Sundarbans - Tides and Traces

As part of my PhD research at RMIT University, Melbourne, I present a collection of soundscape compositions from extensive field recordings in the Sundarbans mangrove delta in India. This PhD research is being supervised by Prof. Philip Samartzis and Assoc. Prof. Michael Graeve.

Geographically, the Sundarbans on the Indian side is a vast delta of 102 islands, 54 of which are inhabited by communities living on the fringes of the forest. The landscape is shaped by a labyrinth of waterways—large rivers, rivulets, creeks, and artificial fish-farming ponds—where land and water constantly negotiate their boundaries. Yet beyond these geographical definitions, the Sundarbans remain a place of mystery. The air is heavy with saline moisture, and the scent of adulterated oil from boat motors and engine vans lingers, polluting the fragile environment with particulate matter.

Deep listening through field recording grants access to the unfolding materialities of this enigmatic terrain. This project engages with both the presence and absence of sound in the Sundarbans, exploring its infinitesimally local geophysical manifestations. The album captures a spectrum of sonic textures: the rhythmic movements of rivers, the murmur of irrigation canals, the mechanical hum of heavy machinery, the calls of animals and insects, and ambient soundscapes from different times of the day. When heard in isolation, these solitary sounds may seem like mere textures. But when approached through a speculative sonic history, they offer entry into an altered perception of the Sundarbans—a space where sound possesses agency and reveals unseen dimensions of the landscape.

In Memoria, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul takes us on a journey of sonic memory and deep time manifestations. As film critic Prahlad Srihari observes in Firstpost, sound in the film propels us into a space where myth and memory, the mundane and the metaphysical, coexist. The sounds of the Sundarbans, too, carry this sense of mystery, hinting at a deep reservoir of tensions and transformations. The sound of the river in this album is not just a river—it is a body that holds the materialities and vibrations of both the past and the ever-evolving present.

#soundsfromsundarbans #mangrovesounds #sundarbansounds #soundsfromsundarbanindia #tidesandtraces 

credits

released March 3, 2025

Supported by RMIT University, Melbourne

Field recording and composition: Pratyay Raha

Album Art Photograph: Diptyarka Bose