The album ‘Bayt Yakan’ is a collection of field recordings that mark and map the essence of a newly restored historic house in Cairo, Egypt. The album features 5 edited recordings of playback sound performance walks recorded within the walls of Bayt Yakan, revealing the relationship between sound, environment, and heritage. By activating the surroundings, Luca maps the building and courtyard, creating an auditory experience that reflects the character of this location.

During the performance, pre-recorded material was played back through a portable loudspeaker, allowing Luca to interact with the building and the objects within it. This interaction highlights the importance of space in shaping sound and music. The recordings weave together the indoor and outdoor sonic environment with Luca’s slow journey within the building, inviting listeners to engage with the layers of sound that define the historic site.

Bayt Yakan serves as a reminder of the interaction between history, memory and embodied experience that shape our environment. By mapping the space through field recordings and layering recorded soundscapes in the same location, the project highlights the complexity of urban regeneration and cultural conservation. What is to be saved and who holds the power over these sites becomes the guiding principle for this auditory investigation of space.

The house, the city, the homeowner, dwellers, past and present converge and collide in this collection of performances where time is recorded in a loop, traces of presence and absence are felt and spaces are transformed with memories.