I'm Arnoud Traa, a Sound Designer/Recordist working and living in Amsterdam. This is a blog to present my work as a Sound Designer. I've recently released the 'City Bicycles' and 'Ski Slopes' sound libraries by Frick & Traa. More libraries coming up this year at https://www.frickandtraa.com More information at www.theauditoryservice.com
Ukraine war ‘anniversary’ project:
I was asked by my friend artist Teun Castelein, to help him record his art-protest. involving the sound of four street organs, playing the Ukranian National Anthem (asynchronously) in front of the Russian Embassy.
For every year the war has been going on he has been hiring a street organ to play the anthem in front of the embassy and kept going. It is a bit expensive to do so he set up a crowdfunding campaign.
The recordings will be pressed on a limited edition vinyl that are a gift to the backers of the campaign. No profit is made. More information on the crowdfund project here:
https://whydonate.com/nl/fundraising/draaiorgels-bij-russische-ambassade-op-24-februari
It's been a minute since my last post here. Had a long hiatus from social media (no more iInstagram/Facebook), venturing into the wild, when I could, focusing on post production sound design most of the time.
Just got back from an amazing field recording expedition in Romania, organized by the esteemed George Vlad. It was a great introduction to the silence of Romanian winter forest and the beautiful wildlife we got to record. The photograph above is made by fellow sound recordist (and damn fine photographer) Pete Smith who also joined me, along with sound designer Sten Kloot.
I will be posting some sound examples and videos that I'm currently editing. This will take some time but I'll get there.
Started a new project: I’ve dropped a mic in on Strandeiland to record 24 hours of New Found Land. #fieldrecording #strandeiland #airtag #nulpunt #stadssonograaf https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf3rJdcIVMv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
In these trying times, where chaos and calm are juxtaposed, I’m honoured to be included in the 12th Edition of @lfk.magazine devoted to silence and listening. It includes great conversations & photographs with/by other artists and designers, so if you are interested get yourself a copy!Thanks @yfkemetz , @marianneclason & nienkewindphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/CJvZBRtl5oA/?igshid=raludajp8ms7
YESSSS!!!! @studiovermaas has won Best Sound Design for #bumperkleef! I’m super happy for Marco winning and very proud to have contributed to the sounddesign as sound effects editor #dutchfilm https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2kSRClknF/?igshid=1k022dvchlwl4
I was already super happy to have worked on these two films and now they’re both nominated for best #sounddesign !! Two nominations for @studiovermaas congratulations, much deserved! #goudenkalf #sounddesign #nomination https://www.instagram.com/p/CFsOnUQF1Sv/?igshid=qv10spstvvrt
Delighted to be featured in De Parool about my recording endavors during Corona lockdown in Amsterdam. Love the illustration! #parool #news #fieldrecording #beeldengeluid @hetparool @patrickmeershoek thanks! https://www.instagram.com/p/CCN8Fx8Fvgl/?igshid=ke9qrlklv9s3
Had a pleasant afternoon recording Amsterdam, lot’s of museums are open including Anne Frank Museum. Tourist and locals are lining up. The Westertoren played it’s carillion and it almost felt like a normal summerday. #coronarecordings #denieuwestilte #amsterdam #frickandtraa #fieldrecording #westertoren https://www.instagram.com/p/CBVrHUylCoH/?igshid=uhqxvtjka8aq
Kennis van Nu has an episode dedicated to ‘The New Silence’. I’m featured as sound recordist but there are also very interesting other guests talking about sound and the perception of silence. Tomorrow NPO2 22:15h!! #silence #urbansound #coronastilte #fieldrecording https://www.instagram.com/p/CBOPP6rHwUy/?igshid=1sov2652jsj6c
Amsterdam is rolling again or better said; traffic jams are back... didn’t miss that one bit. #coronarecordings #vondelpark #fileleed #amsterdam #brombrombrom https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxdHdMFVIO/?igshid=1h1vec78gvl1h
My furry friends are prepped for a new recording day. Eager to capture the city a few days before the restrictions will be eased. #coronarecordings #fieldrecording #amsterdam #coronastilte #ofwatdaarvanoveris #frickandtraa #sounddesign https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxC_z8FAK_/?igshid=jo9sime9rx2h
When I was asked to give some exemplary recordings of the changes in the cities soundscape, for the news item by NOS, I immediately said: the kids playing football on the Dam Square. (click on the bold text to listen).
I’ve made a lot of interesting recordings these five weeks, but this particular moment was such a joy to experience (in these weird days) and it was also a remarkable intervention , a take over of sorts. Listen to more of these subtle 'takeovers' where residents reclaim public space while you read on.
De Auditieve Dienst
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City Residents reclaiming public space
The Dam Square is always crowded with tourist during the day, there’s a lot of traffic plus the humming of airconditioning units and music pouring from clothing shops amounts to a noisy space. A space where people  most of the time are either overwhelmed or too excited to really let the beauty of the space sink in. I mostly steer clear from De Dam when moving through the city. However Het Paleis op de Dam is a beautiful landmark and it’s carillon has a distinctive sound quality. It’s today hard to imagine, that this public space is normally not as ‘peaceful’ and open to the public as it is today. The noises are mostly absent, the space is free to roam for people (and pigeons).
That moment with the kids playing football represents a familiar phenomenon I noticed throughout the city, people are reclaiming the public space!
The Museumplein has a lot more**** skaters underneath de Badkuip of the Stedelijk Museum****, which 2 months ago would be filled with tourists.Â
Pedestrians casually cross the street where normally cars whizz by and trams boom on their tracks.Â
Residents of the Red Light Distict are having lunch on parking spaces along the canals that would normally be packed with cars and overwhelmed with tourists..
While walking through the Red Light District two weeks ago with_ Natalie Dixon,_ we discussed the radical changes the area has gone through. What is lost or will disappear in a big municipal ‘clean up’ campaign. We bumped into a RLD resident, a young man living on ‘the golden road’ or ‘strip’ of the RLD in a 2nd floor appartement. He was THRILLED with the abundance of silence and lack of stag parties, he told us. Normally he can’t sleep whole nights. He can’t find another house (there’s a housing crisis in Amsterdam) and moving out of the city was never his idea. Now however he says: I’m reconsidering, this quiet is so good for me, I might be better off outside the city’.
A week later I see him bathing in the sun under the looming Oude Kerk tower, perhaps he’s contemplating his residency or daydreaming of a beer on a terrace with friends.
That’s probably the only sound I really miss in the city: crowded terraces with laughing people. For now we’ll have to do with memories and this recording of a few years back.
The Dutch National News NOS made an item about my recording project: capturing the soundscape and silence of the city Amsterdam during the Corona Crisis.
Arnoud Traa is geluidsontwerper van beroep en rijdt in tijden van de coronacrisis rondjes op zijn speciale fiets om de 'stilte te vangen'. V
Corona Lockdown Week 6: even Death needs a lunchbreak.. #dedam #coronarecordings #fieldrecording #paleisopdedam #dedood https://www.instagram.com/p/B_XtbEuFRld/?igshid=12i1tq3iadd1i
It has already been 4 weeks of recording every Friday afternoon for this project. I’ve been recording on more and more locations lately to capture unique spaces, but the one that stands out the most is the Oude Kerk plein.Â
I have recorded the Oude Kerk Plein before in 2015. I had a great opportunity to capture the sound of the bells and carillon because of ‘Come Closer’ by Taturo Atzu. He created an artwork/installation on the roof(!) of the church allowing visitors to be closer to ‘the heavens’. Here is a picture I took on 3rd September 2015.
I was eager to ascend to the platform, a beautiful white space, that overwhelms the visitor with views, reflected light and the sound of Amsterdam. More specifically, the sound of the Red Light District (RLD), with its roaring mixture of tourists, stag parties, boat drinkers, music, traffic and seagulls. A loud place that normally does not allow you to record the church bells and carillon from ground level. So it to this chance to be as close as possible without getting into the bell tower itself (the bells sound very different in there obviously).Â
Above a picture taken by Michiel van Iersel of me recording the bellower.
Listen to the beautiful tones here:
https://soundcloud.com/de-auditieve-dienst/amb-city-old-church-rooftop-clock-bell-carilion-hour
After descending to street level I was met with the sounds of daily life again and recorded the crowds gathering around the Oude Kerk.Â
Above:Â Spanish tour guide amidst a crowd of tourists within a bigger swarm of pedestrians.Â
An excerpt of that atmosphere:
And this is what it sounded like on the 3rd of April during the Corona Crisis lockdown:
https://soundcloud.com/de-auditieve-dienst/comparison-oude-kerk-2020-3-april
I’ll leave it to the listener to conclude what the differences are :)
I was interviewed by NRC about my sound recording project in Amsterdam during the corona pandemic, link in bio #nrc #corona #soundscape #fieldrecording #amsterdam https://www.instagram.com/p/B_HYoypF3hs/?igshid=80gur1ru0gn
