Our short experimental piece, ‘Anthropocene’ is now available on SoundCloud or via the embed in this post. It is best listened to with good headphones or speakers. It starts with some birdsong whose message, using considerable creative licence, is interpreted as:
Are you aware of us? Enjoy our song? It won’t be long, before we’re gone.
The birdsong slowly changes until it is drowned in our human activity (signified by the driving beat and synth drones) with its short melody somewhat replicated by the strings, flute and vocoder. The birdsong then slowly recovers because, optimistically, we are now becoming more aware of the negative impact we are having on other life forms. Anthropocene is meant to be a short and rather unsettling piece, but its final seconds could be interpreted as hopeful.
Anthropocene Def:
An unofficial unit of geologic time, used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
Source: National Geographic Society
Birdsong appears to be a considerable source of inspiration for musicians, poets and artists. Here are a few you may find interesting.
In a previous posting Radio 3: More than Classical I highlighted the BBC Radio 3 programme Between the Ears for its adventurous explorations of sound worlds/soundscapes and how these could influence thinkers and artists of all inclinations. A couple of recent episodes explored birdsong as a creative driver.
- In Jamming with Birds the musician Cosmo Sheldrake described his thinking and processes in creating his album Wake Up Calls where the birds are the lead singer, set tempos and the melodies. Track 3 of his album is called Dawn Chorus and is a particularly evocative piece. With other contributions from poets, artists, ecologists and musicians, including Brian Eno, it’s a worthwhile 30 minutes listen.
- The Lark Descending featured Hinako Omori’s new electronic arrangement of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. The once ubiquitous bird is disappearing from our fields and sky and her Conversation with a Lark captures the beauty of skylark’s painting of the ground with sound by letting it lead the arrangement.
The 10 June 2022 episode of BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction featured Robin Perkins DJ, music producer and environmental activitst and creator of the Birdsong Project. His album Guide to the Birdsong of Western Africa was inspired by the song of birds at risk of extinction.
There is also the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) ‘The Curlew Sounds Project‘
“The Eurasian curlew is threatened with extinction in the UK and Ireland. To help these iconic birds fight back, a group of leading musicians – including David Gray, Talvin Singh, and The Unthanks – have recorded a stunning new album.” (titled Simmerdim: Curlew Sounds)
