On Demand
City X
1 July, 2008 (01:04)
This week, a piece from one of our favorite radio-makers, Jonathan Mitchell. “City X” is a history of the modern shopping mall through perspectives of people living in a real, yet unnamed, city. Using a sound rich audio mosaic of observations and ruminations, all scored to Muzak, the universal mall experience comes to life, for better or for worse.
City X was commissioned by Hearing Voices with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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Comments
Comment from dot ‘maul girl’
Date: July 1, 2008, 7:55 pm
Nice. Touched on the fact that a mall is indeed a lot like a casino: a fully controlled experience, where your contact to the outside is carefully mediated. I’ve lived in NYC for about 15 years, but still go to malls any chance I get - you can take a girl out of a mall, but sadly you can’t take the mall out of the girl.
The only thing missing was the “Piercing Pagoda”.
Comment from Tracy Ball
Date: July 2, 2008, 2:57 pm
I would love to know a source for all that fantastic Muzak music! Especially the uber-swank cover of “(I can’t get no) Satisfaction.” Anyone?
Cheers,
Tracy
Comment from jason
Date: July 2, 2008, 4:01 pm
i know exactly which city this is. i live here. i hate this mall.
Comment from HAT WORLD
Date: July 2, 2008, 4:25 pm
malls are awful places to work.
Comment from Lili
Date: July 3, 2008, 4:40 pm
Brilliant piece. amazing editing.
Comment from Dennis McDonald
Date: July 5, 2008, 12:31 pm
Thanks much! This got me to thinking about Facebook related phenomena: http://www.ddmcd.com/malls.html
Comment from RPLumber
Date: July 6, 2008, 10:02 am
I grew up in Iowa and in my lifetime saw the same things come to pass as in this marvelous piece. However being familiar with much of Illinois, it’s driving me crazy trying to figure out what city this is. WHERE IS IT????
Comment from jason
Date: July 6, 2008, 10:45 pm
it’s springfield. white oaks mall.
Comment from jonathan
Date: July 7, 2008, 11:10 am
Tracy –
Glad you liked the music!
That arrangement of “Satisfaction” is credited to David McCallum. Apparently, he was (is?) also an actor.
I found this bio of him online.
Comment from Russ
Date: July 7, 2008, 6:54 pm
Jonathan-
Is there an email address where I can contact you about this piece? It’s fantastic, by the way.
Comment from Noah
Date: July 8, 2008, 10:20 am
jonathan,
do you have a credit list of those who are in the documentary? i think i recognize one of the voices.
Comment from Painter1
Date: July 8, 2008, 12:47 pm
Jonathan -
I never get tired of hearing this piece. Having been there for some of the recordings, I think you did some exceptional editing. Congrats on all the good comments
Comment from Curtis
Date: July 14, 2008, 1:59 pm
Nice piece. The biggest thing running through my mine the entire time was “Which City?” I live in the Chicago area, so I am especially curious. They made reference to “You could stand on a phonebook and see Chicago”, so I was thinking that it was Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Springfield is pretty far for the whole “seeing Chicago” quote…
Comment from Tony
Date: July 15, 2008, 3:23 pm
Being from Central Illinois, I’m guessing the “You could stand on a phonebook and see Chicago,” is more a comment on the flatness of the area not its geographic location.
Comment from Dave
Date: July 16, 2008, 2:14 pm
A really great piece, Jonathan. Really enjoyed it. Thanks.
“this is the way that cities live, or die…”
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