Splice Soundscapes Geothermal Energy

The molten core of the earth is often referred to as the sun beneath our feet. 4,000 miles down the temperatures can reach the same as those found on the surface of the sun. It is estimated that 0.1% of the heat content of Earth could supply humanity’s total energy needs for 2 million years. Harnessing this energy is expensive and difficult, but less so in Iceland where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. 

This sample pack asks the questions: What are the sounds of geothermal energy in Iceland? What can we do as species to more effectively harness the power of this renewable energy in the future?

Charles Van Kirk and Max Belau traveled along the fault line in the northeast and southwest of Iceland to record physical manifestations of geothermal energy: bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles and lava rocks from Iceland's youngest volcano. They also made recordings at Iceland's largest geothermal power plant, at a tomato greenhouse that is powered by a nearby hot spring, and at a geothermal bakery where ancestral rye bread is buried in hot sand for 24 hours. In addition to the hundreds of one shots and foley, Charles built percussion kits and synthesizers using these field recordings and wrote the music contained in this pack.

Our hope is that these sounds inspire conversations about solving the engineering problems required to harvest geothermal energy in other parts of the world where it is less geologically advantageous to do so and to therefore reduce our collective dependency on oil, gas and coal.

Special thanks to the On Geothermal Energy Exhibition, Fridheimar Greenhouse and Laugarvatn Fontana Bakery.

418 Samples