I have posted a protest against the western genocide in Palestine twice in the last few months and will continue to do so while the ruling elite of the West is killing people and ethnic groups to serve its imperialism in Palestine and all over the world.
A few days before I recorded this protest, the police had used tear gas on the protesters, so I also expected it could happen again. But it didn’t, except protesters use a smoke bomb.
These protests were held in front of the Icelandic Parliament during a parliamentary session. Icelandic parliamentarians are ALL puppets of the government in Washington, so the Icelandic government is complicit in the horrors that are taking place in the Middle East, both today and in the past, and elsewhere where Western imperialism attacks the world’s inhabitants.
This recording is about 35 minute long, but the whole protest lasted for approx. two hours.
The sound quality in the speaker system that was used by the protestors was terrible, but they were directed towards the parliament building. So I decided to stand behind them rather than in front so therefore It can be heard a little better in the people themselves.
(mp3 256kbps / 66Mb)
Recorder: Sound devices MixPre6
Mics: Primo EM172 parallel double capsule in baffled – binaural setup
Pix: Samsung S6
More than 5 months have passed and the genocide is still going on in Gaza in occupied Palestine. Since the Western-backed Zionists started destroying Gaza and the West Bank and the genocide of the people of Gaza, the Iceland-Palestine Association and other peace activists have been holding actions in various places in Reykjavik almost every week all this winter.
I myself have not been able to attend all these solidarity marches, but I did so here when they marched through the center of Reykjavik to the British and German embassies on March 2, 2024.
I encourage people to attend such solidarity marches with Palestine around the world and record them. We must end the horrors that Western imperialism and colonialism have cost the rest of the world for centuries, and most recently in Palestine.
It was quite cold but sunny, and sometimes there was a gust of wind that sometimes interrupted the recording because I didn’t use HPF. Here I am recording in binaural and using Primo EM 172 capsules which are located near my ears and point 180° in each direction.
The recording was done on a Sony PCM-D100 so the equipment fit in a pocket, was light and compact.
At the first peace meeting I attended in October, I used a Baffled-AB-Binaural microphone set based on 2×2 EM172 capsules, which can withstand much higher winds, but at the same time requires more bulky and heavier equipment.
(mp3 256kbps / 53Mb)
Recorder: Sony PCM-D100
Mics: Primo EM172 binaural
Pix: Samsung S22
Weather: Clear sky. Gust 1-10 m/sec -2°C
On October 15, 2023, a solidarity meeting with Palestine was held at Austurvelli in downtown Reykjavík. I think I could estimate that about 5-6 hundred people came to the meeting, which can be considered quite good by Icelandic standards
The week before, on October 7th, western propaganda media had reported some vague attack by „Hamas“ forces that was considered terrorism against civilians of the so-called „state of Israel“. Much is still unclear about what will happen on this October day. Even the occupiers themselves were not all on the same page about what really happened that day, as it became clear that Apache military helicopters from the occupying forces had probably caused more damage and killed even more people than „Hamas“ forces in some places.
But if Hamas had done something, it was enough for the „Israeli“ occupation authorities to think they had the right to let bombs rain on innocent civilians in the world’s most densely populated area, the Gaza strip. Gaza is nothing more than a concentration camp, fully controlled by this „Israel“ fascist colony state, supported by the west since 1948.
More about this conflict: The untold history of Hamas. The ‘Hamas human shield’ justification for Israeli war crimes Why does the US support Israel?
I am not going to comment further on these miserable conditions that the Palestinians have had to withstand for 75 years. It is quite clear that the legacy of Hitler and the imperialist policies of the West is ruling the occupied Palestine.
At Austurvöllur on October 15, several speeches were given as well as songs. To be able to stick to the time frame, I took out one speech and the songs.
(mp3 256kbps / 60Mb)
Recorder: Sound devices MixPre6
Mics: DIY Stereo mic. Double Primo EM172 capsules in AB baffled/binaural setup
Pix: Samsung G22
Weather: Cloudy, wind up to 4m/s, about 2°C
Location: 64.147308, -21.940289
I was reminded this winter that I should record more street life. I’ve always had that in mind, but somehow it’s always something in nature that fascinates me more.
On Labor Day earlier this month, I went down to the center of Reykjavík to record human life and the traditional program on this great day. Instead of going on a mass march through the streets of the city, I went straight down to Hallærisplan square and waited for the marchers and brass bands..
A large stage with a sound system had been set up in the square and there were only a few people. But shortly after I had started the recording, marchers and brass bands came rushing onto the square. The speeches of the day were nothing special, but the music was fine. It will not be audible here, except of course the brass bands that accompanied the mass march.
It took me a while to decide to put this recording on the web. It sounds bad in HD650 headphones, but slightly better in MDR7506.
But the remarkable thing about this recording in my opinion is the hum, noise or tone at 4Khz, 6Khz 8Khz and 10Khz. Anyone with trained hearing can hear these tones in this recording below, although an unrelated fan hum is also evident in the recording.
I first noticed this noise when I was recording COVID silence in the same square during the „lock down“ in the first weeks of the COVID, in the spring of 2020. Then it only came from one direction and also contained 15khz which is not audible now.
However, I have never been able to locate the source of this noise. I thought for a long time that this noise was coming from a broken transformer for the LED lighting. But here it was a clear day and all lights were off so this noise is coming from something else.
(mp3 256kbps / 61,2Mb)
Recorder: Sound devices MixPre6
Mics: Primo EM172 / EM272 capsules v. LOM phantom power amps (Baffled AB)
Pix: Samsung S22
In recent years, I have been on the evening shift on December 23 (Þorláksmessa). So I haven’t been able to go downtown Reykjavík to record the ‘mood for Christmas’. But this December I was on a day shift which gave me the opportunity to record.
The last time was 5 years ago when I recorded this beautiful song on December 23, 2017.
It was a different atmosphere in the city center this year. I didn’t understand what it was, at least now there were more foreign tourists and the streets were covered in salt-slush and ice. This year there were no beautiful singing voices in the crowd as so often before. However, music comes from some street stalls and bars. On the ice skating rink at Hallærisplan (Ingólfstorg square), music was played loud during the skating dance.
After total 1Km long walk the recording ends rather quietly in a bar where I bought a beer.
In this recording I am using the same ultralight stereo microphone as I did in 2017. Baffled double capsule EM172/272 with a LOM Phantom power amp,
But today I have filled the empty space inside the wind shield between the microphones with a sponge of different density which has improved the separation between the right and left channels. It reduced the audible phase error between the channels which was clearly audible in the 2017 recording.
In addition, in the space between the microphone, outside the Rycote WS2 windshield and under the HWC2 Hi-wind fleece cover, is also a sponge. That sponge stops most of the vibration in the windshield due to wind, without affecting the sound quality.
This stereo microphone is very light, can withstand incredibly high winds, as well it has almost no „handling noise“. It is therefore good for booming where strong winds can be expected.
In this recording I did not use HPF. Between the houses and out in the open spaces where I walked, there was a considerable amount of wind that probably few, if any, microphones would have been able to withstand without wearing a good fur windshield plus additional HPF.
The more I use this DIY mic, which is mostly made from scrap materials, the happier I am with it.
Earlier that same night, I also recorded with simple EM172 binaural microphones. In many ways, that recording was very funny because no one around me noticed that I was recording, unlike the recording below. But that recording will have to wait to be published until later.
I also recorded for over an hour at the bar a nice mood recording, but I will never be able to publish it because the bar was playing copyrighted music.
Quality open headphones are recommended while listening at mid to mid+ volume.
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(mp3 256kbps / 48Mb)
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6
Mics: Primo EM172 / EM272 capsules v. LOM phantom power amps (Baffled AB)
Pix: Samsung S22
One of my friends for many years is Gísli Sigurgeirsson. He is a genius in many fields. In recent years, he has had strong opinions on climate change, and I therefore have great respect for him as a climate activist. I myself have given up on fighting for cycling infrastructure and a sustainable life for everyone, although I try my best to live as sustainably as possible in a western society. I am also always ready and waiting for radical movement if the governments like to change society into a sustainable lifestyle.
On August 20, 2022, a Climate festival was held in Reykjavík downtown in connection with a Reykjavik Culture Night. That day I was recording several things, including Gísla Sigurgeirsson’s speech.
Before and after the speech there were musical performances. The first was Maria Viktoria who sang and played. Then came Gísla’s speech and after that Vala Yates and Maria Viktoria sang and played a song together. Both these ladies are very talented, so everyone should remember these names.
Everyone involved in this recording gave me permission to put this content on the web.
It was very windy that day so I didn’t have much choice of microphone. My best stereo microphone for that is actually a homemade „baffled – binaural“ array with double EM172 and LOM mic amps in a Rycote WS2 windshield.
I have to admit that it always surprises me how good this DIY microphone is with unbelievable low „handling noise“ and low wind noise, even without HPF.
Although there were strong gusts of wind, you can hardly hear it in this recording, other than the sound waves from the sound system from the stage is distorted because of the wind.
It was very nice weather this evening. The downtown was almost overcrowded with people which was shopping or just walking around to feel and smell the atmosphere of Christmas.
It was calm so the town smelled strongly of cloves, toasted knead, spirit, red vine, beer, all kinds of perfume, tobacco and even weed…and what is never missing in Reykjavik, a smell of exhaust from traffic.This was perfect weather to catch the sound of the Christmas rush hour.
Just 30 second after I start the recording, I heard beautiful singing voices. There were six singers of female song group „Jólabjöllurnar“.
I placed my self around 4 meters from the singers. Behind me was the audience on their walk who stopped for a moment to listen. The heavy background noise is mostly from car traffic, as usual.
This recording is captured with DIY binaural microphone rig which I just finished to prepare several hours before the recording. It contains two matched pair of parallel Primo EM172 capsules, connected to LOM phantom power adapter (see pictures).
I spent two hours walking around recording this evening. I noticed some audible time error between left and right channel in 30-40° around the rig which means the rig needs some changes in the future. But the funny thing is this time error sounds like a perfect „sound effect“ in combination with this well trained singers.
This was recorded on Lækjatorg square in Reykjavik town center between 9 – 10 pm.
Quality open headphones are recommended while listening at mid level.
Lækjartorg á Þorláksmessu 2017
Það var ótrúlega gott veður þessa Þorláksmessu. Miðbærinn var líka troðfullur af fólki, sem liklega skiptist jafn milli Íslendinga og útlendinga sem voru að versla, sýna sig og sjá aðra.
Þar sem ég gekk austur Austurstræti og var var nýbúinn að ræsa upptökutækið þá mátti heyra fagran söng frá Lækjartorgi. Ég gekk á hljóðið og þar var þá sextett fagurra kvenna að syngja jölalög.
Ég mátti til með að ná þessum söng á upptökutækið og gerði það þar til yfir lauk.
(mp3 256kbps / 44Mb)
Recorder: Sound devices MixPre6
Mics: Primo EM172
Pix: Samsung Galaxy6
Accordion day was celebrated all over in Iceland 5th of May with concerts in many public places all over the country. This was a perfect opportunity to cycle downtown and record a “squeeze box concert”. The concert was held in an open place at Hallærisplan (Ingólfstorg) in Reykjavik center and the players were members of the Reykjavik Accordion Club. In background, mostly on right side, are some bang and rumble noise from skate boards and motorcycles.
This recording was made with “binaural microphones” and Primo EM172 capsules. There were rather much wind which sometimes disturbed the recording. So -20db was enabled at 20hz in post.
Best to listen with headphones.
Harmónikudagurinn 5. maí 2012
Um allt land virðist sem þann 5. maí 2012 hafi „harmonikudagur“ verið haldinn með pomp og prakt. Það kom ekki skýrt fram á heimasíðu harmonikufélaganna en um það mátti lesa á ýmsum öðrum blogg- og vefsíðum. Þennan dag var þó auglýst harmonikuball á Hallærisplaninu í Ríkisútvarpinu.
Það var því kjörið að bruna þangað á reiðhjólinu með upptökutæki og heimatilbúna “Binaural” hljóðnema. Það er því best að hlusta á upptökuna í góðum heyrnartólum.
In April 2012 the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Wen Jiabao, visited Iceland.
On the first day he was driven to the Musical Hall to have a dinner.
On Facebook, people were encouraged to go there and request for free Tibet. I arrived rather late, but right at time when the prime ministers arrived with a lot of security staff on cars and motorcycles.
This recording was a “wind test” for my home made binaural mics with Primo EM 172 capsules. I put them in Rode WS5 foam and the result was very nice.
Frjálst Tíbet
Í april 2012 heimsótti forsætisráðherra Kína, Wen Jiabao, landið. Ekki stóð á mótmælendum til að mótmæla framferði Kínverja í Tíbet. Á fésbók var fólk hvatt til að mæta framan við Hörpu sem og nokkrir gerðu.
Stuttu eftir að upptakan hefst kemur öll hersingin með mikið mótorhjólagengi í fararbroddi en skýst bakdyramegin að inngangi Hörpu. Kínverjinn þurfti því ekki að horfast í augu við hina ógnvekjandi Birgittu Jónsdóttur sem var stödd meðal mótmælenda og kallaði þar í lítið “vasa-gjallarhorn”.
Upptakan er tekin með Binaural tækni og er því best að hlusta á upptökuna í góðum heyrnartólum.
HLJÓÐMYND - SOUNDIMAGE 