The Secret Life of Urban Machines

The Secret Life of Urban Machines was part of the 2011 Invisible Architectures Festival about ‘exploring the invisible & influential substrates of urban existence’, in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. This project aimed to make people uncover the hidden mechanisms and sonic lives of urban machineries – such as building ventilation systems and escalator motors – by tapping into the hums and tiny noises they produce underneath the surface of urban space. Participants went on soundwalks across Newcastle in small groups. They amplified and recorded these sounds using contact microphones and recording devices, and thereby unearthed an otherwise inaudible urban musicality.

2011