David de la Haye
David de la Haye (b. Jersey, 1981) is a sound recordist, composer, bassist, and music technician. His current work focuses on raising understanding of freshwater environments through the creative exploration of underwater soundscapes.
David studied Jazz at Leeds Conservatoire before discovering electronic composition. Glitch and digital failure were the themes of his postgraduate degree (Newcastle University, 2004) and he continues to explore our perception of beauty, microsound, and more-than-human interaction with nature. Beginning with meticulous underwater sound recordings, he portrays the otherworldly timbres and rhythms of ponds, rivers and lakes. Subtle aural qualities of aquatic life are brought into sharp focus, giving a voice to the unheard beneath the surface without resorting to extensive audio processing. Growing up an islander, David relishes every opportunity to be near water.
His eclectic collaborative portfolio includes international tours, artist residencies, educational workshops, and gallery installation. Notable achievements include an Ivor Novello Composer Award nomination; becoming a Sound and Music Associate; winning Sound Of The Year Award 2020 for ‘Best Listener’ (with his 2 year old son!); being shortlisted for Outstanding Technician of the Year; creating works for the BALTIC, British Ecological Society, BBC Radio, and COP26 at Glasgow Science Centre. His unique recordings of underwater Grey Seal vocalisations, collected with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, were added to the British Library and subsequently used in the acclaimed Gaelic documentary film, Iorram (Boat Song). He is based in Durham and sat on the Cultural Committee for D2025, UK City of Culture.