A Fourth State of Water: free sound bank
Field Recordings | Sample Pack | Hydrophone | Contact Mic
We welcome you to download this free collective sound bank, comprised of 85 royalty free samples and raw field recordings, conducted in such contrasting locations as a beach in the periphery of the Torness nuclear power plant, in Scotland; a frozen river in Berlin; windy Patagonia; or the roots of a tree in Medellín.
All of the sounds were recorded using the MAGMA contact hydrophone, an amphibious device in the shape of a magnetic sphere, conceived and handcrafted in Medellín by Colombian artist and curator Jorge Barco. Based on piezoelectricity, this highly sensitive and resistant contact hydrophone was specifically designed to allow for deep sound exploration by apprehending the vibrations of natural, urban, domestic or studio environments.
Recently released by VIC NIC, MAGMA - Materia en Vibración is a compilation based on the shared notion that the matter of the world is in constant vibration, and that listening to the non-human sounds contributes to more empathetic and ecological relationships with other forms of life. While pure and processed soundscapes come together, everyday objects morph into musical instruments, and performative gestures explore the acoustic properties of various geological environments, territories, materials, and textures.
Besides releasing the compilation digitally and under the shape of a contact hydrophone, we’ve made freely available some of the sounds and recordings that were used to compose the featured works. You are absolutely welcome to recycle, reuse and remix all of the included sounds in any creative way you wish. Enjoy!
Recording artists
Ana Maria Romano, Diana Restrepo, Diego Makedonsky, El Sujeto Erroneo, Hugo Branco, Juan Pablo Pacheco, Jorge Barco, Jazzmin Marulanda and Santiago Botero.
+ free sounds
If you enjoyed this free sound bank, check out our previously released Negative Mass, featuring samples and recordings conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic by artists such as AGF, BJ Nilsen, Budhaditya Chattopadhyay, Laura Romero and many others, and later used to compose their sound works for our 2021 compilation New Chronologies of Sound.