The Voice Exchange – Denmark Audio

A little late, but here are some initial recordings from a parallel walk to our Toronto campus walk, this one taking place at Aarhus University, Denmark. We have three recorded audio tracks from three different spaces, across the globe, but similar in qualities. In a reading room, as at the UofT libraries, we hear the sounds of zippers, footsteps, doors opening, and general shuffling. At the university park, we hear again the sound of birds, passing conversations, cars driving, and outdoor footsteps. And in an outdoor walk between libraries, we again hear wind, the sound of cars passing (which sound more like planes), some birds, and a beeping traffic signal.

Without the sound of people and the languages that can locate them geographically, it is difficult to distinguish the audio between the parallel spaces. The bird call in the University Park or the traffic signal on the outdoor walk could perhaps be used to narrow the geography, as they are distinct from those found in Toronto, but this is not immediately evident. Even when voices and language are present, we have seen that they can fool the listeners, as the Toronto campus has many international students (including our own Danish recorder). It is primarily in listening to the smaller details of the audio tracks that one can realize the fundamental differences between the Toronto and Aarhus tracks.

Aarhus University Park

Aarhus Reading Room

Aarhus University Park

Outdoor Walk Between Aarhus Libraries