Baizhen Pan

"Sonifying the Thames: Between Surface and Depth"

Section MS16, Sonia Levy

Keywords: pollution, environment

Sonifying the Thames: Between Surface and Depth explores pollution dynamics of the Thames River through sound, transforming Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) data and field recordings into soundscapes that highlight the interaction between urban influences on the river's surface and ecological pressures beneath.

Using hydrophones and shotgun microphones, underwater and surface sounds are recorded and integrated with data-driven adjustments in Ableton Live. Effects such as reverb, distortion, and pitch shifts are applied to represent ecological dynamics, with the audio structured to create a contrast between the left (surface) and right (underwater) channels. Sonifying the Thames: Between Surface and Depth aims to immerse the audience in the river's ecological state, culminating in a stereo audio composition that contrasts the surface and depth, offering an auditory narrative of the river's environmental challenges.