Obsolete Sounds is the world’s biggest collection of disappearing sounds and sounds that have become extinct – remixed and reimagined to create a brand new form of listening.

Explore the sounds below – you can filter by category and hit “info” to learn more about each pair of sounds. 

Each sound in the project is recomposed and reimagined by artists, as they reflect on how the sounds of our world are changing and being lost every day – bringing a new perspective to how we listen. 

From buzzing modems and the whir of old VHS and cassette tapes to the changing soundscapes of our urban, cultural, industrial and natural worlds, the project documents the sounds we’ve already lost – and those that we’re in danger of losing. 

The sounds of the world are changing faster now than at any stage in human history and the lifespan of sounds is shorter than it’s ever been before – sounds that only came into existence a few years ago are already disappearing. 

Obsolete Sounds is designed to draw attention to the world’s disappearing soundscapes, to highlight those sounds that are worth preserving because they form part of our collective cultural heritage – and to help us think about how to save those sounds before it’s too late.

This album compiles some of the highlights from the project – and the recordings that inspired them – and is available to download for free/pay what you like:

We’re very happy to have worked with the team at Conserve The Sound, who have kindly provided a selection of sounds from their archive as part of the project – do check out their excellent work at www.conservethesound.de.