So Wai-lam, soundpocket’s artist-in-residence for “Hong Kong House at Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2018”, has news to share! During her 6-week stay in Echigo-Tsumari, So interviewed the residents about what they could hear in their neighborhoods. She collected their speaking and singing voices and what lies in between. In her original composition “Sound Translator”, So Wai-lam shares with us her discoveries and memories. “Sound Translator” will be aired on Tsunan public radio “FMとおかまち” for the first time tomorrow. Stay tuned!

:: AIR TIME (HONG KONG TIME) ::
14 Sept (FRI) 10:40 am & 11:20 am
17 Sept (MON) 8:05 am

:: AIR TIME (JAPAN TIME) ::
14 Sept (FRI) 11:40 am & 12:20 pm
17 Sept (MON) 9:05 am

= LISTEN TO LIVE =
Online Streaming: https://fmplapla.com/fmtokamachi/
Mobile app: FMとおかまち
Radio: FM 78.3 (only in Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan)

About Sound Translator

“この辺りではいつもどんな音が聞こえてきますか？(What sounds do you usually hear in this area?)”

“あなたのお気に入りの”音”を教えて下さい。(What is your favourite sound in this area?)”

“その音の真似をしてもらえますか？(Please try to imitate the sound with your voice.)”

These were the questions I asked the residents in Echigo-Tsumari during my residency. Although we do not speak the same language, I believe that humans can still communicate through imitation of sounds. I was curious about the sounds people made during the interviews: What kind of bird was that? Which insect was that? Have I ever heard this sound in Hong Kong? The old loved to share their memories whereas the young liked to talk about their campus life. We can learn about the daily lives of the residents from their listening experiences.

I listen to the sounds I collected all over again after coming back to Hong Kong. I realized that the voices of the residents were very distinctive that – whether they were with high or low tone, fast or slow rhythm, feeling embarrassed or relaxed – had enriched my imagination over the place. I have rearranged the sounds imitated by the residents so as to connect them with sound. Together with my listening experiences during the residency, the voices of the residents have woven into my memories of Echigo-Tsumari this summer.

I wish to share this memory with the locals – it will be aired on “FM Tokamachi” (a radio station at Tokamachi, Niigata) for the very first time. I wonder what memories the locals would recall when they listen to the voices and sounds around them via radio on the shopping street, at home and in school.

藝術家蘇瑋琳剛於七至八月完成聲音掏腰包於「越後妻有大地藝術祭2018 – 香港部屋」之駐留計劃。在六星期的駐留期間，蘇瑋琳訪問了當地人關於越後妻有地區的聲音，當中包括他們在社區內常常聽到的聲音；蘇因此收集了不同居民的描述及歌聲，以及模仿不同事物的聲音。在蘇瑋琳的作品「聲音翻譯員」中，她將會把是次駐留的體驗和回憶跟大家分享－「聲音翻譯員」將於明天在十日町公共電台「FMとおかまち」作首播。密切留意！

:: 播放時間 (香港時間) ::
9月14日 (五) 10:40 am & 11:20 am
9月17日 (一) 8:05 am

:: 播放時間 (日本時間) ::
9月14日 (五) 11:40 am & 12:20 pm
9月17日 (一) 9:05 am

= 收聽方法 =
網上直播： https://fmplapla.com/fmtokamachi/
手機應用程式：FMとおかまち
收音機：FM 78.3 (只限日本新潟縣十日町市)

關於「聲音翻譯員」

「この辺りではいつもどんな音が聞こえてきますか？（在這個地方，你最常聽到甚麼聲音？）」

「あなたのお気に入りの”音”を教えて下さい。（最喜歡這個地方的甚麼聲音？）」

「その音の真似をしてもらえますか？（請嘗試模仿這個聲音。）」

以上是我在越後妻有駐留期間向一些當地居民所提出的問題。我相信即使人與人之間語言不通，也可以透過模仿聲音作為共同的溝通方法。起初進行簡單的錄音訪問時，我對於他們所模仿日常的聲音都覺得很新奇：到底是哪種雀鳥？哪種昆蟲？我在香港有聽過嗎？老人喜歡分享舊記憶、孩子喜歡分享校園軼事；從他們的聆聽經驗我們能夠發現到各人不同的生活日常。

回港後我重聽所有收集過的聲音，我覺得每個人的嗓音都很豐富，不論高低音、節奏快慢、尷尬或輕鬆的情緒，他們的聲音都豐富了我的想像。我把各人模仿的聲音重組，以聲音把他們連繫起來，加上自己駐留期間的聆聽經驗；將當地居民的聲音編織成我這個夏天在越後妻有的聲音回憶。
我希望把這段回憶和當地人分享－這段聲音將於新潟縣十日町市電台「FMとおかまち」作首播。當人們在商店街上、在家中、在校園內，透過大氣電波，收聽著這些人聲和環境的聲音時，又會令他們回憶起甚麼呢？