Michael Raphael (aka Sepulchra) is a highly trained and well-equipped field recordist. He operates Rabbit Ears Audio, which produces a series of sound effects libraries, their contents ranging from [steam whistles](http://rabbitearsaudio.com/product/typewriters/) to [helicopters](http://rabbitearsaudio.com/product/hind-helicopter/) to [winter atmospheres](http://rabbitearsaudio.com/product/winter-atmospheres/) to [typewriters](http://rabbitearsaudio.com/product/typewriters/). And when Raphael goes on vacation, he takes along his microphones. This track was recorded outside his Berlin hotel window. I wrote to him to confirm it wasn’t edited, which he confirmed and elaborated on in a blog post at his [sepulchra.com](http://sepulchra.com/blog/?p=2188) site. His hotel was located near Marienkirche, St Mary’s Church, and its bells are heard rolling through much of this track, above the din of traffic on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. A testament to Raphael’s ear, the piece is easily believable as a post-production construction, so flowing and sinuous are the bells, and so perfectly interweaved are the street sounds. And yet, like a well-framed photograph, it is simply daily life, elevated thanks to the refined sensibility and ability of its documentarian.
Track originally posted at [soundcloud.com/sepulchra](https://soundcloud.com/sepulchra/150526-marienkirche). More from Sepulchra/Raphael at [sepulchra.com](http://sepulchra.com/blog) and [twitter.com/sepulchra](https://twitter.com/sepulchra).
Bonus: Here’s a [promotional video](https://vimeo.com/119635380) of his steam-whistle collection: