NYTMAG Sonic Voyages

NYTMAG Sonic Voyages

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Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii. This spring and summer, it erupted, and ribbons of molten orange lava flowed down to the sea, destroying homes and burning through the forest. It’s a spectacular, cataclysmic sight, and the sounds that it makes are strange and sur ...  Show more

Maromizaha Forest, Madagascar

Indris, the largest living lemurs, are known for their high-pitched cries, which paired males and females make in tandem. They mate for life, and as they grow closer over time, their songs become more and more coordinated. Photograph by Piotr Naskrecki. Field recordings by the Et ...  Show more

New York

For humans, this city is inescapably noisy. Traffic, heavy machinery, yells, honks — it never stops. But for rats, the soundscape can be calm, quiet, punctuated only by their loopy cries. Photograph by Dina Litovsky. Field recordings by Brian House. 

Lagos, Nigeria

Our senses of smell and taste are inextricably linked to memory. Sound can be just as transportive. For Lagotians, the singular sounds of the Ojuelegba bus station capture the distinctive energy and bustle of their native city. Photograph by Yagazie Emezi. Field recordings by Piu ...  Show more

Northern Italy

Many of the mountain villages of northern Italy have teleferica systems to bring firewood and other supplies down from the mountaintops in containers. The wires that they travel on have a simple purpose — but put your ear to them, and you’ll hear something magical. Photograph by ...  Show more