Overlay is a collective memory soundwalk through Mt. Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon. Created by Portland sound artist Branic Howard and writer Gabi Lewton-Leopold, Overlay leads the listener on a recorded soundwalk through one of Portland’s treasured public spaces. Inspired by the sound works of Janet Cardiff and Max Neuhaus, Overlay collapses and plays with our experience of time. A nonlinear, immersive soundscape emerges as listeners hear the park both in their headphones and in real time. Overlay weaves together the individual memories of anonymous participants, collected and recorded by the artists, to create a shared experience of the park. In an era when people are spending much time alone or only with close friends and family, Overlay inspires connection to community and place.

The artists would like to thank all of the people who shared their Mt. Tabor stories for this project.