Howlround have provided an original sound design for the Under Ground London exhibition on display at the London Metropolitan Archives in Farringdon. Designed for use at low-level and in accompaniment of archive footage of tube stations, sewers and civil defence installations, the soundtrack consists of Howlround tape loops combined with contemporary field recordings by London tour guide Andrea Vail, to produce ‘…an abstract sound portrait of some of London’s hidden spaces[…] The intention here was to try and create an experience evocative of the sounds every Londoner will recognise: distant trains in tunnels, the squealing of wheels, the rush hour claustrophobia and the occasional sudden moments of unexpected calm and solitude. The creation of a modern soundtrack also acts as a slight juxtaposition to the more historical nature of the films on display, bringing the past into the present’. Entry is free and this fascinating exhibition runs until 31st October 2019.

Copyright London Met Archives