Comparison of Spring and Fall Anthropocene Sound Recordings MCST 234

For my comparison I chose the recording from March 24th 2019 at 3:00pm and the recording from October 4th 2018 at 10:00am. The two sounds have examples of nature and the anthropocene, and they both contrast each other in unique ways.

The Spring recording displays evidence of the anthropocene through a consistent sound of an airplane flying over the area. The sound gets louder and quieter at different intervals suggesting it gets farther and closer away. There is also the possibility that there are two airplanes, since the sound fades out and fades back in; suggesting a second plane flies over the area. The fall recording displays evidence of the anthropocene through a faint humming of machinery or vehicles moving in the background of the sound recording. It is hard to distinguish the origin of the sound, but it could come from an airplane in the distance, or cars on a highway.

Both recordings also feature elements of natural sounds. The fall recording does so through the natural sounds of animals and bird calls, as well as the rustling of tree branches and leaves crackling. The movement heard in the recording could the result of the wind blowing; in which case, the recording features sound of the wind in the area. The natural sounds in the fall recording also have a significant presence of wind in the recording. There is a distinct sound of dry leaves and vegetation rustling and blowing in the wind. The natural sound in the fall recording has an absence of animals sounds.

I found both recordings to stand out amongst the other recordings I listened to from the database. In the spring recording, I found the juxtaposition between the airplane and the birds to be a provocative element of the sound recording. The airplane seemed to crescendo and decrescendo, while the bird and animal sounds seemed to be more abundant when the airplane was quieter. It seems as if the noise of the airplane is taking over the sound of the birds, as if the airplane represented the anthropogenic version of the birds. For the fall recording, the emptiness of the sound was provocative. There were no sounds of animals and the only distinct sound was movement in the area from the wind. There was a lack of water, except for a distinct droplet falling in the middle of the recording. It seemed as if there was no activity of life directly present in the area.

The airplane sound is drawn out throughout the entire recording, giving the sample a distinct sound characteristic. It gives the recording a quality that the airplane is natural in the scene, and that it belongs. It represents the notion that the anthropocene has established itself in the setting to the point that it naturally belongs there the same way that the birds and animals in the area belong there. The consistent hum of the anthropogenic quality in the background of the recording was a really fascinating characteristic of the fall recording. It was tough to distinguish what exactly it was, because it felt detached from the main area of the recording. The primary focal point seemed to be the blowing of the wind, and its effects on the area, while the anthropocene sound seemed to lurk in the background.

In conclusion, the two sounds from the different seasons contrast each other. The spring sample features a strong blend of the anthropocene and the natural sounds of the area. The airplane sound contrasts with the bird and animal calls, and symbolize the overwhelming presence of the anthropocene in the environment. The fall sample however, is much more quiet. The anthropogenic sounds is pushed to a hum in the background that is a lot more removed than the spring sample. The emptiness of the recording feels like it is the aftermath of the anthropocene extension into the area, in which there is no other sound of life. It’s like the life in the spring version has been forced out by the anthropogenic features, and the fall recording is the result. While both recordings represent the anthropocene, the spring recording does so in a more direct way than the fall recording.