A few years ago I picked up Bestiardio, a unique recording from Angélica Castelló that to this day remains thoroughly unclassifiable.  Sonic Blue may be easier to classify, but is no less fascinating; it’s a (mostly) underwater soundscape enhanced by the sub-contra bass, colloquially known as the supergreatbass recorder.  Originally commissioned for a festival network, Sonic Blue is now poised to reach a larger audience, thanks to this vinyl release.

The field recordings come from Castelló and a small group of friends, who were led around Norway’s Lofoten Islands by a seasoned guide.  When it comes to making hydroponic recordings, it helps to have someone aware of the local sonic sources, in the same way as it helps to have a guide in the Amazon.  Some spots are simply richer than others, and Heike Vester is particularly interested in whales.  While this is not a whale-woodwind recording like David Rothenberg’s…