‘Taihua’ refers to the intertidal zone, area between the limits of low and high-tide.

‘Taihua’ is the antechamber of the ocean.
We strode along many ‘Taihuas’ in New Zealand, searching for sounds and noises, shells, outlooks to native forests or distant islands.

We strolled by a mighty and often restless ocean. We surfed on rising tide waves and ran barefoot in the wet ‘Taihua’ of the Muriwai beach. We witnessed dusk there, and we photographed pink skies, the surface of the water as a mirror. We captured the echo of caves we could only enter at low-tide. We examined sand covered in shells that chimed like winds, and arranged them by note, depending on their size.

Then, we went deeper in the land, along the streams, still barefoot. We threw ourselves into native forests, surrounded by chatty endemic birds.

All 8 pieces of ‘Taihua’ are about hyper locality. They hold sounds harvested on site, from the crazy melodic phrases of the tūī or the piwakawaka, to the upbeat rhythmical patterns of the insects.

Humans also have a role in this story, they simply made sure they took off their shoes, and reconnected with matter.

++++++++++++++++++++

All tracks composed, played and produced by Benjamin Gibert.
Samples of nature sounds by Benjamin Gibert.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Benjamin Gibert at Earthskin Muriwai Residency, New Zealand. >> www.earthskin.co.nz
Photography by Thomas Vailant >> www.thomva.com
Artwork by Thomas Vaillant & Benjamin Gibert.

Many many thanks to Thomas, Véronique and Nancy.

license © all rights reserved

TAIHUA

Gemme 04 + Tuis Garden (Hurricane Version)

Glassbirds (Benjamin Gibert + SVQO)

‘Taihua’ is a Māori word. It refers to the intertidal zone, area between the limits of low and high-tide.

‘Taihua’ is the antechamber of the ocean.
We strode along many ‘Taihuas’ in New Zealand, searching for sounds and noises, shells, outlooks to native forests or distant islands.

We strolled by a mighty and often restless ocean. We surfed on rising tide waves and ran barefoot in the wet ‘Taihua’ of the Muriwai beach. We witnessed dusk there, and we photographed pink skies, the surface of the water as a mirror. We captured the echo of caves we could only enter at low-tide. We examined sand covered in shells that chimed like winds, and arranged them by note, depending on their size.

Then, we went deeper in the land, along the streams, still barefoot. We threw ourselves into native forests, surrounded by chatty endemic birds.

All 8 pieces of ‘Taihua’ are about hyper locality. They hold sounds harvested on site, from the crazy melodic phrases of the tūī or the piwakawaka, to the upbeat rhythmical patterns of the insects.

Humans also have a role in this story, they simply made sure they took off their shoes, and reconnected with matter.

++++++++++++++++++++

All tracks composed, played and produced by Benjamin Gibert.
Samples of nature sounds by Benjamin Gibert.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Benjamin Gibert at Earthskin Muriwai Residency, New Zealand. >> www.earthskin.co.nz
Photography by Thomas Vailant >> www.thomva.com
Artwork by Thomas Vaillant & Benjamin Gibert.

Many many thanks to Thomas, Véronique and Nancy.

license © all rights reserved

Franz Josef Glacier

Low Tide Cavern 3

Shells

Low Tide Cavern 2

Tūīs Garden

Native Forests

Low Tide Cavern 1

Taihua

Barefoot

Benjamin Gibert ventures into mountains, forests and megacities in search of secret sounds and stray signals. He collects raw sonic material — using a microphone and a notebook — then plays with nesting, soldering, fragmenting and merging sounds. His sonic objects often flirt with acoustic or electronic instruments, forming abstract narratives and opening doors to invisible worlds. His work seeks to create immersive forms where reality and imagination, landscapes and fiction coexist.

Coming from a background in contemporary dance, he develops a physical and spatial approach to sound — conceived for deep listening and movement. Field recording is his main tool, which he combines with electronic textures, evolving rhythmic structures, and a singular use of the voice: without words or language, treated simply as raw, organic, vibrant material.

He has completed numerous residencies in France, New Zealand and Chile, and has performed in France, Spain and Japan.

He released Gemmes (2018), an EP composed for the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud; followed by Taihua (2019), an album created and produced in New Zealand. His upcoming EP, Nightingales, will be released in summer 2025. It is a musical fiction at the crossroads of IDM, organic house and ambient, imagining what a secret forest rave might sound like.

Benjamin Gibert’s work stands out for its way of connecting places, natural sounds and electronic textures. He is drawn to liminal spaces — between wakefulness and sleep, human and non-human, natural and synthetic. His sonic universe is shaped by influences ranging from Oneohtrix Point Never to A.G. Cook, as well as Steve Reich, Björk and D’Eon.