Chanting and children in Nyaung-U, Myanmar

We’re back in Myanmar today, courtesy of Tenali Hrenak’s excellent selection of field recordings from the country – today we can hear children playing and the sounds of chanting in Nyaung-U, transformed into a haunting new piece by Manja Ristic.

City version:

Manja Ristic writes of her reimagined version:

“Spatial sound imagination from the perspective of a child reciting Buddhist mantra was the starting point for my intuitive composing in developing this particular track.

“Opening with cello solo reflects innocent and infantile voice, then progressing in to many lively children voices from the original Myanmar field recording.

“The track is delivering dynamic, almost breathing, textural ambience extracted from dense frequencies produced with instruments and objects.

For example, an ambient is made out of a piano sequence placed in undefined reverberation, then I recorded my own breathing with contact mic getting pallet of tiny cracklings and micro-tonal noise.

“Other samples used are bowed ceramic vase and wind chimes also played by me. Cello solo is delivered by fantastic Serbian performer Ivana Grahovac.”

Memory version: