Materials Unknown

Materials Unknown is a multichannel sound work created solely using sound sources beyond classification. The recordings that make up the compositional material of this piece were mostly captured using tools which by their nature do not disclose the sound’s origin. Hydrophones dipped into freshwater ponds, rivers, canals, intertidal and oceanic habitats, eavesdrop on human and more-than-human soundscapes. Only recently have scientists and creative practitioners begun to pick apart the complex sound worlds of popular study subjects such as whales, dolphins, and some fish. But there are still many unknowns in marine and freshwater contexts, with a multitude of other aquatic organisms now being recognised as using sound as an integral part of their existence.