In summer and autumn 2021, Dr Michael Mulvihill and field recordist David de la Haye spent time across RAF Fylingdales base capturing its sound. During July, when the weather was warm field recordings were taken from sites around the perimeter fence, making audible radar interference from the Solid State Phase Array Radar (SSPAR) as it tracks thousands of objects in Low Earth Orbit, which are set against sounds of summer from across the moorland that surround the base.
In September 2021, the weather was colder and the field recordings capture a wild and windy autumn evening, the distinct sound of the engines of RAF Fylingdales power station, interference from the SSPAR radar, singing wind through security camera pylons and rain on concrete.
Internally field recordings were captured of Fylingdales Archive in building 319. These abstract sounds make sonic the room ambience of the paper archive, main archive, briefing room and entrance corridors in the former supply building. Sounds include doors slamming, air conditioning and an electric wall heater warming up in the paper archive.
The collection has been archived in three parts Fylingdales Sound Archive #1, Fylingdales Sound Archive #2 and Fylingdales Sound Archive #3.
Image caption: close up of instrument microphones recording ambient sound in room 319, Fylingdales Archive.