An open door into experimental audio

Samplscenpickmosac exists for people who have noticed that a dripping tap, a passing train or a half-heard conversation can be strangely beautiful, and want to do something with that feeling. We write for experimental beginners: curious listeners with little or no formal training.

What we believe

Experimental audio is not a club with a password. It has a deep history, from the GRM studio in Paris and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to the World Soundscape Project in Vancouver and Pauline Oliveros' practice of Deep Listening, but its central skill is open to anyone: paying attention, then making deliberate choices. We avoid preset recipes because they hide those choices. Instead we offer small listening exercises that let you discover the technique for yourself.

Its central skill is open to anyone: paying attention, then making deliberate choices.From this page

Editorial standards

Historical facts, dates and technical figures are checked against published sources before publication and reviewed each year. Diagrams on this site are drawn illustrations and are labelled as such; they are never presented as measurements. Browser listening examples are synthesized live and are labelled as stand-ins. We are independent and not affiliated with any software company, hardware brand or sound library mentioned, and we do not accept payment for recommendations.

Contributors

Maren Okafor

Editor. Writes about field recording and soundwalks.

Tomasz Lind

Sound designer. Covers editing, loops and electronic textures.

Ines Calder

Technical reviewer. Checks levels, formats and licensing notes.

Ready to begin? Try a three-sound study