There will be no ‘nil points’ for SEA LIFE London Aquarium as the South Bank attraction pays homage to the world-famous song contest by releasing an alternative track titled ‘EuroFISHion’ – comprised entirely of sounds made by creatures from competing countries.
Following a series of recording sessions in the attraction, the track was then mixed at the world-famous Abbey Road studios in London. The resulting unique and catchy tune features a funky beat which, in a world first, is made up entirely of the sounds projected by the Aquarium’s talented, yet noisy, European (and Australian) residents.
To celebrate the return of the famous song contest to the UK after 25 years, SEA LIFE London Aquarium joined forces with Prof. Steve Simpson, Professor of Marine Biology & Global Change at the University of Bristol and a featured scientist on the BBC’s landmark show, Blue Planet II.
Prof. Steve and his student, Emily Lane, recorded the underwater sounds using specialist hydrophones placed deep into several tanks including the Ocean Tank and the Coral Kingdom.
From this, the team pulled out amazing noises made by species found in the seas around some of the countries competing in this year’s contest. Creatures making their musical debut included the Gilthead Seabream, found along the coast of many Western European countries, and the Clown Anemone Fish, found throughout Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef.
The sounds were later collated, pitched and mixed by the team at Abbey Road in a studio that has been graced by musical icons including The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Lady Gaga, to name but a few.
Speaking of SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s new release, Prof. Steve Simpson said: “It’s so exciting to be working with SEA LIFE London Aquarium and to work on this project bringing the sounds of the ocean to the public, showing that fish really can sing! EuroFISHion is a real earworm – ever since I heard the final cut, I can’t get it out of my head!
“The more we listen to the ocean and its amazing host of animals, the more we learn.
“Everything from whales to dolphins to fish to lobsters, and even seagrass and seaweed, pitch in to the ocean orchestra of sounds. We can hear biodiversity, we can track the fate of habitats as they decline and recover, and we can measure the sounds of breeding and feeding activities from coral reefs to rock pools to the deep ocean.
“It is so exciting to work with SEA LIFE London Aquarium and Abbey Road Studios to bring some of these amazing sounds to the public’s attention.”
SEA LIFE London Aquarium first teamed up with Prof. Steve in 2019 on a remake of the Christmas classic Jingle Bells, which was made up of the underwater sounds heard at the London Aquarium mixed on top of the catchy beat. After much success, SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s team of expert aquarists joined forces with Prof. Steve again to create ‘EuroFISHion’ – a tune that wouldn’t feel out of place in any European nightclub.
Catherine Pritchard, General Manager at SEA LIFE London Aquarium, said: “We’ve known for some time that our residents are singing superstars, so ahead of this weekend, we just knew we had to join in on the fun and unleash their talent on the world.
“It’s been great to get back in the studio with Prof. Steve and create this, a world first. So, make sure you stream EuroFISHion and let’s get it to number 1!”
