Sealed
Jan 15, 2023, 12:06 PM
"This composition is created around the sounds of Weddell seals recorded in Antarctica.
"The seals have determined the development of the composition in terms of tempo, pace, key, rhythmic and melodic phrasings, and thematic content in the lyrics.
Part of this process was a desire to “morph”, from human to seal, from land into water, from reality into dreams.
"I was fascinated by the fact that seals need to breathe, but on land their bodies are awkward and vulnerable, whereas they can fully express themselves as soon as they submerge underwater. The shift between these two very different elements is crucial in the piece, and it explores many fundamental contrasts that the environment and living conditions of the seals inspire to, e.g.:
ice – flesh
air – water
hurt – heal
soar – sink
up – down
firm – fluid
light – dark
awake – asleep
reality - imagination
Lyrics:
your eyes are so alive
they see with clarity
crystals in my lungs
ice melting on my tongue
your lips are sealed
your wounds will heal
and the waves will wash away my tears
in your dreams
I morphed into a different being
floating makes me lighter
soaring in a tidal stream
our ears are so alike
they hear disparity
whispers in the air
wavy currents in my hair
your fate is sealed
your soul will heal
and the wind will brush away our fears
in your dreams
I morph into a different being
floating makes me lighter
sleeping in a tidal dream
we morph into illusive beings
drifting, clinging tighter
sink into eternity."
Weddell seal reimagined by Hauman.
Part of the Polar Sounds project, a collaboration between Cities and Memory, the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Explore the project in full at http://citiesandmemory.com/polar-sounds.
IMAGE: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia
"The seals have determined the development of the composition in terms of tempo, pace, key, rhythmic and melodic phrasings, and thematic content in the lyrics.
Part of this process was a desire to “morph”, from human to seal, from land into water, from reality into dreams.
"I was fascinated by the fact that seals need to breathe, but on land their bodies are awkward and vulnerable, whereas they can fully express themselves as soon as they submerge underwater. The shift between these two very different elements is crucial in the piece, and it explores many fundamental contrasts that the environment and living conditions of the seals inspire to, e.g.:
ice – flesh
air – water
hurt – heal
soar – sink
up – down
firm – fluid
light – dark
awake – asleep
reality - imagination
Lyrics:
your eyes are so alive
they see with clarity
crystals in my lungs
ice melting on my tongue
your lips are sealed
your wounds will heal
and the waves will wash away my tears
in your dreams
I morphed into a different being
floating makes me lighter
soaring in a tidal stream
our ears are so alike
they hear disparity
whispers in the air
wavy currents in my hair
your fate is sealed
your soul will heal
and the wind will brush away our fears
in your dreams
I morph into a different being
floating makes me lighter
sleeping in a tidal dream
we morph into illusive beings
drifting, clinging tighter
sink into eternity."
Weddell seal reimagined by Hauman.
Part of the Polar Sounds project, a collaboration between Cities and Memory, the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Explore the project in full at http://citiesandmemory.com/polar-sounds.
IMAGE: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia