A pair of hydrophones in a flooded creek
The valley where we live floods quite regularly. At their peak the floods usually quieten the neighbourhood animals, the near silence signalling a temporary change in the local ecosystem. Only once the waters recede do the sounds of frogs and birds return.
Interested in listening to the sounds of the floodwater I cast a pair of hydrophones into a local creek. There at the surface the hydrophones struggled against the current and produced an ascending bubbling effect. The hydrophones became both the subject and object of their own recording.
A tangled electric fence-line struggles in the floodwater
An adjacent creek provided the potential for recording more sounds. A fence-line swayed back and forth in the rush of water. Expecting to hear a high-pitched drone I was surprised to instead listen to a low frequency vibrating through the line. It was a nice contrast to the previous recording.
This little field recording sojourn was a good reminder to listen to familiar objects in new ways. After a decade of passing these creeks each day it is rewarding to be aware of their different (auditory) properties. What else sits before us that we have become deaf to?
The first one sounds like it could be some strange alien language – fascinating!
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Yes, it’s a pretty weird unexpected sound … I had fun recording it.
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