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This blog documents my drift through the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Below, I have posted sounds, pictures, and descriptions of sounds I recorded while drifting.

Field Recording Five

I had been recording the low hum of electricity for a few minutes when, much to my surprise, a loud snap and crack echoed through my headphones. I really enjoy this recording because of the intense echoes
created by the skateboard smacking the pavement in the expansive,
wide open loading bay next to Pick n' Save. Click here to listen.

Field Recording Four

I came across this sound while I was walking with the mics dangling at my feet and accidentally kicked a rock down the sewer. Upon this discovery, I fed the mics through the sewer grate in order to get a better recording of the sound landscape inside the sewer. Because I discovered the sewer by kicking a rock down it, I decided to continue the noise using various sizes and quantities of rocks. I also varied how and where the rocks fell. I like the clanking of the rock followed by the sound of the rock hitting the puddle at the bottom.
Click here to listen.

Field Recording Three

This recording was taken while I had the mics dangling low to the ground to capture the crisp sounds of leaves and twigs breaking. I think it's a very peaceful and natural sound.
Click here to listen.

Field Recording Two

I discovered the annoying whine of the hinges on this mailbox while I was recording the ambient sounds of the intersection next to it. I played around with the mic set up for a bit, but ultimately decided the best way to capture the screeching of the mailbox was to place the mics directly inside next to the hinges. This recording is not for the faint of heart(it's like nails on a chalkboard).
Click here to listen.

Field Recording One

This is one of my favorite recordings. It depicts the pure destruction of scrap metal as it is picked up and placed in a metal dumpster by a large piece of construction equipment.
Click here to enjoy the crashing of metal on metal.

Drift Strategy

For my drift strategy I decided to use the "flip a coin" method. I decided on the coin because I thought it would be extremely effective in taking me to random locations. After encountering a few problems with the strategy, I devised a set of rules that seemed to work pretty well.

The Rules

1. Flip the coin twice at every intersection.
2. If the first flip is heads then the second flip is tails, turn right.
3. If the first flip is tails then the second flip is heads, turn left.
4. If the first and second flip are both heads or both tails, go straight.
5. If the intersection doesn't have all three options (no left turn for example), eliminate the option that is missing and keep flipping the coin until it chooses one of the other two.
6. Never take a turn that leads you back to a place you've already been.