Inner Child – Theme 7 (Chris Komus Remix)

The whale recording I analysed in the beginning of my bioacoustics research on whale song culture became the core of my first-ever track: Theme 7 from Canticum Megapterae – Song of the Humpback Whale. Through the mastery of some of my favourite sonic wizards Theme 7 evolved into surreal magical remixes. I feel beyond humbled and grateful to these incredible artists for their open hearts, allowing them to get inspired by the baby producer I then was, and, of course, by the amazing humpback whale on vocals! Some kept more of the original track, while others used only small parts of it. Maybe it works the same way with the whales who copy and remix each other’s songs.

Most people ignore that animal culture is crucial for the survival of numerous species. Whales and dolphins have rich and diverse social and cultural lives. Humpback whale songs are among the most remarkable examples of animal culture. They continually evolve, but at any point in time all males in the same population sing the same version of the song. Sometimes they even replace their song with a completely different one from another population – this is called a song revolution. The degree and pace of this cultural change is unparalleled in the animal kingdom, except in humans. How and why does it happen we can only speculate. Are there specific…  more