Brief synthesis, integrity, authenticity

"In this piece, the monk's chanting runs throughout, initially heavily processed by various layers of granular synthesis, and very gradually revealing itself as the composition progresses, so that by the end all we hear is the naked simplicity of the original recording.

"The composition represents how we often experience the beauty of World Heritage sites, at first overcome by a feeling of their "importance" at having this status bequeathed upon them, and that perhaps we ought to feel a certain way or experience certain emotions simply by virtue of being there. 

"The slow reveal of the monk's chanting represents the stripping away of the initial awe of experiencing some of the world's most amazing sights. Through spending more time in these spaces, engaging more deeply not as a tourist but simply as a respectful human being, those places have even more beauty to reveal to us than we could have imagined with a fleeting interaction, a quick photo and then heading off on our way, another sight ticked off the list."

Monk chanting at Luang Prabang reimagined by Cities and Memory.

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This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.

Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage