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it was a slow friday and this is a dear subject, so
Songs of the Humpback Whale recorded by Frank Watlington & Roger S. Payne
The original, and there really is some kind of magic about it. First encounter of high fidelity hydrophones with humpback whales. The whales were at some distance, and so the echoes are nearly as loud as the source calls; it sounds like a dream but it is not a dream
Deep Voices - The Second Whale Record produced by Roger S. Payne
This one came out in 1977. Higher fidelity. Title track is a long range deep ocean recording of a Blue Whale played back at doublespeed to bring it up to the range of human hearing, and even then, it'll sound like a silent track if you play it through laptop speakers. It is a DJ secret weapon if you are playing back on a system with good subs, but it is also nothing to take lightly because it's a very profound voice. Also includes a great track with whale snoring. The greater range of sounds means this is a less immersive listen for loop / sleep playing, but once it's love every last second of this is helpful
Songs and Sounds of... Orcinus Orca recorded by Paul Spong
Anyone who's read the book The Starship and the Canoe will remember the scene where they show up at the island home of the scientist who has his entire house set up with loudspeakers connected to self-made hydrophones to listen to the songs of migrating whales. Well, this is the record he put out in 1982. Liner notes contain back stories explaining the track titles. Probably the one I've listened to the most.
Whale Songs - Recordings From The Deep recorded by Jean C. Roché
I was really excited when I learned about this one - Roché's bird recordings are legendary, and he has an ear for editing & composition that builds the records into completely immersive little stories - a record like Birds Of Vénézuéla almost challenges your ability to believe it's real, but then you go to Macaulay and sure enough it's real. Anyway these are his picks from Stan Minasian's recording archive, and they are relatively noisy & hissy compared to the above three. But this isn't trying to be an easy listening record, it includes a wider range of whales and sounds, often favoring the close range clicking and sputtering. It also includes recordings of larger congregations of whales. Opening track sounds like a capacity whale party and it is intense. Last two tracks also includes Bearded Seals, which sound like a close relative of the ultra-sonic Weddell Seals captured on Douglas Quin's 'Antarctica'; not as high fidelity a capture but just as amazing a recording.
Rapture of the Deep - Humpback Whale Singing recorded by Paul Knapp Jr.
Recent, very high fidelity, captured at very very very close range. So you get a minimum of echo, and a good balance of both the long calls and the short range sonar / clicking sounds. Close range means blowhole & sputtering sounds; this isn't a relaxation / Environments record, but it's fascinating
Sounds and songs of the Humpback Whale - Gentle Persuasion
This is a straight-up relaxation record, with ocean surf noises mixed in continuously at a low volume, and a continuous blend of many whale sounds. No album credits whatsoever, just a 59 minute long, shamelessly yoga-session-length utility piece
Marine Mammals and Fish of Lofoten and Vesteralen recorded by Heike Vester
Not relaxing at all but if you own more than three Florian Hecker records you're ready for this. Shotgun mic'd clicks, squeaks, sputum and lots and lots of insane echolocation sounds. Booklet has great pictures and narratives ("in addition you will hear tail slaps that kill the herring").
This one's on order, totally excited, what could it possibly sound like: http://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-Songs-And-Sounds-Of-The-Humpback-Whale/release/2217795
Sorry you guys
― Milton Parker, Saturday, 2 May 2015 02:48 (eight years ago) link
six months pass...
New Songs Of The Humpback Whale - http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec433
So many updates in recording technology, digital recorders, full frequency hydrophones, and most importantly, noise reduction software that let people surgically minimize underwater background / ambient noise, a record like this was overdue, but I was completely unprepared for how ASTONISHING the first fifteen seconds of this sounded ripping out of my speakers -- these are not echoey distant lullabies, these whales are five feet from you and the number of high-frequency details are unprecedented. The noise reduction has actually been pushed to such an extent that this album is basically one of pure sonic illusion, even more so than the remarkable Lang Elliot albums -- it is simply not possible for anyone to be this close to a whale that is this isolated. But it falls on the side of art rather than anything clinical, it only helps you listen to the voices in question that much more closely
Important is a good label for this, they had that whalesong remix album a few years back: http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec098
― Milton Parker, Monday, 16 November 2015 01:45 (eight years ago) link
MP, thanks for that rundown from 6 months ago.
I've had the 1st Roger Payne CD for a couple decades, and recall first hearing its first track on a flexidisc in an issue of National Geographic in 1979. Oh look, 8 year old me can relive the experience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WOjJIynHgM
I remember reading somewhere that, likely due to increased manmade noise, humpback whale songs were slowly losing the complexity that they had in the 60s, and was greatly saddened.
Since there's a precedent for other marine mammals, I think everyone should know about the Weddell seal recording on Douglas Quin's Antarctica (1998):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKXKHXNxz24
― Sanpaku, Monday, 16 November 2015 05:07 (eight years ago) link