ZHAO JIAJING
赵嘉旌



Acousmatic Compositions
Installations & Multimedia

3D Sound Studio
Project Credits

Information
Naiad
3rd Order Ambisonics
8’38”
2025
(Please listen with headphones.)
Naiad is a spatial acousmatic composition that adopts a non-human perspective to explore the sound ecologies of wetlands. It focuses on the littoral zone — the shallow, near-shore area — through a imagined journey from the perspective of a naiad. Created in collaboration with the WWT Wetland Centre (London and Arundel, UK), the piece shifts attention away from the familiar human-centred soundscape, instead bending low to engage with the often overlooked sonic worlds around and beneath the water’s surface.

Using hydrophones submerged in ponds and attached to emergent vegetation, I captured a lively vibroscape — sounds accessible only through direct, intimate contact. These recordings reveal subtle conversations between amphibians, insects, and fish, as well as the crackling and fizzing of submerged plants during photosynthesis: a vibrant sound world largely inaudible to the unaided human ear. Ambisonic recordings were captured from unusual perspectives — just above the water surface, beneath marshes, and among reeds — to evoke an embodied, more-than-human sense of place. Additional sonic elements include the sounds of wooden and metal infrastructures in the park, and the relentless presence of passing airplanes.

The composition adopts a minimalistic approach to preserve the natural sonic detail and inherent rhythms of the recorded material. Abstraction is used with restraint to enhance spectral colour and shape the musical narrative.

Naiad invites listeners to inhabit an alternative mode of listening — one attuned to the neglected micro-sonic dimensions of the wetland. Through creative use of recording and spatial audio technology, the piece encourages an embodied, empathetic engagement with an ecological place that is felt as much as heard.


Special thanks:
Adam Stanović, for making the collaboration with WWT Wetland Centre happen
The stereo version (6’04”)




Journal



The composition begins with raw sound recorded using hydrophones attached to reeds. As the spring breeze moves through them, the reeds produce subtle, organic sonic gestures that form the foundation of the piece.
The water system in the wetlands is mostly silent, requiring experimentation with different locations to capture usable recordings.
The percussive sound that appears midway through the composition was first discovered here. It was my very first recording of the field trip, so I initially assumed it might be an electrical spark caused by my equipment. I checked my technical setup—no issues found. Later, after encountering the same sound again and again throughout the wetland park, I became convinced it must be produced by underwater creatures.
My favourite spot for hydrophone recording – I spotted a rich underwater symphony here, which is featured towards the conclusion of the composition.
Recording the sound of photosynthesis is extremely quiet and requires significant amplification. I can only hope it was a sunny day.




ZHAO JIAING 赵 嘉旌
Composer, Sound Designer, interdisciplinary Artist
jiajingzhao96(at)gmail(dot)com