“The Garden Sounds”

Generating awareness through the universal language of music

Can plants sing? They can. And STIGA has produced a musical album to prove it. Thanks to technology, for the first time ever, the voices of the plants star in an eco-friendly vinyl record with music tracks titled Climbing Ivy, Blooming Tulip, Pale Iris, Night Lavender, Laurestine Dream, and Spontaneous Grass.

Plants have a voice, which deserves to be heard today more than ever. STIGA, the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of machinery and equipment for garden care, revolutionises the way we experience the green spaces surrounding us and the bond between mankind and nature with “The Garden Sounds”. Six tracks born from the voice of plants, collected for the first time in a 100% eco-friendly vinyl; this is the final phase of the #MyPatchOfGreen project, presented at Fuorisalone 2023 in Milan – the main international event for design enthusiasts. Moreover, the songs are available on Spotify and all streaming platforms, in an effort to make the project and its message accessible to everyone.

Of all habitable land on our Earth, only 37% are forests and 11% shrubs and grassland . It was with these figures that, in April this year, STIGA participated in Fuorisalone 2023 with its #MyPatchOfGreen installation, encouraging visitors to reflect on the alarming reduction of green spaces and natural areas in the world. In fact, #MyPatchOfGreen encapsulates an important, core message: every garden, no matter how large or small it is, represents a precious, rare resource in the world and should therefore be preserved and protected.

STIGA intended to convey this fundamental message by means of a technology capable of giving a voice to plants: thanks to the collaboration with the Milanese musician and sound designer Andrea Baroldi, the frequencies emitted by the leaves were interpreted and translated into melodies audible to the human ear. The interaction of visitors with the installation allowed STIGA to create an immersive sensory journey, performing Fuorisalone’s first-ever plant concert. As living organisms, plants are largely made up of water, so they are excellent conductors of electricity; the movement of water within the leaf produces frequencies – different and unique for each plant – which consequently identify each peculiar “voice”. Through a harmless, tailor-made device, it was possible to transmit a low impact electrical discharge unique to each plant. Therefore, with #MyPatchOfGreen each visitor was able to compose their personal melody of “green voices”, simply by placing their hands on special consoles that, connected to an electrode device attached to the leaves activated the sound corresponding to each plant, creating a continuous flow of music, an unprecedented and evocative symphony.

After its first appearance at Fuorisalone 2023 – which achieved resounding success among green experts, tech and innovation enthusiasts, with +3.5K visitors from 64 countries –STIGAs #MyPatchOfGreen project has now become even more innovative and sustainable. Indeed, the first-ever vinyl record featuring the “voices” of plants features six tracks in the album titled; “The Garden Sounds”. These range from more ethereal and ambient tracks to others of a more upbeat song, inspired by six different plants after which they are named: Climbing Ivy, Blooming Tulip, Pale Iris, Night Lavender, Laurestine Dream, Spontaneous Grass. The vinyl is a one-of-a-kind limited edition, from the graphics created and curated by internationally renowned artist Matteo Cibic exclusively for STIGA, to the totally innovative eco-friendly production by Greenyl. Indeed, the production process is fully automatic and powered by renewable energy, which cuts down on gas emissions, resulting in an eco-friendly vinyl, made in a sustainable way and with 100% recyclable material.

From the installation at Fuorisalone 2023 to the Greenyl project, STIGAs #MyPatchOfGreen made the voices of plants audible by shaping their sounds to create “The Garden Sounds”, a symbol of the fact that every green space has life, which must be respected and protected. This is how STIGA accomplished its mission to make people aware of the importance of preserving any green spaces, however small, through the universal language of music.

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