Migration Sounds is a collection of the sounds of human migration, in partnership with Oxford University’s Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS).
The database contains 120 sounds from 51 countries – and the personal stories behind them – and we (a group of sound artists) used sound to help reframe the conversation around human migration and present valuable new perspectives on the issue.
For each field recording you can listen to the original version and the one reimagined by the sound artist.
My personal contribution is “Natasha’s borscht”, in a sort of “Kitchen remix”, where I am imagining the kitchen as a universal meeting and sharing space, inspired by the intimate recording of Natasha and Maria.
Shared cooking is when distant worlds become close, when family trees and traditions remix and meet in front of a sink and a pan: recipes become a space for stories.
I decided to use only some relevant spoken exchanges, a lot of noises and textures of the cooking process, and Natasha’s contagious laughter.
I only used cut and paste, a lot of layering, panning, and a bit of reverb, to remix this kitchen story and immerse the listener into this space of possibilities.
Feel free to scroll through the database, be inspired by it, and reflect upon its theme!
Here an article on Wired Italia about the project for the Italian speakers.
The collection has also become an immersive installation at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.