Timeout Shanghai Article- April 2010

Timeout Shanghai April 2010 New release Growing up with Shanghai

By John Sunyer Growing up with Shanghai is a book and series of recordings based around ten ‘soundwalks’ in Shanghai. Trained sound engineer Terence Lloren, 31, recorded the stories of local Shanghainese people as they walked for ten to thirty minutes around their local area. He reproduces their stories on CD and in the book, which is also complete with photographs and maps tracing their walks. He tells John Sunyer about his exploration of Shanghai What gave you the idea for Growing up with Shanghai?

I like the idea of exploring Shanghai through sound. I started the project last June, by making recordings of what I heard as I walked around the city – the various city sounds and street sounds of Shanghai.

Why did you decide to use soundwalks as a basis for the project?

The concept of the soundwalk is nothing new – the term was coined in the 1970s. But it’s a new way of looking at Shanghai. I wanted to hear regular stories about people who live in Shanghai. But I also wanted to hear the sounds of the places where they lived. That’s why I haven’t edited out the moments when they stop talking. The recordings are raw – I didn’t over edit them because I wanted to show the reality of the place. I’m a purist sound recorder. I record life and see what happens.

You’ve recorded soundwalks by people who were born between 1978 and 1985. Why? I wanted stories from a new generation of people. Everyone has heard stories about those living through the Cultural Revolution a thousand times. But the people featured in Growing up with Shanghai weren’t alive at this time. Most of them grew up in the ’90s.

They see things differently – they’ve only seen Shanghai since it started this amazing, rapid development. Younger people also tend to give a more raw history of the city. History doesn’t have to be sentimental.

Growing up with Shanghai costs 200RMB. Visit www.growingupwithshanghai.com for details of where to buy the book.