Song from the Deep

This immersive piece draws inspiration from an enigmatic sound , recorded in the profound depth of the Mariana trench, earth deepest oceanic trench. The sound is captured in 2014 by autonomous, underwater acoustic machines, has continued to buff scientists with his mysterious origins.

The recorded sound only last for a few seconds but there are two parts of it: a deep morning part (around 30 hertz), followed by a high-pitched twangy sound (reaching close to 8000 hertz).  The two extreme frequencies more or less represent the lowest and highest pitches that orchestral instruments can produce. Having such extreme frequencies side-by-side simply does not exist in any musical compositions. This is indeed a song by the great nature. 

Inspired by such a unique sound, SONG FROM THE DEEP is a sonic (re)imagination of the unfathomable space in the deepest ocean using orchestral instruments.  Sounds change their usual qualities / characteristics in the lowest and highest registers, thus entailing a shift in the perception of time, timber, as well as identity of the sounds. When the instruments are performed in the low registers, they actually produce many sounds that are not written in the score due to the overtime effects. Everything becomes indistinct as such depth.  The musical materials lose their identities in the lowest register; they turn into contemplative. Due to this kind of unpredictability, the music has a somewhat chancy character, creating a kind of meditative atmosphere. The installation constructs sonic space that allows the audience to become fully immersed; and the audience meditate with the music through this special listening experience.