Creating The Whispers Of Hala Bala Soundscape Album
Conference proceedings article
Authors/Editors
Strategic Research Themes
Publication Details
Author list: Sutthiphong Ruangchante
Publication year: 2025
Title of series: APARN Asia Pacific Artistic Research Network Conference 2025 PROCEEDINGS
Number in series: ISBN: 978-616-7901-71-8
Volume number: 1
Start page: 512
End page: 523
Number of pages: 12
URL: https://www.aparn2025.com/APARN2025_Proceedings.pdf
Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)
Abstract
The Whispers of Hala Bala Album presents a combination of soundscapes from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia with music created by AI, focusing on the natural sound from southern Thailand, especially the Hala Bala tropical rainforests in Narathiwat Province. The project aims, first, to foster a deep sense of connection between people in the communities and urban soundscapes, as well as the natural soundscape of Southeast Asia’s tropical rainforest, and second, to promote environmental awareness of this unique tropical rainforest soundscape focus on the Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Thailand. The album, which focuses on four important points in Narathiwat Province, consists of eight tracks: (1) Awakening the City, (2) The Heart of the Forest, (3) Interlude of the Stream, (4) Echoes of the Ancients, and tracks five through eight, combining AI-generated music compositions with authentic ambient sound elements, including hornbills, siamang gibbons, dusky langurs, roughsided frogs, rain, flowing water, and other natural acoustics, accompanied by contemplative melodies. The result is an engaging audio experience that takes listeners right into the sounds of Southeast Asia’s tropical rainforest, helping them feel calm and more aware of their environment while they explore the related exhibits. The project not only celebrates the natural beauty of the region’s soundscapes but also demonstrates the transformative potential of AI to create meaningful and deeply immersive listening experiences. We design these experiences to inspire reflection, promote mindfulness, and foster a renewed appreciation of the tropical rainforest in Thailand. We achieve this by seamlessly blending traditional and contemporary elements. It is important to note that music created by AI has certain limitations, and humans continue to be the most nuanced creators of soundscapes with music composition.
Keywords
Hala Bala, the Whispers of Hala Bala Soundscape Album, tropical rainforest soundscape






