Bat Echolocation Becomes Dance Music in 'Echo In The Dark'

Scottish artists Hanna Tuulikki and Tommy Perman have turned the ultrasonic echolocation of UK bat species into a full-length club record. Set for release in late August, Echo in the Dark features 11 tracks built entirely from bat recordings made audible with heterodyne bat detectors, layered with Tuulikki's vocals. No synthesizers were used.

From Bat Walks to Silent Raves

The project began in 2022, when Arbroath arts venue Hospitalfield commissioned Tuulikki to create work inspired by bats following community bat walks held during the pandemic lockdowns. She invited producer Perman to collaborate, and together the pair built a library of recordings gathered from public submissions and Tayside Bat Group. The material premiered at "silent bat raves," with attendees dancing with headphones as live bat detector feeds mixed into the DJ set outdoors at dusk.

Each Track Centers on a Single Species

That effort eventually grew into the full album, with each track centering on a single species. Perman told Positive News the variation between them surprised him, singling out the lesser horseshoe bat's "beautiful rippling calls" while comparing the Daubenton's bat's clicks to a jazz drummer's syncopation.

Referred to by its creators as "a love letter to club culture," the album promotes ecological listening as an unlikely but genuine source material for dance music. Echo in the Dark is available for pre-order now on Bandcamp, including a vinyl edition.