nocturna by Deniz Dortok

About nocturna

nocturna is inspired by Johan Eklöf’s book Darkness Manifesto, which examines the detrimental effects of artificial lighting on the night-time ecosphere. Air and noise pollution have been studied extensively, whereas awareness around light pollution has been growing more gradually in recent years. The broader ecological and artistic impacts are still coming into focus, and with this in mind I approached Nocturna as an attempt to sonically trace and embrace the quiet ecologies conceived in hours of darkness.
Shaped through spoken text, the work paints a soft, hushed landscape of bell-like harmonics, breath sounds, and repeating gestures to create the impression of a forest alive with subtle nocturnal movements. Midway through the piece, this atmosphere is ruptured by a harsh, unremitting cacophony that evokes the noisy, light-saturated cityscape. The sudden tonal shift interrupts the narrative flow deliberately; rather than pointing toward a single interpretation, it creates a moment of disorientation, allowing each listener to experience the contrast in their own way.

The epilogue carries a more fragmentary and unresolved character, leaving space for thought rather than providing closure. Some of the sounds in this section are organic, drawn from field recordings and from studio outtakes, as well as objects from the natural world such as pine cones or excess wood cuts. These ‘found sounds’ are juxtaposed with the lingering residues of the material that came before, interacting with the distilled, quiet, and fragmentary layers of earlier passages. Together they form a quiet afterimage of the journey, something to sit with rather than fully define.


About light pollution:

Light pollution, the excessive and misdirected artificial light at night, poses a significant threat to biodiversity. This disruption of the natural day-night cycle disrupts the behaviors and rhythms of countless organisms. Nocturnal animals, particularly insects, birds, and mammals, rely on darkness for essential activities like foraging, mating, and migration. Artificial light can confuse these creatures, leading to disorientation, reduced reproductive success, and increased predation. Additionally, light pollution can alter plant growth and flowering patterns, impacting ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

In this altered cycle, the Common European glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) finds its bioluminescent courtship drowned beneath floodlights, its silent lanterns dim against the glare. Migrating Blackpoll warblers (Setophaga striata), navigating by starlight, spiral toward illuminated towers, burning precious reserves in fatal loops. Even the Greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), whose foraging routes are stitched into the fabric of darkness, is forced into new patterns, its prey fields shifting under the halo of streetlamps.

The consequences of light pollution extend beyond individual organisms to entire ecosystems. The decline of insect populations, for instance, has cascading effects on food webs, as many species rely on insects as a primary food source. Moreover, the disruption of migratory patterns can lead to population declines and altered species distributions. As human populations and urbanization continue to expand, the problem of light pollution is likely to worsen. Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including responsible lighting design, public awareness campaigns, and supportive policies to protect both biodiversity and the natural night sky.

‘In Nocturna, I sought to capture the quiet, delicate sounds of the night, those tiny magical fragments that go unnoticed except in stillness. Working with Sofia Zaiceva’s electronics expanded this space further, allowing the night-time textures to blur, distort and dissolve into something more fragile and fleeting.’
– Deniz Dortok


About the artist

Deniz Dortok is a London-based composer working across electronic and instrumental music, as well as film and theatre. Exploring the intersections between poetry, storytelling and sound, his work has a particular focus on text-based notation, improvisation and shaping sound material through gestural repetition and shifting relationships between tone, texture and form. Taking inspiration from literary sources and performance art, his scores are increasingly narrative-driven and often balance expressive freedom with precise instruction. Deniz’s works have been performed at venues including the London BFI, St James’ Piccadilly, the Wallace Collection, and the Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester. His upcoming EP Nocturna (re:natura), featuring electronics by Sofia Zaiceva, frames a nocturnal landscape, reflecting on darkness, light pollution, and the quiet disturbances of our nocturnal world.

re:natura is a non-profit artist collective, music label and experimental laboratory with a clear, shared vision.

With a focus on topics of biodiversity, we explore animals, plants, landscapes and natural phenomena. In the critical tradition of naturalists, we compose, publish, perform and convey experimental musics that are concerned with the specifics of life.

Contact
label.re.natura@gmail.com

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