AERIAL PHONOGRAPHY

2007-05-02T05:16:00.000Z

Here are pictures of people talking the aerial soundwalks at the enter festival
They followed part of the route taken by the balloon on the ground, experiencing the perspective from the sky.....

Cambridge sound walk

2007-04-24T13:54:00.000Z

Cambridge sound walk

This map and video will guide listeners through Cambridge city centre. Using the handset you will be able to follow the route taken by the balloon from the Enter_ domes on Parkers Piece to Jesus Green.

A higher res version of the film can also be downloaded here

The Landing

2007-04-21T19:56:00.000Z

for higher res download click here

ENTER_UNKNOWN TERRITORIES

2007-04-20T06:41:00.000Z

A short film excerpt of the flight will be presented as a 'sound walk' through Cambridge city centre. You will be able to follow the route taken by the balloon from Parkers Piece to Midsummers Common. This will feature as part of The Junction's art and technology festival ENTER_

SONY have kindly lent me two PSPs for the duration of the festival, they will be available for the public to pick up from the ENTER_ base camp on Parkers Piece. Using these handsets the listener will be directed along the balloon's original path, experiencing a birds' eye/ear view from the sky. These walks are also available from my podcast

ENTER_UNKNOWN TERRITORIES
International Conference & Festival for New Technology Art
25-29 April 2007, Cambridge (UK)

The Launch

2007-04-19T17:01:00.000Z

17th April 2007 at 630pm we launched from Impington, by the A14 and landed near Addenbrookes just off the A1307. Many thanks to Ben and his Dad from Wizard Balloons

photos: Colin Hilder

2007-04-18T09:09:00.000Z

test of launch footage video only

2007-04-17T21:27:00.000Z

The flight happened! spotted by Kirsten Lavers whilst at 2700 ft.......

2007-02-06T18:22:00.000Z

Project Outline

When you listen to the wind in the trees, it is not the wind you are hearing but the sound of the air moving against the leaves. The opposite is true for a hot air balloon: the balloon is carried by the wind, so when you are flying you do not hear or feel the wind. This is an ideal condition for sound recording, the intermittent burner blasts punctuating the silence will only increase your hearing range. I wish to capture the essence of this.

I will take flight in a hot air balloon over Cambridge and then Colchester. Flying above these landscapes I will be able to record the sounds moving up from the ground, creating a sonic map of the journey. A DV camera strapped onto the balloon will record the visual path. The first balloon flight will travel over Cambridge city centre in March and the second will fly over Colchester from the new Firstsite gallery in August.

Once recorded, the material will be turned into a 'sound walk', the listeners will follow the whole or parts of the route. They will be listening to the recording and watching the footage on a PMP (personal media player, hand-held media device e.g. Iriver or Archos). The listener will be directed along the balloon's original path, experiencing the birds' eye view from the sky. Depending on the nature of the recordings, the material can be edited and selected to suit different walks across the city, or the entire balloon journey. The sound will have priority over the image by using relatively small visuals and immersive headphonic sound. The visuals will appear like an aerial map, similar to ‘Google Earth’. These walks would also be available as an internet download or video podcast.

photos by Ben Pettitt

2007-02-03T11:57:00.000Z

Since yesterday the wind direction has changed, it would now take us along the A14. So we are back on standby.......

2007-02-01T16:21:00.000Z

We are now on standby for a flight over Cambridge at 3pm on Saturday 3rd February. Ben from Wizard Balloons is keeping an eye on the weather and if the wind is in the right direction we will fly right over the city......

2007-02-01T11:02:00.000Z

Working with Firstsite in Colchester, I hope to be making a flight from the grounds of their new gallery. The flight will take place sometime in August. I am talking with Tim from Anglian Countryside Balloons who is trying to get permission from The Civil Aviation Authority for us to launch from the centre of Colchester.

2006-09-28T11:29:00.003Z

Sounds from 589 feet up. A recording from a Cairn on top of Moelfre in Wales.