Arctic Soundscape Captures Industry’s Echo in a changing Landscape – Do | 18.09.2025 | 23:03
Longyearbyen,Svalbard – British musician and sound artist James Welburn has unveiled a compelling soundscape composition,”longyearbyen: Life on the edge of industry and wilderness,” born from repeated artistic residencies in the remote Arctic settlement of Longyearbyen on Spitzbergen.The nearly hour-long work meticulously layers natural and industrial sounds to portray the complex relationship between humanity and the fragile Arctic environment.
Welburn, currently based in Oslo and teaching sound for documentary at the University of domestic Norway’s television school, describes a deeply immersive creative process. “I had to hike through the ghostly wasteland of old mining machines and feel small in front of ancient mountains. I felt the arctic wind grew my body as it rattled the abandoned industrial machines. Only then could I create music and sounds that reacted to the landscape,” he explains.
Longyearbyen, a former mining town, presents a unique sonic environment – a blend of extreme weather, dramatic landscapes, decaying industrial infrastructure, and the increasing presence of tourism. Welburn’s recordings capture this duality, encompassing everything from the wind and water to the sounds of machinery and daily life.
The composition isn’t simply a recording of sounds, but a documentation of the powerful forces shaping Spitzbergen: the relentless Arctic weather, the legacy of industrial activity, and the accelerating environmental changes impacting the region. Welburn, who previously lived in Berlin, has visited Longyearbyen three times as an artist in residence, allowing him to build a nuanced sonic portrait of this northernmost outpost.
further information on James Welburn’s work can be found at http://www.jameswelburn.no/.
