Callie O'Brien
Xvelastín’s upcoming EdFringe immersive, evolving sound performance [whalesong] is an absurdist human-computer duet about the noises and voices in our seas. With live improvisations promising a different show every night, we caught up with Xavier for a pixelated pint to dive into all things oceanic.
You can catch [whalesong] from August 2nd – 24th (not 12th, 19th) at PBH’s Free Fringe @ BrewDog DogHouse Hotel from 17:00 (50 mins). The show is offered free at the point of entry and is non-ticketed, with more information available on the EdFringe Website.
Callie: Hi Xavier! Your show [whalesong] has you constructing live meditative undersea soundscapes – what should we be expecting under the surface?
Xavier: I think when you’re tackling a show that touches on ecology, conservation, big topics like that, the audience will probably be expecting something quite serious – but you’ll find that the show’s actually quite playful, silly, and lighthearted! it’s a show about whales, how cool they are, how amazing they sound, and how we don’t really listen to them in the right way. The show definitely talks about those more serious topics, but they’re almost secondary: people come in expecting a show about human impacts and actually, those stories have been told, and [whalesong] has very little to do with humans!
One of the core parts of the show asks how we can understand whalesong, whale communication, in a way that doesn’t involve cutting it up and editing it to sound ‘wrong’. When we hear whalesong so often in media, it’s already been heavily edited, transformed for human consumption – commodified for meditation, relaxation, sleep. I’m much more interested in how we can understand the whales themselves – what their songs are meaning, what they’re feeling when they sing – without imposing our own ideas about what we want them to feel.
Callie: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience?
Xavier: I definitely want people to leave with a renewed interest in the sea and its creatures. In the UK, we’re an island and yet we’re so culturally disconnected from the ocean compared to other island nations. Especially in our seaside towns that have lost a lot of their industry, their tourism. There’s a lot of economic disparity and folks who also lack that connection with the water in those places, because of the lack of resources, the lack of cultural investment.
I remember doing some workshops with someone who worked with coastal communities and primarily talked about how a lot of people are afraid of the ocean, how we’re constantly damaging the water. I don’t want to swim on the south coast because of how much we’ve polluted it. So [whalesong] really explores how we can reconnect our own relationship with the ocean as people who live on an island, close to the sea, who keep cutting it out.
Thinking of things in an ‘oceanic’ way is my own lens of getting through all the awful stuff that’s happening at the moment – it’s about fluidity, about being many things, tiny and large, and being able to encompass the oceanic within you – and that way of looking at things is something quite valuable that I want audiences to take away with them.
Callie: I’d love to dig into your process a bit – could you tell me about the soundscapes you’ll be using in the piece? What should audiences be listening out for? Why was it important to you for these soundscapes to be created live?
Xavier: The soundscapes are all inspired by the sea, and the voices, the noises and everything that’s happening within it. The show follows a really non-linear narrative, inspired by the fractal-like structures of how humpback whales sing. It’s different every time, but to give an example – one of the sequences that might come up at the start uses a hydrophone in a bowl of water, my voice, and a bunch of delays, pitch shifting, looping in order to expand these sounds into this fantastical oceanic world.
A lot of it’s very meditative, but there’s also some more introspective and dissonant sections inspired by things like deep sea mining, industrial influences which threaten the sounds of the ocean. As the piece builds I add more and more layers into the mix – it’s a constantly evolving sound world interspersed with spoken word, singing, and all these live improvisations that stories emerge out of. People can come ten times and still see a different show, which is part of the beauty of the live nature of it.
I love doing it live because performance is such a powerful thing, being able to see the immediate impact of how the actions I’m taking influence the soundscape makes it feel really grounded and connected. But you can also close your eyes and get lost in all the quiet and intricate sounds you otherwise might not notice. I really like being able to offer both of these experiences to the audience, getting immersed in the sounds as well as the theatre, the visuals of me performing.
Callie: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Xavier: I love the Fringe so much, the range of what’s on over the month is huge – massive shows, tiny indie shows, people coming from all over the world. Nothing compares.
For me especially the queer theatre scene is such a standout, it gives me so much joy being in Edinburgh surrounded by queer folk – mad, drag, really radical and boundary pushing art. I find the queer community is just great for showing up. At the end of the day, especially at the Free Fringe all we want is people in the room, sharing in the art, chatting with people who ‘get’ it. So I’m really looking forward to making some more connections with other artists, performers, and audiences whilst I’m up there.
Callie: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if [whalesong] was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Xavier: I’m going to say a Bloody Mary – it’s got that spicy tomato-y kick, but it’s also warm, fulfilling, and exactly what you need.
Remember – you can catch [whalesong] from August 2nd – 24th (not 12th, 19th) at PBH’s Free Fringe @ BrewDog DogHouse Hotel from 17:00 (50 mins). Tickets available free on the door, with more information available on the EdFringe Website.
Image Credit: Suzi Corker
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
