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This unique and grotesque collection came to light upon the discovery of a series of DAT tapes accompanied by a printed document listing the contents, date of recording, location and assignation of the sound scout responsible (primarily a Mr. Hurke). The DAT tapes were labelled Mr. Goodhew and one can only presume that this is the name of the collector who archived these harrowing sounds.

While some collectors are content to document the utterances and rustles of nature in the field, Goodhew’s morbid interest seems to be specifically nature at the moment of its demise. These morally questionable recordings are even more worrisome when one considers the lengths the ‘sound scouts’ in Goodhew’s employ may have gone to in order to obtain some of them.

When they were discovered, seemingly left at a London collector’s convention (06/04/08), the findings were reported to the authorities and the RSPCA but subsequent investigations were unable to locate Mr.Goodhew or any of his sound scouts – indeed no audiophile collector admits to any prior knowledge of the recordings or Goodhew and are unanimous in their distaste for this ‘vile collection’. Renowned audiophile Hawthorne Briggs (see pages 55 – 89) stated to the papers at the time “We (audiophiles) do not wish in any way to be connected to these recordings and they are certainly not representative of our interests as collectors”.

A CD sampler featuring a selection from these tapes was recently issued on independent record label Bulbous Torso. Anyone despicable or hardy enough can listen to these horrific sounds on this commercially available CD but this is one potential listener who will happily forgo the experience.

Dieter Mann | Sound Collectors | Mayhew Palance Publishing 2009

TRACK LISTING

01 | THE DEATH CRY OF A WOUNDED IBEX

02 | IMMOLATED EARWIG CRACKLE

03 | MICE CRUSHED UNDER BOOT

04 | LAST GASPS OF A MONGREL BENEATH TRUCK

05 | FLUTTERINGS OF A DISEMBOWELED CANARY

06 | HISS OF ANACONDA DROPPED INTO WOODSTOVE

07 | SUBAQEOUS LEAVE-TAKING OF A SINGLE CELL

08 | DEATH CHOKE OF A BEACHED WHALE

09 | ELEPHANT EXPIRING AFTER BEING SHOT IN LUNG

10 | THE BUBBLING OF SLUGS IN SALT