Sensing the Alice Holt Forest

Anna Xambó (Queen Mary University of London)*

Image credit: Anna Xambó (Queen Mary University of London)*

• Live Performance
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: In person
• Room Location: Rich Mix Stage
• Session: Concert 1

Abstract:

This data-driven live coding performance explores natural soundscape recordings from the Alice Holt Forest, UK, captured continuously over the course of a year via a custom-built audio streamer. The central enquiry is whether patterns in forest soundscapes can be linked to climate change, using acoustic ecology and live coding to highlight their interconnection. Are species’ sounds diminishing? Do environmental noises dominate? Are there other acoustic markers tied to climate shifts? The performance uses MIRLCa, a self-developed SuperCollider extension that combines AI and music information retrieval (MIR) techniques to retrieve and manipulate sounds from Freesound in real time.