Michaela Vieser
Series 4 Episode 6
From Meadow to Metropolis: Mapping a World of Sound with Michaela Vieser
Series 4 Episode 6
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Today Jerry meets with acclaimed nature and travel writer Michaela Vieser. The focus of their conversation is an interactive map that charts 98 distinct sounds and silences recorded around the globe.
This geographical sound archive is connected to her book co-written with Isaac Yuen, The Sound Atlas: A Guide to Strange Sounds Across Landscapes and Imagination (2025, Reaktion Books). From the swaying, lush meadows of the Altai Mountains, to the unique jingles at Tokyo’s train stations, Michaela guides Jerry through a selection of her favourites on an auditory adventure.
Together, they discuss the temporal nature of sounds, the vulnerability of the changing landscapes in which they were recorded, and the emotional and physical experience of listening.
To view and explore this interactive map while you listen, click here.
Map data. Google © 2025 / Co-authored by Michaela Vieser and Isaac Yuen.
This interactive map shows 98 sounds and silences identified by Michaela and Issac for their book The Sound Atlas, each of which have been cartographed onto a customisable later on Google Maps. The colourful map pins link to a sound recording and visuals from that region. The collection of recordings derive from the natural world, busy townscapes, and industrial environments.
Michaela tells Jerry about the criteria for the sounds to be chosen and that they wanted to capture sounds that you have to really stop and listen for. What you can’t see - or hear - is the transient nature of some of these sounds, some of which are deeply interconnected and others that have faded from existence. The project acts as a lasting record of these sounds, particularly for those in vulnerable environments.
As well as discussing the sounds that are obsolete, they talk about how foley artists strive to capture and reproduce extinct or more unusual sounds, like an atom bomb explosion. Michaela shares her research into the manuals that act as recipe books for technicians and artists.
Aleksandra Sapozhnikova, Unsplash
One of the sounds that holds a special place in Michaela’s heart is from the Altai Mountains at the intersection of Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and Russia. After seeing an enticing online advert for the UNESCO-protected nature reserve, she worked to obtain a research grant to explore and experience the picturesque environment of the remote region herself. She describes the dreamlike landscape of lush meadows, snow capped mountains and pristine alpine ecosystems. In particular, she recalls and shares with Jerry the sound of cicadas filling a long grass meadow. Listen here.
Zain Abba, Pexels
From remote grasslines to urban bustle - next Michaela discusses the train stations of Japan, each of which have their own unique seven-second jingles to mark the arrival or departure of trains. These sounds - known as local departure melodies ご当地発車メロディ - are thoughtfully designed by composers including Minoru Mukaiya to be more environmentally friendly and inspired by the history of the locale, often replacing the harsh alarm-bell sounds. First heard in around 1950, these popular little ditties have become famous amongst train enthusiasts and music lovers alike. Listen here.
Through their international project, Michael and Isaac want to encourage people to think about how they physically feel when they listen or hear something, and raise awareness about what to listen for.
“The Sound Atlas tries to open us up to become true listeners and be present."
About Michaela Vieser
©Nils Stehle
Michaela Vieser is a Berlin-based, award-winning author of 11 books including the national bestseller Tea with Buddha: My Year in a Japanese Monastry (2009) and Sound Atlas (2025, co-authored with Isaac Yuen), which was named Best Literary Travel Book at the ITB BookAwards 2024.
She explores liminal spaces through science, sensing, and sensemaking, playing with narrative, language, and research. Her narrative work has appeared on Deutschlandfunk Kultur, the BBC and FAZ, among others. Michaela’s features and documentaries have been nominated for the Bavarian film prize and the Grimme prize. She was Nature Writer in residence at the Jan-Michalski Foundation, received the German Prize for Nature Writing Scholarship and co-founded the Living Libraries for Nature Writing in 2021 and the Intelligent Landscapes in 2022 and was awarded Wave Writer for the Okeanos Foundation in 2022 and 2023. For her text whalefall she won creative non-fiction prize for the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society Environmental Writing Competition in 2025.
©Isaac Yuen
Isaac Yuen is a first-generation Hong Kong-Canadian with a lifelong passion for the environment. He co-authored the pioneering Sound Atlas with Michaela in 2025.
Isaac writes short stories and creative nonfiction exploring themes of nature, culture, and identity. He holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and a Master’s in Environmental Education and Communication.
You can find out more about Issac and his work here: ekostories.com
Ian Panelo, Pexels
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