Podcast "The Frosty Poles"

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Skillful when it comes to composition, orchestration and artistic direction, Hélène Lemay has created musical works inspired by various themes with a wide range of sound universes including "Sound Exploration", an interactive travelogue in which the soundtrack is inspired by the far lands and combining several forms of musical expression. The broadcast of this show aroused great enthusiasm in Canada and internationally, particularly in Antarctica where it was performed in concert with three multi-instrumentalist on the boat L'Austral. The show was also performed on a moving ice floe in the presence of Adelie penguins. From that moment in January 2020, Hélène was won over by this unique environment  in the world, its ecosystem and its polar sounds, but also by the exchanges with the scientists on site, the passengers and the crew.

 

In 2021, the independent French journalist, Oriane Laromiguière, present during the Antarctica expedition, shared with Hélène her intention to produce a podcast devoted to the poles, "Les Givrés" (The Frosties) where she intends ineract with a special guest in each episode, aiming to pass along their passion for these fragile areas. As part of her project, Oriane Laromiguère asked Hélène Lemay to design the soundtrack of the podcast. From then on, Hélène saw in it an incredible opportunity to share her passion and to introduce a new musical repertoire with the most recent digital tools available. She is playing with the new sounds reminiscent of the strange vocalizations of Weddell seals, the crackling of the ice, the sound of the wind, etc.

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To carry out this project, Hélène developed her knowledge of digital interactions with tools such as new computer programs for sound processing, but also multiple modulation pedals. She aimed to combine the different sound textures, both electronic and acoustic. This is why the instrumentation of her creation includes trombone, guitar, bass clarinet, saxophone, various percussions, drums and digital sequences.