about this project
This project stems from my personal desire to unite different fields of interest: human geography, (personal) storytelling and creativity.
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“the lonely city hum” is about sounds, Amsterdam and the emotional lives of those that inhabit the city. This projects' soundscapes reflect sounds submitted by participants, designed and edited by me.
why?
Accessibility of research, research outcomes and deepening of knowledge are central within this thesis. This thesis aims to provide accessible research results - presented in a not-so-conventional way: not through a written thesis but through an auditory story of urban loneliness amongst young adults surrounding me.
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With loneliness amongst young people from all corners of society on the rise in Amsterdam - the lonely city hum aims to reflect on their sonic experiences navigating through their day-to-day lives.
The lonely city hum is a sonic experience, touching upon the ideas of thinker de Certeau, who uses walking as a way to reclaim the city and create personal meaning. This sonic experience takes you on an imaginative journey through Amsterdam.
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You will experience the sonic stories of those that participated in this research through the perspective of the flâneuse. Inspired by the concept of "walking the city" (de Certeau), using walking as an act of resistance - allowing individuals to reclaim the city and create personal meaning from urban spaces.
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While the flâneur was historically a man, freely wandering the streets of the city, the flâneuse challenges this tradition, offering a female perspective on urban exploration. She represents a reclaiming of space and freedom, exploring the city as an active participant rather than a passive observer. Through this lens, the sounds of Amsterdam capture feelings of loneliness experienced by young adults - offering an intimate exploration of how urban design impacts emotional and mental well-being.
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This experience not only invites you to explore the sonic city but also raises awareness of how urban life shape our sensory wellbeing.
listening
rumbling traffic
ambient murmur
During research, two distinct types of sounds stood out: the sounds of traffic and the sounds produced by humans surrounding those recording. This website thus contains two soundscapes: rumbling traffic and ambient murmur.
Both soundscapes represent the flâneuse navigating the urban cityscapes of Amsterdam. It is recommended to listen to both soundscapes using headphones or earbuds. Listening with eyes closed first, reading the descriptive text afterwards while listening a second time.
rumbling traffic
The sound of scooters breaks the vast, slow hum of the flâneuse navigating the streets of Amsterdam – with the sound of merely her breath and footsteps accompanying her. After the rough awakening of the sound of scooters accelerating, she encounters a junction – an overwhelming symphony of cars, scooters and heavy traffic follows.
A bike passing, vehicles accelerating, cars honking, the sounds of music playing in someone’s car strongly emphasize the rush of daily life, passing the flâneuse by. Her mind alternates between moments of solitude and moments of complete immersion – balancing chaos and moments of peace.
ambient murmur
The flâneuse is present through the sound of her footsteps, wandering the streets of Amsterdam. A bike passing by breaks the stillness. On her walk, she comes across an array of human sounds, meanwhile she encounters conversations without pausing to listen. It sounds like the flâneuse enters somewhere: once again, she can hear conversations going on without understanding what is actually said.
A loud sigh follows (maybe hers?) and a moment of silence and solitude fills the flâneuse’s ears. Suddenly, the scene changes again: she enters a more hectic scene – loud background noises and the sound of girls gossiping follow. Finally, after entering (what sounds like) a café, she hears two strangers meeting for the first time. Her mind turns silent again as she keeps on walking.
Thank You!
To everyone participating in this project - those that trusted me with their inner world