A traditional letter pressing shop imbuing exquisite detail onto Carolina paperworks.
Elements of this soundscape include the master printer adjusting his machines, letterpresses, pneumatics, whirring flywheels, and a power attenuator.
The NC bomb factory, a massive 76-acre historic industrial site that produced Model Ts to missiles.
Elements of this soundscape include still open factory floor, industrial fans, creaking pipes, nesting birds, wind in tall grass, dragonflies, and distant urban traffic.
Igniting imaginations and inspiring engagement with the natural world through the exploration and rehabilitation of birds of prey.
Elements of this soundscape include a sprawling forest, common tree birds, all manners of insects, the very distant hum of civilization, and wide array of magnificent raptors.
Floating delicately in the vast blue, a colorful array of balloons cast playful shadows on festival goers below.
Elements of this soundscape include balloon flight preparation, burners, fans, generators, low-altitude flight, ground crews, patrons, and festival announcers.
In the cool mountain air of Autumn, amidst serpentine rows of fruit trees, windy boughs bend and apples fall.
Elements of this soundscape include rustling trees, dropping apples, a light passing storm with wind and rain, a tractor, patrons, and respite under a makeshift orchard shelter.
Truly a sound to behold, the bellowing and breathing of the fair is an interwoven tapestry of NC's sonic identity.
Elements of this soundscape include throngs of fair-goers, the bleeps and bloops of games and stalls, hawkers, rides, agricultural shows, craftwork, and plenty of food being prepared.
Across the seasons, ever-changing foliage and fauna remind us of the cyclical cadence of life and how though a year passes slowly, the environment revolves in mutual continuity.
Elements of this soundscape include a four-season perspective from inside the garden, with fountains, birds, insects, and light breezes through the plant life.
A woodland celebration of show, food, costume, and imagination, with 'Huzzah!'s heard for miles around.
Elements of this soundscape include performers, musicians, shopkeepers, games, a blacksmith, a royal joust, and some very happy patrons.
A steep climb to a soaring vista, stone, tree, squirrel, and hawk all compose a ridgeline chorus that welcomes and invigorates all.
Elements of this soundscape include a mountain-side wind, scattering leaves, rustling branches, distant hikers, distant vehicles, birds, insects, and an airy expanse.
The straight expanse of field and tarmac is endlessly lapped by the thunderous roar of jet engines as they begin and end their journeys.
Elements of this soundscape include night transitioning into day with a heavy breeze, a wide range of jets departing and arriving, fidgeting on-lookers, stirring grass, and the pulsing hum of distant airport terminals.
Situated in the serene rural hillsides of NC, a prehistoric archeological site echoes with powerful indigenous cultural roots.
Elements of this soundscape include high wind through an enclave of pines and deciduous, birds, insects, a nearby creek, some interesting frogs and toads, and the whistling of wind through an open thatched roof.
Sandy woodland paths wind through towering, slender longleaf pines host a unique mix of forest flora and fauna.
Elements of this soundscape include a gentle bog rivulet, light winds through a forest of tall southern pines, squirrels, birds, tufts of grass, and the distant hum of a nearby active military base.
A historic refuge and hideaway naturally rendered from the mossy rock face sitting quietly a river's edge.
Elements of this soundscape include the ambiance from within and emerging out of the cave, dripping water, a rushing river, a very light breeze, some very vocal birds, and the occasional rustling of leaves.
Tearing across the Foothills Trail on the NC/SC border, mist-strewn rocky hillsides are abundant with life thanks to cascades of falling water.
Elements of this soundscape include a steady mountain stream up close, standing on an island boulder amidst a roaring river, and a monstrous crashing waterfall, smattered with the occasional bird song and swaying forest foliage.
At the end of a trail through a riverside ravine in Pisgah National Forest, is the adventurer's reward in sound, sight, and possibly a quick shower.
Elements of this soundscape include the intense rush and splatter of an enclave waterfall across smooth stone, a river head just beyond the falling water, some light bird songs, and falling forest foliage.
In the rolling northern piedmont, its massive gentle slope stands out against the surrounding green and makes for a unique mountain ambiance ... plus a distant cicada swarm.
Elements of this soundscape include wind rushing through high deciduous foliage, woodpeckers and squirrels chattering in the treetops, the occasional drops and ticks of falling forest fodder, and the swell and fade of the distant brood swarm of hundreds of thousands of cicadas.
Outdoor-enthusiasts abound, a constant jovial and adventurous attitude surges throughout the bike trails, zip lines, climbing walls, and of course, kayaks, rafts, and river bugs ride the roaring rapids.
Elements of this soundscape include churning, tumbling water rapids, plunging climbers into a pool, zip liners, cheers and shouts of patrons, dogs, and the distant hum of the central water generators.
Deep in the Midland woodland along the Little Meadow River, sits a historic forest mine that supplied the area with successive gold discoveries for over 100 years.
Elements of this soundscape include the still air filling the mine, trickling drips of water permeating the rock and support beams, sounds of the forest above echoing lightly through an open shaft, and the water-powered antique mechinations of a barn-sized reconstructed stamping mill.
Reed Gold Mine | Cameron Clark
Smack dab in the middle of the city of Greensboro sits a historic train station which has been a key stop in the North Carolina transportation circuits for nearly 100 years.
Elements of this soundscape include boomy echoes in the high-domed waiting lobby, light footsteps, activity, and chatter of patrons, cycling generator of the cooling system, the open air on the train platform, and the whistles and locomotion of an approaching and arriving train.
In the south central piedmont sits one of the 4 massive national forests of the state, one which is overflowing with endless hiking paths to allow anyone and everyone to get comfortably lost in the wilds.
Elements of this soundscape include distant passerines and raptors throughout the forest, high breezes blowing through the treetops, the sparse buzz and tick of insects, and the occasional falling of acorns, leaves, or twigs onto the forest floor.
Great coffee is the product of masterful farmers and dedicated roasters, but incredible coffee is a made by relationships, exceptional focus, and creativity.
Elements of this soundscape include the churning and whirring of roasters, sorters, and vacuum air systems, the dumping and gathering of buckets of beans, the filling and sealing of coffee pouches, and the energetic chatter and banter of the B&W Coffee Team.
Nestled just outside of Greensboro is one of the most storied and preserved structures in the state, and it continues to grind grains, each and every day, in a legacy of endlessly provisioning the community.
Elements of this soundscape include a grinder in the attic, granules channeling down a grain chute, a vigorous oscillating sifter, a powerful but slowly turning stone grinding wheel, and an enormous ever-creaky waterwheel powered by the slow rush of a piped water trough.
In the North-central-eastern region of the state the stands a monolith in the avian sanctuary arena, perched in the calm countryside where over 2000 birds thrive in a glorious and cacophonous symphony of songs and brilliant feathers.
Elements of this soundscape include the squawks, caws, chirps, croaks, trills, hoots, cries, and tweets of birds from all of the planet, flaps and swooshes of dynamic wings, and the rise and fall of communal calling that ripples through the park.
In the misty altitudes of Blowing Rock a community gathers to celebrate the equestrian arts, friendly competition, and the legacy of a NC tradition.
Elements of this soundscape include horse and rider pass-bys, horse snorts and nickers, jumps, fence knocks, a fall, announcers, signaling tones, spots of ground transportation, light crowd applause and banter, and a steady breeze with occasional rain.
Roaring and smashing, churning and grinding, digging and hauling, the powerhouse that is granite retrieval creates a deep reverberant swell of industrial perfection.
Elements of this soundscape include large scale rock crushers, drills, chisels, saws, bulldozers, cranes, and grinding apparatus, all woven along paths and byways nestled throughout a deep granite cistern.
Along the curve of the pinnacle mountain trail, hawks circle, cicadas fade in and out, and the quiet mountain air hangs just above the sweeping forests and hillsides below.
Elements of this soundscape include insect chirring, occasional cicadas, a light breeze, and moments of bird twitters and squawks against a backdrop of distant humans mulling about in the valley below.
Searing through the blue skies, the raw, unfiltered power of a fleet of jets, helicopters, prop planes, and even a rocket-powered fire engine will quite literally shake you to your core.
Elements of this soundscape include high-powered jet turbines, propeller-driven engines, infantry and attack helicopters, speedy mini jets, and full impact simulated attack bombings.
Situated around the renowned Seagrove potters territory, Michael Mahan masterfully manipulates mounds of clay into delightfully functional works of unique kiln-fired art.
Elements of this soundscape include manual kick and motor-driven potter's wheels, clay mixing and shaping, wetting and forming the clay, the adding and removal of drying shelves, and a wood-fired kiln.
A deep complex of 12 individual mines in the Eastern peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, the open Bon Ami Mine guides a waterfall driven stream straight into a cavernous subterranean grotto.
Elements of this soundscape include the constant splatter of a cavernous waterfall, scree, creaks, and groans within the mine opening, and the large resonance of the heavy stone and acoustic space.
The highest peak East of the Mason-Dixon, this balsam-blanketed monolith is invigorating to inhale, spectacular to behold, and within its windy, moss-covered forests, deeply centering to harken.
Elements of this soundscape include tall, dry balsams clattering in high winds, sparse calls and chatterings of mountain birds, and a calm, thin, and broad atmosphere of a high-altitude forest.
Tucked away in a neighborhood forest of Hillsborough, is a historic dirt track used for independent stock car races going all the way back to the beginning of NASCAR.
Elements of this soundscape include blustery winds in a forest biome, a large central open space, a highly reflective concrete grandstand, various birds, guests with children walking the loop, and evocative distance traffic.
Take away the large crowds, announcers, and music and you get the focused, rich, and lively ambiance of terribly powerful cars screaming down a historic arrow-straight 1/4 mile run.
Elements of this soundscape include monstrously powerful street drag vehicles on a wide open 1/4 mile strip, empty but highly reverberant aluminum and concrete grandstands, track preparation vehicles (tractor rotator) and operations, team crews and support staff cheers, and a solitary sounding flagpole.
Abandoned long ago for its original purpose, this visual monolith on the Deep River has taken on an incredible new life as a crossroads of living history and living art.
Elements of this soundscape include the spraying and tagging of a graffiti artist, a large brick and cement room tone, a rushing river below, and occasional nearby traffic.
Within the minor league circuit, players and fans alike converge in a celebration of baseball, playful ballpark antics, and an emblematic soundscape of summertime.
Elements of this soundscape include and energetic announcer, digital organist, ball players, hits, catches, players warming up, and quite lively and dynamic fanfare.
A monument that has stood on a hilltop, gazing over a wide corridor of sandy plains for nearly 100 years, the granite perch gives the eyes and ears a tremendous perspective over the encircling Outer Banks.
Elements of this soundscape include whipping wind gusts, the starting, take-off, and flight of a biplane, light distant insect chirring, and the clicks and clatter of guests' footsteps on pristine granite.
In a vast sandy expanse between the ocean and sound, the surrounding world quietens amongst the largest sand dunes of the Eastern seaboard.
Elements of this soundscape include sand skittering across the dunes, coastal insects and birds, distant kite fliers and visitors, and an approaching storm.
A unique topographical entity, these coastal forests boast an array of special flora and fauna in a teeming landscape between sea and sound.
Elements of this soundscape include coastal birds, water and forest insect chirring, amphibious chirps and croaks, distant traffic off the sound, and even a passing snake.
Tucked away high up in the Western Appalachians, this rarefied mountain apiary cultivates some of the most incredible honey in the country.
Elements of this soundscape include the glorious droning hum of a honey bee swarm, solo bee fly-bys, cricket springing past, mountain bird calls, and light wind and leaf rustle from the surrounding forest.
High atop a crested expanse of stone and forest is a historic crossing that creaks and groans in spectacular fashion.
Elements of this soundscape include the flux of 10s of thousands of pieces of weathered metal, the stir of the alpine forest below it, and the laughter and occasional shriek of visiting patrons.
At the state's edge sits a secluded and decrepit and beloved Appalachian Trail shelter that sports the calm of the forest behind it, and the vista of the valley to its fore.
Elements of this soundscape include the sporadic gusts of wind blown surging through the old timbers, insects and birds abound, passing hikers, and a woodland critter or two.
Twenty-five miles from anything there are flowing and sprawling wilds, inviting and enticing as you enter, bringing you to center as you arrive.
Elements of this soundscape include the circular subdued roar of a creek/river confluence, the interwoven chirr of nearby cicadas, calls of twilight passerines, and the sumptuous exhale of deep nature.
Drawing visitors up to nearly 30 feet above the water and 880 feet out into the ocean, the wind and waves conjure a rarely enjoyed serene abode.
Elements of this soundscape include gusty coastal wind, flapping ropes and covers, water splashing against the pier base, distant waves crashing on the shoreline, those same waves upclose from underneath the pier, and the occassional call of the local petrels.
The chaos of Mother Nature is on full display as her commonlly melodic song transforms into a bellowing howl accompanied by a calescent cry.
Elements of this soundscape include powerful and relentless wind, a constant barrage of waves from an ocean on the approach, sheets of rain, dripping run-off from roofs and decks, and the sporadic flexing and groaning of nearby beach homes.
Perched upon the crest of its renovated home on the edge of the historic town of Cliffside, a brilliant structure of time continues to move history forward.
Elements of this soundscape include the consistent click and ping of the wishbone pallet on the escape wheel, the releaes of the main spring and wheel, the ringing of the bells, and the occassional call of birds reverberating through the stone and timber belltower.
RR Haynes Memorial Clock Tower | Philip White
Seemingly pulled from the pages of a mythical fable is a deep, dark underpass in the forest that humbles the senses and floods the mind with curiousity.
Elements of this soundscape include howling and droning wind through the tunnel, hikers and trekkers passing through, the drip of water, the rustle of grit and leaves, and the chirp of a few resident birds.
On one of the largest man-made lakes in the state, the wildlife, waters, shorelines, boaters, and visiting patrons all converge in this serene yet quite active park.
Elements of this soundscape include lapping lakeshores, pattering rain fall, near and distant boaters, lake wildlife including blue herons, fishing-folk, and surrounding neighborhood ongoings.
As a rising crop and industry across the state, these groves create a unique minicosm of agricultural performance and environmental excellence'.
Elements of this soundscape include the wind whirling through 20+ ft tall bamboo canes, the scurry and calls of wildlife, the clatter, crack, and crash of canes being felled, and the use of cutting tools, trucks, and other distant harvesting equipment.
Bamboo Groves | Everest Holmes
Private and secluded, hidden amongst the mountain ridgelines is a geoplogical feature that exists nowhere else in North America, and possibly even the entire planet.
Elements of this soundscape include the quiet hollow cathedral, flowing reverberant traces of the mountain wildlife outside the cave, and the tranquil drip and splat of draining rivulets from the mountain floor above.
Bat Cave Preserve | Brian Parr
Awash with the faunal and floral sounds of both water and land, this wetland park is immersed in the continuous hum of wildlife and is traversable by both path and boardwalk.
Elements of this soundscape include riverside waterflow, the zipping of damsel and dragonflies, chirring marsh insects, a light breeze toying with the wetland foliage, and faint rain clearing to distant rumbles of a passing storm.
Be it digging, creeking, or sluicing, the sounds of moving and sifting through the earth are curious, rich, and truly grounding.
Elements of this soundscape include diggin' for stone in forest embankments, creekin' with trowels and screens in Wallace Creek, and sluicin' through a bucket of dirt and gems under some very necessary cooling fans.
A cascading rock face, resonant and towering, playfully echoes the sounds of the Cape Fear River.
Elements of this soundscape include three changing perspectives full of deep forest chirring, birds and raptors, a lapping and running river waterway, and a highly reflective crystalline wall of rock that transports sound magically along the hiking paths.
From where, oh where can such flavor and richness emerge? Why, from the mastercraft of melding discerned meats, regional wood, fire, embers, spices ... and time.
Elements of this soundscape include the making of embers, the prepping of the pit, the chopping of expertly barbecued pork, and a roadside ambiance that sharpens the entire scene to perfection.
All around the world in a single afternoon? Not only is it possible, but one can make the journey with maximum wonder and discovery, and zero jet lag.
Elements of this soundscape include musical performances, tents, booths, and stalls of food and activities from over 35 nations, and a bustling sea of curious and convivial patrons.
A staple the world over, with varietals that dazzle the eyes and tastebuds alike, this ancient crop is embedded in the state's land and history before a 'state' was even something to be conceived.
Elements of this soundscape include wind delicately tracing its way through towering corn stalks, the soft clatter of chunky foliage, grasshoppers and crickets chirring away, and the munch crunch of a tractor set to bring it all down for the season.
Wild doesn't even come close to articulating the spectacle that is this event. Stay sharp, keep an open mind, and lookout for those boofs.
Elements of this soundscape include daredevil-level kayakers taking on a highly technical class 5 run of rapids, the undeniably powerful roar of The Narrows, and an equally undeniable crowd that earned the privilege to attend.
469 miles of paved roadway boasting an astonishing 272 overlooks supplies visitors with spectacular sights and sounds of the Carolina highlands throughout the four seasons.
Elements of this soundscape include a melangé of passing vehicles crusing the parkway amidst a backdrop of multi-seasonal mountain wildlife, trickling water, birds, breezes, bikers, visitors, and vivacity.
A staple industry for as far back as any can remember, a day spent with one of the new guard of furniture makers paints a sonic picture of design and craftsmanship.
Elements of this soundscape include a wonderfully percussive warehouse tone, carpenters building and modifying frames, upholsterers forming and working fill materials, and tailors marking, cutting, and sewing fabrics.
Awash with endless lights, cheerful festivities, and a powerful holiday spirit, December in McAdenville truly defies all expectations of even the coziest of Christmas communities.
Elements of this soundscape include celebrations and walla of the town lighting ceremony, a parade, musical performances, countdowns, crowd cheers, and the mulling about of festive patrons.
A compendium of ambisonic recordings from across the state
Every location on our planet has a unique sonic signature. The portion of Earth that makes up North Carolina, USA is no different, with a diverse and varied landscape of geographic and biological features, cultural identity, industrial heritage, and social engagement.
A state-wide project that aims to capture, design, and present these rich elements of the North Carolina aural environment, The 100 Soundscapes of North Carolina is a collaborative effort between Eiravaein Works and individuals, small businesses, government departments, and cultural groups working together to create immersive listening experiences of one hundred of NC's most iconic soundscapes. From fields to factories, festivals to fauna, or fanfare to the serene natural locales, we're building a comprehensive audio image of the Old North State, nestled boldly in the central Eastern coast of the United States.
Each of the 100 soundscape recordings will be an immersive 5-15 minute loopable ambisonic (3D) and optional stereo (2D) audio file. They are presented here as a binaural recording (stereo), allowing you to listen to them through headphones and feel enveloped in a designed ambient cloud of sound. This is an ongoing list of the project's recordings while it is still under production. Once completed, the entire final recordings of all 100 soundscapes will be released in a comprehensive collective format in tandem with public listening events across the state.
Read the project's Creative Brief.
Check back often for updates and stay tuned!
Select a soundscape
(headphones suggested)
