The Corona situation makes us exploring the sonic environment in front of our doors. We live in Cureghem / Kuregem, a densely populated quarter in Brussels, which is characterized by industrial buildings, heavy traffic, and a lack of green spaces. The high amount of garages underlines the importance of the car in the neighborhood. Next to us lies the Abattoir, what is usually a vivid hustle and bustle of people and animals. Cyclists, cars and pedestrians squeeze along the canal on narrow lanes.

In times of the coronavirus we experience a significant decrease of car and airplane noise. People stay in their homes, streets become empty and birds can communicate better and find their partners. Despite of all the tragedy, we are happy to stream an exceptional condition. The area is unusually quiet and air quality improves. Suddenly we can sleep with the windows open and be awakened by the twittering of a black bird.