Earth Is All Melody weaves binaural field recordings, audio interviews and non-human polyphonies into a speculative soundscape of an ecological utopia. Drawing on discussions between Hiraoka Cloke and environmental activists, artists, poets, writers and urban planners, this sonically envisioned future celebrates community, accessibility, multi-species interconnection and listening reciprocity. 

 

As a metro announcer guides us through different zones of a fictional eco-metropolis, we hear the city sing in full voice. A botanical garden is scored by mellifluous birdsong and water susurrations, as the culture district swells with the blissful vocal harmonies of a multilingual K-Pop group. The city's heartbeat is measured through the trill of trams and bicycles, whilst an oceanic orchestra harmonises at the waterfront. 

 

The shifting sonic textures of the cityscape refute an anthropocentric hierarchy of value, emphasising the myriad life forms that co-exist in urban ecosystems. The aural plane is augmented by a KSL interpretation of the soundscape, encouraging the listener-viewer to attune themselves to diverse perspectives, languages and voices.

 

Earth Is All Melody invites audiences to consider new ways of contemplating sustainability, compassion and kinship within present and future temporalities, concurring with author David Mitchell's suggestion that "If a world is dreamable, maybe it can be dreamed into being”.

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This project was made with the support of Asia Culture Centre during ACC "Futures of Listening" Residency Programme 2023, and exhibited at ACC "Planetary Pulse" Exhibition 2023.