Conserve The Sound

Within the framework of the pilot programme "Innovative Audiovisual Contents", the film and media trust NRW funds 14 innovative projects from the areas of games, web 2.0, mobile and 360°. The online project "Conserve The Sound" by designers Jan Derksen and Daniel Chun from Essen was one of the winners and thus chosen to be part of the first round of funding through the film and media trust NRW.

„Conserve the sound“ is an exemplary website-based online portal for disappearing sounds. Nowadays, the sounds of an old telephone with crackling dial plate is something you only know from old Derrick episodes when inspector Stefan Derrick calls people in villas with high fences and meticulously cut bushes as they can be found in Munich's high-class suburbs to ask the widows of murder victims: "Did your husband have enemies?".

 

Much like the whir of a Walkman, the keyboard of a typewriter, the ventral sound when a 10 cent piece is put into a public phone - all these sounds are now archived for all eternity. "At times, the sound of a mobile display of a Sony Ericsson device has almost become part of the past because there are more and more smart phones that are operated with touch screen displays", says initiator Jan Derksen about his project and adds: "We ran around with the idea for the past two years and we are delighted to be part of this round of fundings."

 

Start with 100 sounds

The motivation is quite clear. Today's industrial society is fast-moving. New objects are created and produced on a daily basis - without the demand to create them for eternity. The so-called product life cycles are becoming shorter and shorter. Old things are forgotten or discarded. So far, the acoustic evolution of things has been ignored so far. Even though the surrounding sound landscapes are clearly a mirror of our society and culture. "It's not yet fully ripe for decision because we have only known it for a few days that we will be part of the funding. Yet we would like to start with about 100 sounds when our website will go online at the beginning of next year."

This "Conserve The Sound" online portal shall sensitise to a conscious use of the objects we're surrounded by and pay tribute to the constantly changeing sound landscapes. On the other hand, the portal offers potential for sound affine companies and their respective external brand communication.     "We constantly find new sounds", says Jan Derksen. "A while ago, I was visiting a tool museum where I got ideas for a load of new sounds."

In everyday-life, the two designers work as CHUN+DERKSEN. Their young office offers a diverse portfolio. They design and produce films and audiovisual communication solutions for direct clients, agencies, institutions and public facilities.