‘Loved & Lost’ is a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of our natural world and a poignant reflection on its fragility '
An Original 3 Track EP composed by Peter Hall x Biophonica
with Art and Films by Philip Clemo
Cutting his musical teeth in Bristol’s underground clubs during the late 90s/early 00s, Peter honed his turntablist DJ skills under the name Parker. After a few years of supporting a long list of hip hop luminaries such as Public Enemy, The Beatnuts and Grandmaster Flash, he soon turned his hand to production gaining “lofty comparisons to the marvellous RJD2″. The driving soul and deep bass of his debut album To Eternity was described by DJ Magazine as having thrown “stylistic doors wide open with deliciously pleasing results.”
After the blissed out beats of Parker’s early productions he started experimenting with bass music. Many of his dubstep remixes topped the Hype Machine Chart in the mid 2000s and in particular his remix of Bjork’s classic Venus as a Boy ended up being chosen by Massive Attack for their Blue Lines anniversary Radio 1 Mix.
As a DJ Peter gained a reputation as one of the world’s most versatile cross-genre selectors, thanks in part to his mixtapes gaining heavy rotation on Ninja Tunes’ Solid Steel radio. Voted Bristol’s best DJ in 2010, he ended up performing on stages at Glastonbury, Shambhala (Canada), Big Chill and Bestival, as well as various club hot spots across the globe.
In 2012 Peter shifted lanes and focussed on a new project; Neuropol. Here he combined lush synths, deep basslines and richly textured atmospherics with inventive, fresh rhythms that fused elements of hip hop, drum and bass, and footwork. With releases on Shogun Audio and Om Unit’s Cosmic Bridge he soon garnered airplay on Radio 1 and 6 Music, and gained support from tastemakers Sub Focus, Ivy Lab, and SPY. Labelled as “standing firm as a bastion of future-thinking UK music” by Radio 1’s Friction, his cinematic widescreen production was described as “oozing class & emotion”.
Peter’s music has regularly been used for TV, film and advertising throughout his career, and this has now become his primary creative focus. He was the commissioned composer of the BBC’s ‘Our Wild Adventures’ theme in 2021, and he has gained feature credits for the likes of Universal Pictures, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Apple, EA Sports and Playstation. Peter also hosts a 2 hour radio show called Widescreen on SWUFM/RinseFM, which explores his life’s passion for emotive sounds, and covers everything from modern classical and film scores to orchestral inspired beats.
Peter Hall - Composer - BIOGRAPHY
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TRACK 1 - OCEAN
I don't think it's an over exaggeration to say that I feel that the ocean has saved my life on a number of occasions.
Through some of my hardest times, when I've struggled the most, I have been drawn to the sea and surfing its swell. It leveled me out during those times, calmed my mind and brought me back to myself. Just catching a glimpse of the ocean excites me, and completely changes how I feel. Once I'm in front of it the smell reaches me, and my body relaxes further. Once inside I go fully under, and as the water surrounds every part of me I feel baptized by nature. Whatever I was carrying falls away, I feel reborn in that moment, and deeply connected with nature. I love how it is both graceful and fierce at the same time, and I love that I can experience both sides of it whilst being part of it. Even if that means being completely turned inside out by a breaking wave that catches me in its washing machine cycle. Once that uncomfortable cycle is over, I rise to the surface and can breathe again. That process taught me a valuable lesson, as it acted as a metaphor for life, you go through extremely uncomfortable feelings and situations and you may feel like you're running out of air, but you will always rise to the surface and be ok.
- Peter Hall
LAUNCHED AUGUST 7TH 2024
LAUNCHED AUGUST 7TH 2024
NATURE SOUNDS
Philip Clemo is a UK-based artist working in film, composition, sound-design and live performance. His work has been shown around the world, including at international film festivals and the V&A Museum and Eden Project in the UK.
Clemo explores perception, abstraction and where the boundaries of familiarity begin to break down. He uses cutting-edge and novel technologies to capture imagery on scales from galaxies in petri-dishes & extreme close-up motion-control journeys over human forms to gyro-stabilised helicopter imagery of Icelandic geothermal fields.
He has released 6 critically acclaimed albums, working with a diverse group of musicians and creating complex soundworlds that explore form, improvisation, ambience, electronica and orchestration. His 7th album will be released in late 2024. Clemo performs internationally with his Dream Maps multi-media project with live band and mesmeric and interactive imagery.
Clemo’s multi-sensory Breath Project, which he has presented in TEDx & TED talks in the UK & USA, explores our relationship with the diverse environments we inhabit. Breath, which has attracted the support of 5 UK universities and media industry leaders including Vision Research & Arri, captures extraordinary visual and sonic perspectives from the world all around us.
His current projects include From Silence Into Song with the charity Shout at Cancer, exploring the destructive & healing legacies of radiation. It honours the trees that survived the Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombs and a choir of cancer survivors who learnt to sing after the removal of their voiceboxes. This collaboration has already manifested in live performances in the UK & internationally and will continue into galleries in 2024/25.
Philip Clemo - Art + Film - BIOGRAPHY
Loved & Lost - Ocean
The first track on ‘Loved & Lost’ is a masterful composition that captures the enchanting beauty and profound vulnerability of the ocean. Interwoven with beauty and majesty are poignant undertones that reflect the ocean's fragility in the face of environmental threats.
With the Ocean track, we start with the calming sense of the waves.. and then we head further out to sea. We start to hear the sound of the gulls and then we go further still until we reach the deep ocean and hear the sounds of dolphins and whales. We then hear the darker side with the dolphin slaughter. Sounds that Martyn recorded in Taiji, Japan. It is beauty and pain. Love, loss…and grief.
Ocean sounds were recorded in Baha California and Melbourne-Florida. Dolphin sounds were also recorded in Baha California and the crackling and snapping of coral reef were captured in the Cayman Islands. Amidst the waters of Taiji, Japan, where echoes of dolphin sorrow mingle with the snap of shrimp, each sound tells a story of life's depths and delicate balance.
Loved & Lost - Ocean
The first track on ‘Loved + Lost’ is a masterful composition that captures the enchanting beauty and profound vulnerability of the ocean. Interwoven with beauty and majesty are poignant undertones that reflect the ocean's fragility in the face of environmental threats.
With the Ocean track, we start with the calming sense of the waves.. and then we head further out to sea. We start to hear the sound of the gulls and then we go further still until we reach the deep ocean and hear the sounds of dolphins and whales. We then hear the darker side with the dolphin slaughter. Sounds that Martyn recorded in Taiji, Japan. It is beauty and pain. Love, loss…and grief.
Loved & Lost - Forest
A beautiful composition, woven together with sounds from the earth's diverse landscapes. From the lush canopies of Borneo to Panama's vibrant soundscape where the jungle whispers its secrets through the rustle of leaves and the calls of unseen creatures. From Costa Rica's tropical rhythms where rainstorms bring both chaos and rejuvenation to the rugged terrain of Northumberland, UK, where ancient woodlands resound with the timeless chorus of morning.
Yet, across the ocean in California, USA, a stark contrast unfolds amidst the crackling fury of forest fires—nature's intense dance of destruction and renewal. Here, the symphony of life contends with the relentless force of flames, a reminder of the fragility and resilience inherent in the natural world.
This track paints a profound portrait of nature's grandeur and the delicate balance between life and the elemental forces that shape our world.
Loved & Lost - Arctic
The Arctic is an awe-inspiring canvas of natural beauty, characterized by its pristine landscapes and unique ecosystems. From vast expanses of ice that stretch to the horizon, reflecting the shimmering light of the midnight sun, to towering glaciers that sculpt the rugged coastline with their majestic presence. The Arctic Circle hosts a diverse array of wildlife, from majestic polar bears and graceful narwhals to resilient Arctic foxes and migratory birds. Its serene waters teem with life, while the dancing Northern Lights illuminate the night sky with ethereal hues. Amidst the tranquility of this remote wilderness, the Arctic stands as a testament to the Earth's unparalleled ability to inspire wonder and reverence, making it a beacon of natural beauty unlike any other on our planet.
There is also, however, a melancholy of a changing landscape, where once-frozen realms now echo with the quiet lament of melting glaciers and shifting sea ice. From wildlife navigating diminishing habitats to the subtle whispers of permafrost yielding to warmer temperatures. The track a musical journey through the fragile balance of nature, urging reflection on the interconnectedness of our actions and the urgent need for global environmental stewardship.
Featuring Nature - all recorded in Alaska: Arctic ice melt, Snow storm, Thunderstorm, Snow Goose, Wolf Pack and Raven.
Loved & Lost - Arctic
The Arctic is an awe-inspiring canvas of natural beauty, characterized by its pristine landscapes and unique ecosystems. From vast expanses of ice that stretch to the horizon, reflecting the shimmering light of the midnight sun, to towering glaciers that sculpt the rugged coastline with their majestic presence. The Arctic Circle hosts a diverse array of wildlife, from majestic polar bears and graceful narwhals to resilient Arctic foxes and migratory birds. Its serene waters teem with life, while the dancing Northern Lights illuminate the night sky with ethereal hues. Amidst the tranquility of this remote wilderness, the Arctic stands as a testament to the Earth's unparalleled ability to inspire wonder and reverence, making it a beacon of natural beauty unlike any other on our planet.
There is also, however, a melancholy of a changing landscape, where once-frozen realms now echo with the quiet lament of melting glaciers and shifting sea ice. From wildlife navigating diminishing habitats to the subtle whispers of permafrost yielding to warmer temperatures. The track a musical journey through the fragile balance of nature, urging reflection on the interconnectedness of our actions and the urgent need for global environmental stewardship.
Featuring Nature - all recorded in Alaska: Arctic ice melt, Snow storm, Thunderstorm, Snow Goose, Wolf Pack and Raven.
"It is a profound honour to be part of the Biophonica project, collaborating with an extraordinary group of individuals, including the hugely inspirational sound-recordist Martyn Stewart. Martyn's invaluable archive of recordings from diverse natural environments serves as a critical wake-up call for humanity. These are voices we have ignored and silenced for far too long, driven by our relentless exploitation of the natural world. Many of Martyn's recordings capture species now in steep decline or tragically lost forever. Biophonica is bringing their calls to the forefront, finally giving Nature the expansive platform it deserves. We must set aside our assumptions and prejudices and take the time to truly listen."
PHILIP CLEMO
Peter Hall partnered with artist and film maker Philip Clemo, and The Listening Planet’s creative imprint ‘Biophonica’ with world-renowned nature sound recordist and ecologist, Martyn Stewart, to create a unique and original work ‘Loved + Lost’
‘Loved and Lost’ is a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of our natural world and a poignant reflection on its fragility and potential degradation. Each track is a narrative, echoing the intricate connections within ecosystems, the delicate balance that sustains them plus a subtle, yet powerful commentary on the looming threats of environmental degradation and climate change.
This album is ultimately a love letter, but one that also expresses profound grief. Nature is our greatest healer, and she urgently needs our love to be restored to health.
Tracks Ocean. Forest. Arctic
Martyn Stewart, is regarded as the “David Attenbourough of sound” - BBC + National Geographic.
For over 58 years, Martyn has travelled the world, microphone and recorder in hand. He was driven by one single mission, to give nature a voice and to inspire in us a greater desire to both connect and safeguard our natural world.
In his lifetime, Martyn has built one of the most important and also largest personal living libraries of nature sounds in the world with more than 37 thousand hours and almost 100 thousands stems from over 60 countries. His work has been featured in hundreds of documentaries, films, live experiences and, more recently, in albums, music and animation.
Since he began his work, 75 per cent of the landscapes and soundscapes that he’s recorded have vanished, been silenced or suffered significant degradation. 3 years ago, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and co-created The Listening Planet Foundation with his niece, Amanda Hill, in order for him to donate his life’s work for good and to do good – to tell stories through nature sound and to inspire the next generation of sound recordists, conservationists, stewards, artists and passionate advocates of the natural world.
Martyn Stewart - Sound recordist + ecologist - BIOGRAPHY
"I have spent my lifetime trying to record the natural world one sound at a time, aiming to give a voice to what, for a long time, has felt voiceless. Sound can also echo a disappearing world, a sonic landscape undergoing an extinction event of its own – one that is, with painful irony, happening silently. This project is important. We wanted create a love letter to Nature, but to also express hurt and pain. This is the result Together, we are able reach a completely new audience with a deeply important message and to put music at the heart of a global conversation about nature conservation and restoration."
COMPOSER - PETER HALL
As an artist deeply inspired by the natural world, I felt compelled to create something that not only celebrates its splendor but also underscores the pressing issues it faces.
My goal was to create a sound that highlighted the profound connection between humanity and nature, and a reminder of our collective responsibility to safeguard it for future generations.
The project is also about love, loss and grief. I've experienced a lot of that in my life, so has everyone. It’s a very human experience. But, it’s also how I feel about what’s going on in the natural world. We've spent hundreds and hundreds of years ‘othering it’, making it so disconnected from ourselves that we can abuse it, because if we truly understood how nature is actually also ‘us’ and how interconnected we are, we wouldn't be able to abuse it in the way that we do. By linking nature with the very 'human' experience of grief and loss. I'm attempting to bridge that gap between ourselves and the natural world. We are one.
I feel a deep sadness… something I love is hurting and grief is just the other side of that love. I understand that denial is a brilliant coping mechanism for us all, but I don't want to ignore what is happening in front of me.
Nature was always there. We didn't have to do anything. We just had to respect it. In putting together this project, I wanted to reignite our connection with nature through the universal experience of love and loss.
These special episodes in the 'Life in Sound' series aim to take listeners on an intimate journey through the natural world, all through the medium of music and sound and at the same time we want to enable a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of creative collaborations.
Martyn Stewart has spent his lifetime on a mission: to record the natural sounds of our planet. Each musician we hear him talking to has equally dedicated their lives to expressing their craft. Magic is then born.
Have you ever felt the profound beauty and sorrow that nature's soundscapes can evoke? Join us in a heartfelt conversation with Martyn Stewart from A Life in Sound and composer Peter Hall as they talk about their new collaboration through The Listening Planet's creative imprint, Biophonica, called Loved & Lost. ‘Loved and Lost’ is a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of our natural world and a poignant reflection on its fragility and potential degradation. Each track is a narrative, echoing the intricate connections within ecosystems, the delicate balance that sustains them plus a subtle, yet powerful commentary on the looming threats of environmental degradation and climate change. This album is ultimately a love letter, but one that also expresses profound grief. Nature is our greatest healer, and she urgently needs our love to be restored to health. Peter shares his journey of connecting deeply with the oceanic world through music. Discover how he blends melodies with natural soundscapes to authentically portray the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, reflecting the grief and loss caused by environmental degradation. Prepare to be moved as we aim to foster a genuine emotional connection and highlight the urgent need for environmental awareness and action. Explore the powerful intersection of music and activism in our discussion on how soundscapes and melodies convey potent messages. From personal grief to shared environmental concerns, we delve into the emotional layers embedded in music, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and a mission larger than personal gain. Their conversation underscores the collaborative effort to raise awareness about the planet's struggles, particularly the ocean's plight, and the importance of creating music that not only touches hearts but also inspires action. Together they discuss the complex interplay between public awareness, cultural perceptions, and activism, and emphasize the need for empathy and self-love. From the irony of chasing material wealth at the expense of environmental health to the simple joys that nature provides, we encourage our listeners to immerse themselves in the natural world. Tune in to the "Listening Planet" podcast and join us in fostering a deeper appreciation for the environment and a stronger commitment to protecting it.
Special Episode
Martyn Stewart in conversation with Peter Hall
