Insect Opera is a composition of field recordings taken from around the South-west of WA, slowed down, and pitched to a level humans can understand and appreciate.

Mei Saraswati sings without words: in, under and through the sounds of garage crickets, a running stream, clicking frogs, birdsong of Baigup wetlands and underwater macro invertebrates from Beeliar wetlands.

The formation of the notes and vocal sounds are improvised responses to the different nature of the field recordings. For each section there is a corresponding ‘rule’ for each vocal style.

Insect Opera pays homage to the little things that labour collectively in our world to pollinate, decompose, clean, aerate - invisibly and tirelessly.

This work was commissioned by City of Melville for Goolagatup (Heathcote) Gallery's 'Melville Contemporary'. Thank you for the opportunity to make this work and providing time and assistance in the making. The sound work was installed at Goolagatup Gallery from 23/9/23 - 22/10/23.

Please enjoy an excerpt of the work.