Comments on: soundwaves

soundwaves

nickyskye — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:43:37 -0800

The Sea Organ (YouTube) is located on the shores of Zadar, Croatia, and is the world’s first pipe organ that is played by the sea. Simple and elegant steps, carved in white stone, were built on the quayside. Underneath, there are 35 pipes with whistle openings on the sidewalk. The movement of the sea pushes air through, and – depending on the size and velocity of the wave – musical chords are played (YouTube). The waves create random harmonic sounds.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:46:04 -0800

There's a CD available from the SeaOrgans site, which has a nice image of the names of the Mediterannean/Adriatic Sea winds and their directions.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:50:41 -0800

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:52:15 -0800

(Which I believe predates the Croatian Sea Organ - but isn't as melodic or musical.)

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:01:34 -0800

You're absolutely right loquacious, the San Francisco Wave Organ (also built with PVC pipes) was built in 1986 and the Sea Organ in Zadar opened to the public in 2005. So the Zadar one is definitely not the first sea organ, what a rip off! Still, the Zadar one makes nice music. :)

By: interrobang

interrobang — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:03:23 -0800

Wow, like something out of a Jack Vance novel.

By: French Fry

French Fry — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:15:29 -0800

That kid on the first link wasn't a fan I think. That sea organ brought him to tears.

By: Foci for Analysis

Foci for Analysis — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:29:50 -0800

Oh great, the sea is more talented at playing instruments than I am. I like stuff like this, makes me wanna travel.

By: Benjamin Nushmutt

Benjamin Nushmutt — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:36:36 -0800

Is it me or does the Sea Organ sound a little like the Fishing with John Soundtrack?

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:55:10 -0800

That's nifty. But I have one suggestion. If the Toccata & Fugue in d minor starts playing one day GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WATER!!!!!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:25:53 -0800

Harnessing the power of the sea to provide us with the crucial music we need to survive! This is great! These things should be on coastlines all over the world. Each seaside town could use its own unique scale, then music critics and listeners could muse over the relative merits of, say, Sydney over, say, Baltimore. Battle of the Seashores! "So the Zadar one is definitely not the first sea organ..." The big question, though, is which is the humblest. Any thoughts on that, KirthGerson?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:27:20 -0800

Oh great, the sea is more talented at playing instruments than I am Hey, don't take it too hard, Foci. The sea's been around a bit longer than you. Practice makes perfect!

By: aladfar

aladfar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:30:55 -0800

Incredibly beautiful. This made my day!

By: hangashore

hangashore — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:36:02 -0800

And the best feature: when it starts playing off-key, you just call in the Sea Organ Tuna.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:37:18 -0800

hangashore I favorited that just so you'd never ever do that again.

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:42:45 -0800

Your favorite band blows.

By: quite unimportant

quite unimportant — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:58:05 -0800

Is it me or does the Sea Organ sound a little like the Fishing with John Soundtrack? I think it sounds almost exactly like a track on Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2. Can't remember which one though.

By: kozad

kozad — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:52:41 -0800

Wind harps are nice, too. Google it.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:55:23 -0800

And the wind cries Mary

By: sgt.serenity

sgt.serenity — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:02:15 -0800

heh - i'm due in zadar in june - i'll definitely be having a wee dance to this : ) (which should cheer those fun lovin croatians up no end) if only zadar had ferries that went to split etc i'd be very happy...and i wish nicky would stop letting people know how nice croatia is !

By: Tube

Tube — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:46:56 -0800

It's a series of tubes!

By: taosbat

taosbat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:16:01 -0800

Harnessing the power of the sea to provide us with the crucial music we need to survive! Creating nice spaces to play with the oceans and listen to the piping of the interaction humans created with the seas seems like eversomuchbetter a contribution to society than, well, a lot of things our tax dollars have done for us lately.

By: taosbat

taosbat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:19:58 -0800

I wish I'd said "made" not "created:" Creating nice spaces to play with the oceans and listen to the piping of the interaction humans made with the seas seems like eversomuchbetter a contribution to society than, well, a lot of things our tax dollars have done for us lately.

By: vronsky

vronsky — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 20:42:39 -0800

I make those exact same sounds when I get my organ played. (sorry nickyskye - long day, promise I'll do better next time;)

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:36:04 -0800

Creating nice spaces to play with the oceans and listen to the piping of the interaction humans created with the seas seems like eversomuchbetter a contribution to society than, well, a lot of things our tax dollars have done for us lately. Agreed 100% taosbat. I wasn't being sarcastic. I was, for purposes of the comment, appropriating a sort of 'voice', like one might hear on an old newsreel about, say, the mighty captains of industry harnessing the power of coal, but I fully believe we do need music to survive, and if in fact this sea organ was funded with Croatian tax dollars, I say hurrah for the enlightened Croat taxpayers! But, eversomuchbetter is not a word! Spaces are your friend! :)

By: taosbat

taosbat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:43:23 -0800

I'm happy we were in agreement from the start, flapjax at midnite; except, while eversomuchbetter may not be a word, it is a concept...one with which I dispensed the hyphens...hyphens, hymens... all dispensable, sigh.

By: tomble

tomble — Tue, 01 May 2007 03:41:15 -0800

Wow, that is amazing! This seems like such a wonderful idea.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 May 2007 09:13:20 -0800

hangashore, the Sea Organ Tuna, *groan*, that's funny. sgt.serenity, heh - i'm due in zadar in june, *groan ::envy:: vronsky, get my organ played, *groan, not so funny, you organ grinder you. taosbat , hyphens...hyphens, hymens... all dispensable, sigh, *groan, rolls eyes. ...sheesh and this post was supposed to be a happy happy joy joy surviving the tail end of Monday kind of peaceful...a little dabbling the tootsies in the Adriatic with otherworldly, dreaminess and sunset contemplating. oh well, I tried...

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:21:04 -0800

supercalafragalisticexpealadocious

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:55:24 -0800

ok taosbat, you get the no hyphen, no hymen prize. :) Wanna go wading?

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 12:09:43 -0800

wading? I don't set foot in oceans anymore. I'm pretty much over the whole everything-wants-to-eat-me-soup-with-riptides thrill; so I'll stay on the beach, thanks, nickyskye.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 May 2007 14:54:11 -0800

aww taosbat, we can just sit on the steps then, listen to the sea organ and watch the sunset.

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:14:54 -0800

Nice! You'll pick me up?

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:34:52 -0800

Ok, you make the picnic then. :)

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:59:02 -0800

Sure, do you have an food restrictions?

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:59:17 -0800

any

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 01 May 2007 19:00:32 -0800

Hey, y'all gonna eat those french fries? And hey, what's that sound coming outta the sidewalk?

By: taosbat

taosbat — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:12:51 -0800

Would you like a fry while we enlightened ones listen to ocean farts? We'll give you a bag if you'll quiet yourself.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:17:34 -0800

Uuuuhhhh... yeah, okay! Got some ketchup for these?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:22:09 -0800

Or more likely mayonnaise, since we're in Europe and all...

By: chota

chota — Wed, 02 May 2007 06:32:38 -0800

I saw/walked on the sea organ when I visited Croatia last summer. It's just a flat patch of concrete, with some steps leading down to the water, next to a dock (obligatory wikipedia link). It's a great place to sit and read a book. The view is magnificent, especially at sunset. The weird thing is that it has the illusion of being in time with the waves and wind, which it is. But it still sounds ethereal and calming. There's also (weirdly) pictures of Alfred Hitchcock everywhere, and a big "this is why we love alfred hitchcock" sign near the sea organ. It's very relaxing, and I could've stayed there the whole day, but I got drawn in by the nearby forum (the largest outside Rome, I believe).

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:01:11 -0800

chota, So cool you shared that great description, your experience and the extra links, thanks!

By: taosbat

taosbat — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:54:10 -0800

It's a great place to sit and read a book. The view is magnificent, especially at sunset. The weird thing is that it has the illusion of being in time with the waves and wind, which it is. But it still sounds ethereal and calming. There's also (weirdly) pictures of Alfred Hitchcock everywhere... Wyrdly, that sounds like a bit of paradise.

By: taosbat

taosbat — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:07:33 -0800

May-o, may-ay-ay-o Daylight come and she wan' go home May, she say may, she say may, she say may, she say may, she say may-ay-ay-o Daylight come and she wan' go home Work all night on a drink a'rum (Daylight come and she wan' go home)...

By: taosbat

taosbat — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:12:04 -0800

oops

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 03 May 2007 06:46:42 -0800

Hold the day-o.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 03 May 2007 06:47:13 -0800

Seize the mayo.