment and film the process. The result is a slow and uninterrupted journey between landscapes and locations. You’ll see and hear creeks, beaches, reservoirs, hills, forests, ponds, coastlines and urban spaces in their natural daily hum. There is even a Google map that plots all the locations visited and recorded during the community challenge. I love this project in particular because it acts like an audio travelogue. It moves swiftly, but without fanfare, and the different settings offer all kinds of accidental recordings. It also doesn’t sound so minimal or liminal that you could ignore it. You’ll hear dogs barking, metal railings clang, a distant buzzsaw, and some wind buffeting. It’s all sounds from a world lived in, not muted.

If you’re interested in Ambient music, field recordings, sound, creativity and thoughtful listening, you can join the Inner Echo community by visiting either the Whitelabrecs or Driftworks websites and signing up for their email list.

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