Part of New Music Biennial
Moth x Human is a thought-provoking composition that highlights declining UK biodiversity.
Moth data collected by scientists at UKCEH has been sonified into immersive soundscapes, with each moth assigned a different sound. The ebb and flow of different species activity throughout the night is ‘performed’ alongside acoustic instruments, field recordings, electronics and visuals, creating a unique interspecies experience.
This thought-provoking new work highlights declining UK biodiversity. Nocturnal pollinators can be so easily overlooked, yet they play an essential role within our ecosystem and are as important as bees and butterflies. Their numbers have dropped significantly – by 28% since 1968, and by 40% in southern Britain – impacting wildlife that rely on them for food, such as birds, bats, and small mammals.
“In collaboration with ecologists and data scientists at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, my piece explores the positive use of AI for conservation. Part data sonification, part notated composition, the piece is an interspecies dialogue. Alongside a small ensemble and electronics, moth activity data collected from UK locations is used to generate and manipulate sounds.” Ellie Wilson
“This project will showcase the wonder of nature through music, specifically focusing on moths and the natural world that comes awake while we sleep. These fascinating creatures are essential for our ecosystems, pollinating many flowers, trees and crops during the night, but are underappreciated. We hope Ellie’s interpretation of our scientific data through a musical composition will show people the remarkable night-time biodiversity of the UK.” Dr Jenna Lawson of UKCEH
The Northern School of Art’s Animation Department, in collaboration with the wider creative community, has developed a visual accompaniment to the composition. This piece features over 100 hand-rendered moth designs, crafted by talented creatives from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. These intricate illustrations are brought to life through animation, seamlessly complementing the music.
Ellie Wilson is a classically trained violinist with a background that spans post rock to minimalist, experimental music. She previously participated in OCM’s BOOM professional development programme, during which she incubated some of the ideas which have developed into this work.
Commissioned by Oxford Contemporary Music with support from UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
Future performances:
7th June 2025, New Music Biennial at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
5th July, New Music Biennial at London Southbank Centre
Part of New Music Biennial, this event includes two performances of the same work and a short interview with the creative team in between the two, enabling audiences to experience the second performance with greater insight into the creative process.
PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre’s New Music Biennial is a critically acclaimed free festival presenting 20 pieces of new music across two festival weekends, at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (6th – 8th June 2025) and London’s Southbank Centre (4th -6th July 2025), broadcast on BBC Radio 3, available for download from NMC Recordings and generously supported by Arts Council England.
www.newmusicbiennial.co.uk
PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial is generously supported by Southbank Centre, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3, Arts Council England and NMC Recordings. You can find out more at prsfoundation.com
