Human voices -- some in English, reflecting on the experience of riding the subway, others in a variety of other languages, layered over one another. Compelling sounds in vivid stereo, some identifiable (the flapping of a bird's wings), others ambiguous (the oars of a rowboat?). Droning music.
Radio listeners trained by the linear, informative fare that dominates public radio in the U.S. will struggle with this piece, lose patience, roll their eyes, punch the dial -- or, just maybe, will sit back and take the ride on a different sort of audio experience. And, almost certainly, will pay a different kind of attention on that next subway ride--or bus ride, or commute, or walk through the airport or even the mall. A nicely crafted piece of audio art.
The subway becomes the contemporary Tower of Babel in this amazing sound montage resonant of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, but at the same time far more diverse and yet ultimately highly focused and message-laden. Ms. Weber's amazing ear and audio editing and mixing ability bring a montage of international voices from people's descriptions of their feelings about riding the subway to an ultimate and moving conclusion as "intimate strangers" mix in a chaos theory mode to in the end finding themselves in the anonymity of the sea of humanity.
Comments for Subway of Mind
Produced by Judith Weber
Other pieces by Judith Weber
Rating Summary
2 comments
John Biewen
Posted on March 17, 2007 at 11:28 AM | Permalink
Review of Subway of Mind
Human voices -- some in English, reflecting on the experience of riding the subway, others in a variety of other languages, layered over one another. Compelling sounds in vivid stereo, some identifiable (the flapping of a bird's wings), others ambiguous (the oars of a rowboat?). Droning music.
Radio listeners trained by the linear, informative fare that dominates public radio in the U.S. will struggle with this piece, lose patience, roll their eyes, punch the dial -- or, just maybe, will sit back and take the ride on a different sort of audio experience. And, almost certainly, will pay a different kind of attention on that next subway ride--or bus ride, or commute, or walk through the airport or even the mall. A nicely crafted piece of audio art.
Alan Adelson
Posted on April 21, 2009 at 12:40 AM | Permalink
Wim Wenders, make way for Judith Weber
The subway becomes the contemporary Tower of Babel in this amazing sound montage resonant of Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, but at the same time far more diverse and yet ultimately highly focused and message-laden. Ms. Weber's amazing ear and audio editing and mixing ability bring a montage of international voices from people's descriptions of their feelings about riding the subway to an ultimate and moving conclusion as "intimate strangers" mix in a chaos theory mode to in the end finding themselves in the anonymity of the sea of humanity.