Sounds of Belgrade

“To my understanding, sound does not exist only within the city; sound is the city”

Wissman

Belgrade sounds like traffic, non-stop traffic, wherever I am stationed in the city with my sound recorder at any time of day and night the drone of cars and busses is incessant. It seems like the movement never stops, although in reality moving through the city is slow and painful. There is no rule on rush-hours, Belgrade is a rush-hour city. It is funny, though, thinking that rush-hour means sitting for minutes (that feel like decades) inside metal containers, breathing exhaust, or smog, if one dares to open the windows. Belgrade also sounds like construction work – drilling, hammering and digging, things crashing (mostly old buildings that would probably be conserved as part of the “historical city center” if this was almost any other country than Serbia). The sounds are accompanied by the sights, cranes everywhere, Belgrade is a city of cranes, construction fences and scaffolding. Belgrade is a loud-monster, yet so quiet, if what counts as noise is the sounds of social-life. In all reality Belgrade is not quiet compared to many other cities, but more quiet than Belgrade from the recent-past.

I situate Belgrade at the intersection of the global and Keynesian city.

Gentrification is audible, work is silent.

The city does not produce much except for the image of itself.

Look forward to the more extensive bank of city sounds.... This is a project in the making...

Sound is the integral part of the city, yet due to the longstanding oculocentrism of Wester culture visual elements of the city dominate the vocabulary of urban studies and spatial exploration. Sound is neglected and relegated to the realm of the footnote and afterthought.

Spectrograms are making sounds visible.

In this corner of the internet, I will offer you a synesthetic experience, dear visitor.., You will be able to see sound... You will be able to see the city through sound.