Each Morning of the World #06
Southeast Asia PhoNographic Mornings #07/20
Don Khone ~ Siphandone ~ Laos
«The last of their kind »
Stratis Skandalakis
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Submerge in the channel of waste

Arise to the wetlands

Dive with the frogs

Feel the elementary power of water and life
Enter the last shelter embraced by the rainforest
Hide from the armed men
In the tunnels of a termite mound
Step into the Mekong

Listen to the last of their kind

Don Khone is located in Siphandone, an area consisting of thousands of islands on the Mekong River, home to local communities that have spent generations living off the resources of the river. In Siphandone's unique landscape, the Mekong river splits into numerous channels, rapids and waterfalls. These wild rapids and the impassable Khone Phapheng falls east of the island are the reason why Mekong is not fully navigable into China and why this area has retained a big part of its rich biodiversity. No matter where you are in Don Khone the sound of the elementary power of water is omnipresent. The force of the water became an asset to capitalise and woke Laos ambition to become the largest energy exporter in the region. Backed up by heavy Chinese investment, dozens of hydroelectric dams have been built with often devastating impact on the lives of the local people and animals. One of these dams, the Don Sahong Dam was in construction while I was there. 500 meters downstream of the construction site, next to the explosions, live the last three Irrawaddy dolphins of Laos. They have been declared "functionally extinct”, this means there are not enough left to reproduce. While I was recording them, I knew that this would be probably the last sonic testimony of their existence.

Recordings:
Underwater recording of the Hou Behanzin Channel, separating the two touristic parts of the islands Don Det and Don Khone, filled with glass waste
Stereo and underwater recording of the wetlands
Binaural recordings of the Mekong river, Somphamit Waterfalls, rapids and the rainforest Recordings in termite mounds
Underwater recording of Irrawaddy dolphins

recorded in Don Khone, Laos, July 2017

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Stratis Skandalakis
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Stratis Skandalakis is half vagabond traveling, recording and exploring nature and half person taking different roles in the audio and music world.

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www.stratis-playground.com
www.binaural-recordings.com
soundcloud.com/binauralrecordings
www.facebook.com/binauralrecordings/
www.instagram.com/binauralrecordings/
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