Jana Winderen on BBC Radio 3 – ‘Listening to the Deep’
14 March 2021
On 14 March 2021 at 18.45 GMT, Jana Winderen appears on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Between the Ears’ series with ‘Listening to the Deep’ – a documentary hosted by Winderen and produced by Jack Howson.
Although they cover more than 70% of the globe’s surface, most people have little idea about what our oceans sound like. In some traditions of science and storytelling, the sea was a place of deathly quiet – ‘The Silent World’ – but of course there’s anything but silence down there. Sound actually travels further and faster in water than air.
Norwegian artist and composer Jana Winderen has been recording and sharing sounds of the deep for nearly two decades, dangling microphones from boats to uncover sonic wonders such as the tectonic boom of melting ice, singing whales, and fish that howl at the moon.
With a background in natural sciences and fine arts, Jana Winderen’s vast sound archive brings the oceans to life in a unique way: transporting us to Greenland, where the waters moan under the pressure of the climate emergency; plunging us into cacophonous Caribbean coral reefs; taking us to a Thai fishing community, who for generations have passed down traditional techniques for underwater hearing.
By listening closely one can perhaps look at the planet we live on with a new perspective.
Recordist and host: Jana Winderen. Dog: Charlie. Contributors: Madeline Appiah, Carlos Duarte, Hans Slabbekoorn, Rungrueng Ramanyah / รุ่งเรือง ระหมันยะ (Bang Nee). Translation and photography: Palin Ansusinha. Mixing: Mike Woolley. With thanks to: TBA21-Academy, Ruben Torres, Helmer Hansen R/V. Producer: Jack Howson. A Reduced Listening Production for BBC Radio 3.
