Alaka'i 1777: Immersive Simulations of Extinct Birdsongs

​Alaka'i 1777

​This event starts with a discussion by the installation's creator, Mason Youngblood.

​Alaka'i 1777 is an immersive sound installation that reconstructs the lost song culture of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, an extinct Hawaiian bird, by weaving together archival recordings with interacting artificial agents.

​1777 is the last year that the Alaka'i swamp, the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō's ancestral habitat, was unaffected by European contact. Using a mathematical model of the avian vocal organ (the syrinx), trained on the few surviving recordings of the species, the work will generate imagined songs—speculative echoes of what the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō’s vocal repertoire may have been before population decline erased its complexity. As species dwindle, their songs, like human languages, become simpler and less varied, fading with each generation.

​To give listeners a deeper sense of this lost world, the entire soundscape will be slowed down, allowing them to experience the songs as the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō may have perceived them. Within this expanded space, artificial agents will act as spectral ancestors, engaging in a dynamic, multi-layered dialogue with real Kauaʻi ʻōʻō recordings, offering a glimpse into a richer, more intricate soundscape that vanished long before the last bird fell silent.

​Artist: Mason Youngblood

​Mason Youngblood is a behavioral scientist and sound artist at Stony Brook University, where he studies culture, creativity, and communication in human and non-human animals. His recent work uses computational methods to explore the complexity and structure of bird and whale songs, offering new insights into the cultural lives of these species. Through his sound art, Mason reconstructs the lost songs of extinct animals, creating immersive experiences that deepen empathy and inspire action for wildlife conservation.

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​Come Early to Elevate Your Experience with Adaptogenic Foods and Teas

​Reforesters Laboratory is an experimental adaptogenic cafe and sound clinic located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We utilize music – including spatial, sub-bass-centered, and organic instrumentation – along with breathwork, meditation, art, plant care and adaptogenic, nutritional foods + beverages to cultivate kindness—both physical and spiritual. We aim to create an environment that offers peace, space, and clarity, helping people understand the connections between themselves, their communities, and the world around them. To that end, we offer "pay what you can" ticket options on all events and classes.