Interspecies - Whalescapes

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Orca	09:09
	2	The Blue Whale	10:31
	3	Deep	03:21

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Migrating	16:04
	2	Shallow	04:14
	3	Belugas in the St. Lawrence	02:41

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

“No wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.”
“Wouldn’t it really?” said Alice, in a tone of great surprise.
“Of course not,” said the Mock Turtle.
“Why, if a fish came to me, and told me he was going on a journey, I should say ‘With what porpoise?’”
“Don’t you mean ‘purpose’?” said Alice.
“I mean what I say,” the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone.

Steve Aikenhead: reeds, tube, gongs, cymbals
Luce Gautier: tuboviole
Robert Kaiser: saxophone, parts of the instrument
Ross Mendes: electric guitar
Pierre Ouellet: soprano saxophone, flute, synthesizers
Harri Palm: trumpet, electric guitar, percussion
Harry Pavelson: electric guitar
Mare Tido: voice, piano, percussion

Produced by Pierre Ouellet and Robert Macdonald for Interspecies Music
Engineered by Robert Macdonald
Recorded at Kensington Sound and The Music Gallery, Toronto, Ontario, July 1977
Mastered at The Lacquer Channel Limited, Toronto
Technical assistance by Randy Marsh

Design and cover painting by Ross Mendes
Photography by John Williamson
Sculpture (Bowhead Whale) by Steve Aikenhead
Additional photo by Arnold Sprogis

Visual co-ordinator: Peter Grundy

Produced with the assistance of The Sam and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation

Deep
In the middle of the river, whales swim more leisurely and display various forms of social interaction. A mother Beluga may teach her young to dive, or two or three whales may play together in the bow wave of a passing freighter. Others, tired, may be seen resting almost motionless on the surface. Since the depth of the water determines the echo repeat time of whale sounds, this piece varies echo rates to simulate greater depths.

Migrating
The long yearly migrations may cover 8,000 miles, from the Arctic to southern California and back. Gray whales encounter many other species while staying alert to dangers from whaling fleets. As water warms, they eat less and rely on fat reserves. For females pregnant for twelve months, the end of migration is a relief: their calves will soon be born.

Shallow
Along reefs and shorelines where rivers meet the sea, whales use sound to herd fish in circles, then dive to feed. Seagulls also scavenge scraps brought up by the whales.

Belugas in the St. Lawrence
Recorded July 28–29, 1977, in the St. Lawrence River by Pierre Ouellet, Harri Palm, and John Coull. A group of about 130 male Belugas fed ten miles from shore; 30–40 approached the boat. One swam directly beneath it, emitting sonar clicks heard at the beginning of this piece. Suddenly, a 50-foot Finback whale surfaced in the middle of the circle, provoking excited vocalizations from all present.

Interspecies Music
Interspecies Music is a multi-media collective exploring and interpreting sounds produced by non-human species. At the time of Whalescapes, the group focused on Beluga, Orca, and Humpback whales.

Performances combined traditional and electronic instruments with films and slides of marine life. A four-channel system enhanced the spatial movement of sound, heightening the illusion of being underwater.

Whalescapes was recorded in spring and summer 1977 at Kensington Sound Studios, Toronto (except “Migrating,” recorded at the Music Gallery). Pieces were inspired by whale sound models, both from research and from encounters with Orcas and Belugas. Although rooted in whale vocalizations, the result is a new musical form: fluid in pitch and texture, reminiscent of whales yet retaining human characteristics.

Orca
Sounds from Bb clarinet and soprano saxophone resemble Orca air vocalizations. During an attempt to communicate with Belugas using these sounds, the whales dove, seemingly disturbed by the cries. Orcas, being predators of Belugas, likely triggered this natural reaction.

The Blue Whale
Low-frequency sounds reflect the whale’s massive size and deep dives—sometimes over 1,000 feet—to avoid pursuit or seek food. At these depths, visibility is nil, and low-frequency pulses guide navigation. The bass clarinet’s low register approximates “sped up” recordings of Blue Whale sounds. Changes in echo delay were introduced here to simulate sudden shifts in the ocean floor.

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