A Huge Reservoir of Life

The first form of communication was not language but vibration. Listen to an audio essay featuring the biologist Juan José López and sound artist Ludwig Berger who sonify species that soon threaten to become completely extinct – if we don’t listen.

Even with insects –
some can sing,
     some can’t.
(Issa 1994)

List of References

Issa, Kobayashi. 1994. «[even with insects]». In The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa, edited by Robert Hass. Translated by Robert Hass. New York: Ecco Press.

This audio essay was created by the musician, writer, and Norient editor Philipp Rhensius aka Alienationist in autumn 2023 at Klang Moor Schopfe 2023. Each piece features conversations with (and sounds by) the artists and their installations, merged with Rhensius’ own compositions, field recordings, and poetry. To open a speculative realm, each piece is assigned to a poem.

Biography

Philipp Rhensius is an editor for Norient, writer, musician, sound artist, sociologist & musicologist, and curator from Berlin. His work investigates the connections between the micro- and macro-political and is driven by the idea that «feeling the chains» is the moment when emancipation begins. His music and sound art projects (Kl.ne, aphtc, Alienationst) merge sonic fiction with sardonic poetry and visceral sound. His texts are published in i.e. Taz, Spex, FAZ, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, WOZ and several book volumes. He runs the music label Arcane Patterns and hosts a monthly podcast on Noods Radio. Follow him on Instagram, his Website, or LinkedIn.

Biography

Juan José López (*1992) is researching how insects communicate through mechanical waves at the National Institute of Biology in Ljubljana. Among other things, biotremology investigates the extent to which the communication of arthropods allows conclusions to be drawn about the ecological context. The method can complement the study of different habitats and make a hidden world audible and tangible.

Biography

Ludwig Berger (1986), Zurich-based composer, artist and natural sound researcher, creates electro-acoustic compositions. In his works, landscapes become audible, be they cities, Japanese gardens, glaciers or a bee colony. Follow him on his Website.

Published on August 24, 2023

Last updated on April 02, 2024

Topics

Alienation
Listening
Nature
Soundscape
All Topics

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