Chennai to host 'ear cinema': Violin, mridangam keep pace with insect choirs, intertidal waves

Sarod maestro and sound artist Soumik Datta is set to bring his latest ecology-themed production, Melodies in Slow Motion, to Chennai for a limited four-show run on May 21 and 22.

By slowing down field recordings of insect choirs and intertidal zones captured by sound designer Rahul Nandkarni, the performance transforms microscopic biological movements into what Datta calls ''ear cinema''. The music aims to mirror natural phenomena: the Carnatic violin traces avian murmurations, while the tabla and mridangam capture the architectural dance of honeybees.

Concluded as the finale of Datta's eight-month national tour, the immersive headphone experience will take place at Offbeat Music Ventures, following a successful premiere in Mumbai on Earth Day in April, according to a press note.

Commissioned by the British Council and co-produced by Soumik Datta Arts and G5A, the performance serves as a sonic exploration of the planet's ecological fragility, the press note added.

The show centres on ''trophic cascades'' -- the ecological domino effect triggered when changes in a keystone species' population destabilise an entire ecosystem.

''By using biofeedback and slowing down these field recordings, we're trying to sync the sarod with the earth's own internal clock,'' Datta said. ''It's a reminder that if the rhythm of one species fails, the rhythm of the entire ecosystem collapses.''.

Datta will be accompanied by an ensemble featuring Sumesh Narayanan (mridangam), Sayee Rakshith (violin), and Debjit Patitundi (tabla).

The auditory performance is paired with a visual layer featuring projected sketches by over 100 children from Pratham Creativity Clubs in Maharashtra, who documented nature during a multi-day forest program.

Presented in partnership with ProMusicals and Universal Audio Digital, the Chennai shows will feature two performances per evening, offering audiences headphones for a sensory experience.

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