about
[whalesong] is a submersive sonic journey about the noises and voices in the oceans.
💦 It is a sound play on choice, voice and our watery selves.
🤖 It is a human-computer duet told between a performer and an adaptive technological system that changes the content and soundscape each night.
🐳 It has a little whale balloon and a gargle-along theme song.
Created by sound artist and technologist xvelastín, [whalesong] is inspired by the speech and song of whales; its content a mixture of mythologies, scientific research and speculative fiction. It is a celebration of the diversity of the voices in the sea, and a challenge to humanity’s desire to control and own them.
“xvelastín creates the most beautiful sounds from the simplest of actions” – Ragged Cult Magazine.
📸 Follow on Instagram for updates and whale facts: @whalesongwhalesong
The whale moves in a sea of sound:
Shrimps snap, plankton seethes,
Fish croak, gulp, drum their air-bladders,
And are scrutinised by echo-location,
A light massage of sound
Touching the skin
- Heathcote Williams, Whale Nation
bubbly binaural
Using the cybergloves as ambisonic controllers with pitchshifters to play with bubbly utterance.
Created with the generous support of:
PBH's Free Fringe
Additional credits to:
Lighting/projection design by Ariane Nixon
Plastic mac by Ruby Cherry
Filming support by Seb H-W, Ann Liu, Fred M-G
Production feedback: Fred M-G, Ariane Nixon, Seb H-W, Pepe Canseco, Vic Tillotson, Virág Pázmány, Jane Gauntlett and probably many more - let me know if I've left your name out.
Most photos by Suzi Corker
🐳 🐳 🐳
xvelastín is a British-Chilean sound artist focusing on voice, technology and climate change. He performs often in solo and collaborative works specialising in finding new modes of expression, usually using a mixture of experimentalism, musical training and computer programming. Visit the homepage to find out more about his work: xvelastin [sound artist].
🐳 🐳 🐳
Some more information if you would like to book [whalesong] at your event:
- It is suitable for theatre and gig contexts, and can be booked in three different lengths: set (5-10 mins), feature (20-30 mins) or full-length (50 min).
- I can source my own PA and infrastructure, all I need is a room with power.
- Press info available on request.
To book [whalesong], contact me directly.
Greenland Whale Fisheries (livestream)
A cover of an old whaling song sung from the perspective of a sarcastic whale.
past shows
2025-08 | run at Edinburgh Fringe 2025 as part of the PBH Free Fringe, 21 shows in total.
2025-07-15 | Cafe Kino Bristol
2025-07-11 | Theatre Deli London
2021-09-21 | binaural livestream for Creative Environments: A Workshop on Collaborative Methods with Dr. Paul Merchant, University of Bristol.
2021-08-03 | Alphabetti Theatre for Newcastle Fringe Festival (one-off).
2020-05 | Spiegeltent Bosco for Brighton Fringe (3 nights) (coronacancelled)
2020-04-23 | Virtual Variety Festival (livestream)
2020-03-16 | Theatre Deli London (rest of run coronapostponed)
2018-08 | The Monkey House for Camden Fringe (3 nights)
upcoming shows
Nothing for now - if you're interested in booking, please contact me.
Actionshot
Credit: Suzi Corker
Credit: Suzi Corker
Cyberglove wrists
Credit: Suzi Corker
Credit: Suzi Corker
youmeyoume
Performance score, originally created for my first cetacean sound play, Me & My Whale.
torn
Performance score, incorporating other scores (youmeyoume, above; annotations of humpback whale song by Roger and Katy Payne, Scott and Hella McVay; symbols found in whale mythology).
Singing Xrempülkalwe
Credit: Alphabetti Theatre
Blubb
Credit: Alphabetti Theatre
Reading Whale Nation
Credit: Alphabetti Theatre
Whalefall
Credit: Alphabetti Theatre