Bionic and the Wires is a band that makes music by turning {the electrical} exercise of fungi into playable sounds.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
That is the work of the creative and musical venture known as Bionic and the Wires.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
JONATHAN PAUL ROSS: We take {the electrical} indicators, after which we convert these into musical notes.
PFEIFFER: Jonathan Paul Ross is among the creators of Bionic and the Wires. He and his companion, Andy Kidd, seize these sounds from timber and vegetation and mushrooms.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ROSS: We’re connecting biosensors to fungi and vegetation, and people sensors choose up on bioelectrical variations which can be taking place within the plant and the fungi. And that electrical energy – these adjustments are as a result of the plant and the fungi are reacting to environmental circumstances.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
PFEIFFER: Ross says that creates what we understand as music.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
PFEIFFER: The crew captures these sounds of their studio and in nature. This can be a mushroom taking part in a keyboard beneath an oak tree within the U.Ok….
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
PFEIFFER: …And an apple tree jamming out on a guitar and a handpan.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ROSS: Now we have these bionic arms that do biosonification. We have taken the organic knowledge, after which we have transformed it into motor motion.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ROSS: We select the devices that they are taking part in as a result of we’re aiming for extra natural sounds.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ROSS: We’re not studying the ideas of the plant or the fungi, so we have not hardwired into the nervous system of the plant or fungi. However we’re listening to their our bodies, so we have a direct reference to the physiology and the music that they are taking part in.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
ROSS: Virtually, vegetation and fungi aren’t excellent musicians, although that implies that it’s a must to be fairly inventive with the varieties of devices that you simply’re utilizing. You perhaps want to make use of a bit of little bit of reverb. That you must produce other results on the sounds that simply makes it extra rhythmic and one thing that we perceive as music.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
PFEIFFER: Ross produces movies of moss and aloe vera and different vegetation he makes use of to make this musical product. Bionic within the Wires additionally holds reside live shows and places paintbrushes in bionic arms that permit the vegetation to create work, but it surely’s these synthesized sounds that get probably the most consideration.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
PFEIFFER: They could change your notion of what you take into account music.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts could differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its unique broadcast or publication. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.
