In May 2023, my videographer brother-in-law and I travelled to Scotland to go on a round trip in a camper van. We came to record sounds and footage for our collections, and to take in the beauty and the many different landscapes Scotland has to offer.

Shortly before the trip, I watched one of Christian’s vlogs, which a few days later sent me to Princes Street Gardens to record the commanding crack of Edinburgh’s One O’Clock Gun. It was the first recording of our trip, and it has been part of my sound design ever since.

When you moved into your new HQ and welcomed me for a visit, I wanted to bring something back. So on an unusually hot day at the end of September, I walked my hometown of Cologne with a recorder and a set of microphones. Starting at the foot of the city hall in the old town, I crossed the Rhine and back, then headed out to a forest at the edge of the city, recording the sounds of Cologne’s daily life along the way.

This folder of sounds from Scotland and Cologne is a small thank you to Christian and all of you at Crow Hill, for years of inspiration and curiosity so generously shared with the creative community. Everything in it is yours to use. Feel free to use the sounds in personal projects, workshops, videos, on Pianobook, in upcoming Crow Hill products, or anywhere else it feels helpful.

Cheers and until next time,

— Martin