Machu Picchu Paces: Sound Composition Launch for the Sonic Heritage Project
April 18, 2025
Machu Picchu Paces Sound Composition Launch – Sonic Heritage Project
My new sound composition launched online as part of a project by Cities and Memory – exploring the sounds of the world’s most famous sites:
https://citiesandmemory.com/heritage/
About the work
Machu Picchu Paces is a sound art composition based entirely on a field recording from a five-day trek along the Inca Trail. Inspired by my own journey in 2024, the piece explores walking as rhythm and ritual—using time scaling to adjust step rates and simulate group dynamics, from slow hikers to swift porters. Subtle variations and minimal processing reveal unexpected textures in the layered footfalls, evoking both exertion and abstraction. The piece reflects on tourism, physicality, and collective movement along this historic path. Machu Picchu Paces highlights the sonic heritage of a journey that connects travelers across centuries.
About the project
Sonic Heritage is the first collection of the sounds of the world’s most famous sights.
The project presents the sounds of 270 UNESCO World Heritage sites and items of intangible heritage – all reimagined by artists from around the world to create a brand new way of experiencing these spaces.