Ian

Nathan Gibson (UK 2023)

9 min

A bomb disposal expert by trade, Ian Jones MBE spent over 35 years on the frontline of historical events, disarming bombs and incendiary devices in the most challenging of circumstances. His experiences reveal to us a hidden side of war and the lives of the people literally trying to defuse conflict. But these days, you’re more likely to find him tending his allotment.

Produced by Nathan Gibson

---

Brothers

Giacomo Bagni (IT 2024)

Giacomo Bagni · Brothers

13 min

Giacomo and his father have had a fragmented relationship for years. Then, all of a sudden, a new character appears, replacing Giacomo as a son. Based on the author’s biographical story, Brothers is a trip in his inner world while he tries to understand what happened and make peace with it. A fresh take on autofiction, the piece is constructed by using a mixture of first person narration and re-constructed dialogues from the past, with the author inhabiting and voicing all the characters as a way to materialize his inner discussions and trying to make sense of them.

Written, Produced by Giacomo Bagni
Music by ST.ELVIO

---

I’d Rather Be Swimming

Produced by Clair Urbahn (UK 2022)

7 min

Produced especially for the XMTR Audio Arts Festival. This is an ode to living by the sea. It's why we are all here so please stop dumping sewage in it Southern Water. Cheers to the fellow swimmers that helped, young and old.

Clair Urbahn, an audio enthusiast since broadcasting at an independent FM station in Wellington NZ (radioactive.fm) moved from NZ to London in 2008, had a hand in setting up NTS Radio (nts.live) and set up pop-up stations when that was a thing. Currently overseeing podcast production and network infrastructure for Brazen (brazen.fm) as Head of Audio.

Producer: Clair Urbahn

---

In The Dark What’s New: Saltwater Soul

James Trice (UK 2024)

MajDuckworth · Saltwater Soul // Short Documentary

8 min

"Saltwater Soul" is an experimental audio documentary that’s really close to my heart. It dives into the world of sea swimming in Brighton, seen through the eyes of a passionate swimmer. The documentary mixes the peaceful sounds of the ocean with the lively atmosphere of protests against pollution by British water companies.

Creating this piece was a personal journey for me. I even started writing poetry for the first time, which you’ll hear throughout the documentary. It’s a mix of the calm and joy of sea swimming with the serious issue of environmental threats. My hope is that it not only shares the unique experience of sea swimming but also highlights the importance of protecting our waters.

Producer - James Trice

---

In The Dark What’s New: Knife Fork Keys

Hye Young Sin (KOR/DE 2023)

8 min

The experience of a night walk alone in the park, through different cultural, sexual, and social contexts.

Composed by: Hye Young Sin.

---

In The Dark What’s New: Dear Mother

Jerry Birch (US 2024)

6 min

A contemplation on life as a son clears his mother's flat.

Produced by Jerry Birch during the In The Dark Short Feature course, taught by Nina Garthwaite.

---

In The Dark What’s New: The Lost Son

Julianne Chandler (US 2024)

11 min

A father's 27-year search for his son, who was taken from him at birth.

Produced by Julianne Chandler.

---

Where is my Mind?

Molly-Rose Crossley, (UK 2024)

MRC Audio · WHERE IS MY MIND

11 min

What is it like to living with a condition which turns your mind against you? Having thoughts that go against your morals, ethics and heart? This condition is called POCD, which stands for Pure-OCD. It’s the sibling of the more popularly known OCD and comes with its own unique set of struggles and traits which can be incredibly distressing for those who have it.

We have spoken to someone who has lived with this condition all their life. Most recently the obsessions made her believe she had killed her best friend, who passed away from cancer.

How has she overcome this and what does the future hold when your mind can be your worst enemy?

Produced by Molly-Rose Crossley

---

Crush Tango

Eloïse Bertil (UK, 2024)

4 min

A story about a crush at a rooftop bar during a solo trip. This short audio piece explores romantic body language cues, examining the intricate choreography of a girl-meets-boy scenario and its translatability across cultures. Blending personal experiences with fictional elements, the narrative contemplates flirting as a universal language, where every gesture (or move) carries significant meaning—or at least, one hopes it does.

Produced by Eloïse Bertil around a field recording from the Cities & Memory sound database for their Spring Project.

---

The Ecco: Red of Visibility

Phoebe McIndoe (DE 2024)

7 min

Growing up I went to a catholic primary school where the school emblem and colour was red. We had a visiting doctor who would see us in the head mistress' study without our red uniforms on. In this red space I had my first experience of bad touch. Or as I now call it, sexual assault. This piece is an attempt, years later, to explore and reclaim the colour red.

THE ECCO is an international non-commercial initiative designed to tug at the boundaries of the world of audio storytelling, journalism, and documentary work. We bring together talents in different parts of the world — journalists, sound designers, audio producers, sound artists, & writers— all united by a common goal: to push themselves and each other out of their work-related comfort zones and explore the different shapes audio documentaries can take, where they may intersect with art and what the impact of such playful exploration can have.

This was made during an immersive retreat where a curated group of talents collaborate, experiment, and support each other in crafting audio projects that are as diverse as they are profound

Produced by Phoebe McIndoe

---