Nightsongs – Soundwalk in Belval

For more than 100 years, the steel industry has been part of the visual and acoustic landscape in the south of Luxembourg and neighbouring France. The whining of the cranes and the humming and groaning of the factories is noise to some, to others the soundtrack of their lives.

Using the technique of field recording, the artist Samuel Reinard (Ryvage) and colleagues recorded the sounds and sonic footprint of the factory in Belval that is still manufacturing and the decommissioned factory in Esch-Schifflange. These were then mapped and processed and a library of sounds and samples created. Musicians and electronic producers from Luxembourg, France and Great Britain have used these as a basis for composing music on specific themes and questions in relation to various facets and activities of the night.

The result is a sound creation of collages, pieces of music, texts and soundscapes inviting the listener on a nocturnal journey through time. By means of an app available for Android and IOS, listeners can set out on a route in Belval with a total length of about 2.5km and embark on this 45-minute nocturnal journey through time.

Click here for the QR code of the Nightsong app. (The app is available until the end of the year.)

On 24 September, the artists will perform live on stage in the Kulturfabrik and in October, there will be an immersive sound installation at the Bridderhaus in Esch.

Nightsongs-Soundwalk is a production of Independent Little Lies - ILLin collaboration with the Kulturfabrik Esch-sur-Alzette, Konschthal/Bridderhaus, Les Ensembles 2.2, Madtrix, CNA, FerroForum and Portable Peninsula asbl. As part of the European Capital of Culture Esch2022, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Fondation Indépendance, SACEM Luxembourg, the City of Esch-sur-Alzette and frEsch asbl.  

For more information: https://ill.lu/nightsongs.html