Whale Songs

Nothing compares to the mesmerising sounds of  whales.  Their whistles, clicks, and pulsed calls are used to socialise and select mates, to echolocate and navigate, to feed and to mark territory. 

Captain Wm. H. Kelly was the first person to recognize whale singing for what it was in 1881.  Since then we’ve learned songs are area specific and evolve over time.  Marine biologist Philip Clapham describes them as "probably the most complex in the animal kingdom." 

Songs range from 20 Hz to of 24 kHz (while human range of hearing is 20 Hz to 20 kHz) with pulsing modulations in frequency and amplitude interspersed with silence. Lower, long frequencies travel across oceans and are used for distance echolocation and communication. Higher frequencies are more effective at shorter distances, and can reveal distance to the target, size, shape, speed, vector of movement and discern densities of objects.

Ambient noise from boats has doubled with each decade since the 1960’s, equivalent to 12 decibels, reducing the range at which whale sounds can be heard.  One would expect the whales to respond with higher pitches, but no, blue whales  are decreasing the Hz of their songs at a rate of approximately 0.35 Hz/year. This is called the Lombard Effect.

These magnificent creatures travel the world’s oceans, some have the longest annual migration known on the planet.   Their complex harmonic vocalisations belie a language that we are at the infancy of understanding but never-the-less serve to mystify us.

Katy and Roger Payne released the best-selling  Songs of the Humpback Whale in 1970, since then whale songs have been incorporated in human music and are the subject of increased research. 

We believe that gongs are the sound of creation.  With friction mallets we create ethereal riffs simulating whale songs, where we as the sound alchemist combine the cosmic with the common, the universe with the universal to take you on a sonic journey that transcends time and nature.