TORSKETROMMING- Wilhite-Hannisdal & Laczko (Pinquins)

John Andrew Wilhite-Hannisdal and Balint Laczko
Performed by Pinquins at Ultima 2021, Oslo, Norway

This piece is part of a scientific and artistic exploration of the mating rituals of cod fish. For more information see our websites or read below!

https://www.facebook.com/Torsketromming/
https://rebekahoomen.weebly.com/torsketromming.html

When cod (“torsk” på norsk) gather to mate each spring, they do not just mix and mate with random partners. They have a complex mating ritual that involves both audio (‘song’) and visual (‘dance’) displays. The music is made when the males beat their ‘drumming muscles’ against their swim bladder to produce rhythms, usually while dancing around the female. Males with larger drumming muscles have more offspring, suggesting that this drumming is important for attracting the right partner. ​
Our project aims to understand how these drumming behaviours vary among individual cod, what makes some individuals more attractive than others, and whether cod have different dialects depending on where they’re from. We have partnered with the Norwegian Centre for Technology in Music and Art (NOTAM) to record cod mating in surround sound with hydrophones and create music based upon the sounds of our cod friends. Our first piece of music was premiered by Pinquins at the Ultima Festival in September 2021. Our music also utilizes a 3D sound dome, constructed by NOTAM. With this dome, the listeners will be transported underwater in the middle of a group of mating cod. We’re using advanced filtering and classification algorithms based on machine learning and a method for determining sound directionality to isolate the sounds of individual fish and create a ‘mating map’, so that listeners can hear different voices as if they are swimming by.
Performances will be accompanied by information about the scientific research in the form of talks and infographics, and will be exhibited at aquariums, galleries, science centres, performing arts centres, and multimedia festivals (see below). Follow along with the project on Twitter @TORSKETROMMING!

THE TEAM:
Dr. Rebekah Oomen (Lead Researcher & Producer, University of Oslo & University of Agder)
John Andrew Wilhite-Hannisdal (Musician & Composer)
Bálint Laczkó (Composer & Programmer, Norges Musikkhøgskole/NOTAM)
Cato Langnes (Sound engineer, NOTAM)
Christian Blom (Director, NOTAM)
Dr. Esben Moland Olsen (Research Scientist, Havforskningsinstituttet Flødevigen)
Dr. Susanna Huneide Thorbjørnson (Associate Professor, University of Agder)
Dr. Jeppe Have Rasmussen (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Agder)
Pinquins (Musicians/band: Sigrun Rogstad Gomnæs, Johanne Byhring, and Ane Marthe Sørlien Holen)
Jonas Carlsen (Multidisciplinary Designer)

This project is supported by Arts Council Norway/Kulturrådet (Fond for Lyd og Bilde), Center for Coastal Research, Arendal Kommune, Oslo Kommune,Norsk komponistforening, Bomuldsfabriken, Norsk Komponistfond, and Notam.