Wind Is the Original Radio earth.fm

This was recorded on a spring day in the forest near White Deer Lake, a seasonal lake in Shasta-Trinity National Forest.



The lake is large and shallow when full, but only lasts a couple months in spring before drying up entirely. It’s surrounded by coniferous forest of Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and White Fir. At the time I made this recording there were only a few small pools of water left.
I arrived late in the morning and the sky was blue and sunny above, but clouds were beginning to build all around. I set up the microphone in the forest not far from the lake under a dense bunch of young White Fir trees which provided shelter from rain and wind when the storms eventually passed overhead. The clouds continued to build until the first rumbles of thunder were heard in the distance. The chirping calls of Mountain Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos are heard along with other birds, and frogs can be heard in the distance in the remaining pools of the fast drying lake. As the storms moved closer, gentle rain began to fall and a light breeze blew through the trees above. The thunder became increasingly loud and powerful until it passed directly overhead.



Recording by Kelly Rafuse

Early in the morning I walk along a remote lake in Ecuador’s lower Amazon basin. Far from a city, road, or town, the sounds here are all natural. Thick foliage covers the ground and sky. Everywhere is muddy. Leaves dripping from a recent rain. Dawn approaches and the barking croak of giant frogs gradually becomes less frequent. Mysterious birds calling nearby. The jungle here is one of the most unique and pristine environments I have witnessed. Evoking a sense of magic for me anytime I listen.



Recording by Nick McMahan

To record a soundscape characteristic of this region – and attempt to encapsulate my observational thoughts and views as a soundscape recordist – I arrived at a preserved section of the forest. The Pambar Shola plantation acts as a nursery for shola trees, which grow in the shade of taller pines and eucalyptus. A visual change was provided by a few rhododendrons – a Himalayan species believed to have spread over 1,200 miles (2,000 km) during periods when the temperature and ecology of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas were similar, due to seed dispersal by birds.



I stationed my equipment beside a small stream, the sound of which, to me, symbolized the larger ecological processes taking place over centuries in the Western Ghats, to create a soundscape which could become a starting point for discussing Vattakanal, as per the hypothesis I am trying to explore through this project. At a personal level, I will remember this flowing water as the sound of sunrise in a tropical forest in the Western Ghats, layered with the sounds of birds, the occasional howling of Nilgiri langurs, and the distant barks of dogs which had followed me along the trail.



This excerpt is from the article Soundscapes of Lesser Nature, by Mustard Lake, a grantee of our field recording grant program.

Eight episodes went by so fast! Symbolically, this episode with Axel was the first one to be recorded. Since our conversation, Axel travelled south into the west coast of Africa and is currently in Sierra Leone, to record and tell the stories of migratory birds in the East Atlantic Flyway. So, this will be a special one!



We talk about the dynamics of this impressive journey, how technology led Axel to nature and out of the studio, his crazy blindfolded experiment in the streets of London, our general will to encounter "exotic" animals and how that can deafen us to the wonders right outside our window.



Learn about Axel and Ario's project on the Sounding Wild page and connect with them on Instagram and Twitter. You can listen to some of their recordings on earth.fm.



Episode's references:



Virtual Barbershop (listen with headphones)



Book Becoming Wild: How Animals Learn Who They Are, by Carl Safina



Field recording work: Songs of the Humpback Whale: Dr. Roger Payne



If you have been enjoying this season of Artist Talks reach out to us, maybe leave a comment where you listen to the podcast.



Until next time!

A calm nocturnal ambience recorded in the rainy season in a tropical rainforest in western Thailand. At this time of year, the frogs are very active and can be heard chorusing throughout this recording, along with the sounds of insects, and rain gently dripping from the canopy above.



Recorded by Marc Anderson in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand

Hello and welcome to our 7th episode of this special series - only one left for this season to close!



Today we have a super informative and fun conversation with Rüdiger Ortiz-Álvarez, a biologist and film-maker with a PhD in Ecology. In 2019 he became an National Geographic Explorer and made the incredible documentary Ecotone, which we'll be talking about in this interview.



We discuss human disconnection with nature, ancient ecosystems, animal and human languages and how they possibly intersect in a given geography. We'll also get to know the story of how Rüdiger fell in love with sound which shifted his life.



You can connect with Rüdiger on his Twitter and Instagram, as well as finding more about his grant with National Geographic here.



Don't forget to check his recordings in our website on his artist profile.



Field recording work: Songs of the Humpback Whale: Dr. Roger Payne



Books mentioned: The Great Animal Orchestra: Bernie Krause



Musical artists mentioned: Stura with the album Llangres and Gregorio Paniagua with Batiscafo