The sound of the year awards, presented by the museum of sound in partnership with the radiophonic institute, is an annual worldwide competition that invites people to submit recordings that help us understand more about the world we live in. This year’s winner, mathias arrignon has created a stunning piece called songs of the bearded seals which showcases the unique vocalisations of bearded seals in the arctic ocean.
During an expedition in the arctic oceanmathias arrignon used hydrophones to capture the distinctive sounds of the bearded seals. The recording features long, spiralling trills, short sweeping calls, and low-frequency moans, which are thought to be a form of courtship display during the mating season.
The art of field recording
Mathias arrignon‘s background in recording sound spans radiofilm and sound art. He has worked with various institutions, including radio france and the london college of communication and has developed skills in location recordingstudio production and radio drama.
Mathias arrignon draws inspiration from other field recordists and sound artists such as mélia roger and pablo diserens. He is also influenced by the works of werner herzog who depicts environments in a raw, unvarnished way, often serving as a reflection on our relationship with the world.
The power of sound
The sound of the year awards aims to promote a deeper understanding of the world through sound. Mathias arrignon‘s winning piece, songs of the bearded seals is a testament to the power of sound to evoke emotions and create a sense of connection with the natural world. The recording is a masterpiece of field recording capturing the beauty and fragility of the arctic world.
Mathias arrignon believes that field recording can convey the ineffable the sublime and the longue durée of a place’s history. He is driven by a desire to foster environmental care and to narrate realities that suffer from
