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REEL 34
CHINATOWN Feb. 15, 1973
[0-tone]
1. TOUR OF CHINESE SHOPS, continued from reel 33 17'20"
[0-tone]
2. TOUR OF CHINESE SHOPS 15'45"
REEL 34 COMMENTARY
A detailed sequence of many various kinds and textures of acoustic space. Needs close listening for most benefit. Most of the stores seem well insulated from the nearby traffic noise of Pender Street. Many are quite absorbent, others are more reverberant, but most are quiet, all with different degrees of confinement and activity. Several exchanges between the recordist and the people in the stores.
1. Stroll through dry goods store, walking from front through to back and down into basement. Very quiet here.
3'30" woman spooning beans into bags by hand, asks about recorder. Soft radio in background. Very low, soft rumble also.
5'35" approach door to back alley. Loud outdoor ambience.
6'00" walking back upstairs, car heard from back alley.
6'45" low hum disappears.
6'55" emerge to front of store, two ambience changes.
7'10" walk past woman shopper and onto street.
7'40" enter another shop.
*8'00" recordist warned not to go into rear of store, guard dog threatens, tense moment.
8'30" exit to street.
8'50" enter another store, more reverb here.
9'50" exit.
10'20" enter another store, quasi-Chinese moozak.
11'10" ambience change, exit to back alley.
11'40" backroom ambience.
12'15" hum of freezer.
12'50" exit.
13'15" entering Kwongman Sung.
13'50" humming machine.
13'55" exit.
14'10" entering Kwang Hing, wrapping sounds, talk, confined ambience.
*16'50" near butcher's chopping board.
2. Opens with recordist approaching brass band further down the street. Brass band playing Christian hymns at funeral procession of notable person in Chinese community.
2'10" first hymn tune ends.
2'45" second hymn begins.
6'00" second hymn ends, traffic flows now, which was blocked off before for procession.
7'40" walk into small herbal store, question about recorder... talk with men playing cards ... questions about funeral.
9'20" hearty laughter ... men worried about getting photographed ... talk with lady customer about purpose of recording.
11'20" exit to street.
11'30" radio from store, CKVN.
12'40" Chinese music from store.
13'20" enter Wan Song shop, men playing cards in backroom, old cash register, giving change. Refusal to allow recording.
15'00" exit.
15'10" enter Temple shop.
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