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Comment by throw0101a | Hacker News Reader

Two good videos on the topic of sound in Dune. The first from Vanity Fair, "How 'Dune' Composer Hans Zimmer Created the Oscar-Nominated Score":

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93A1ryc-WW0

Interesting tidbit: a good number of the "bagpipe" sounds were not created with bagpipes.

The second is from wild life photograph Dani Connor, "My Squirrel Recording is in a movie: Interview with Mark Mangini, Oscar Winning Sound Designer":

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtfzjehDg74

A squirrel recording of hers was used to make the sound in the desert mouse (muad'dib) scene.

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I thought the sound that they apparently made via digital editing was mongolian throat singing:

https://youtu.be/6WlI24rv__g

Not sure if a weird coincidence or just another influence in the mixing pot.

Probably another influence. See "Vocals" section of interview:

* https://youtu.be/93A1ryc-WW0?t=242

A concert by the Tuvan group Huun‐Huur‐Tu:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2ovoRyv4kw

Here's an interview with the guy that did the throat singing for Dune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp1r2vD79PA

It's more Kyrgyz style than Mongolian, and wasn't digitally edited too much.

The Hans Zimmer interview is fascinating. However it was jarring to see him introduce one of the singers doing the rhythmic singing as something unique when it’s essentially the percussion singing that’s common in Indian classical music. I guess even the greats have their blind spots.

I went to watch the interview just because of this comment, thinking "of course it has to be more than just Indian singing," and it turns out it was a variation on that theme. Apparently it's called Konnakol. I've heard the style, but I wasn't familiar with the name until now.

As you said, though, everyone has blind spots. The world is vast, and there's a lot to miss. I have to wonder why the woman who did the singing never told Hans Zimmer what it was, or why he didn't ask, since the situation implies one of those two.

> A squirrel recording of hers was used to make the sound in the desert mouse (muad'dib) scene.

Ahh, it's Baby Pear! An unforgettably lovely sound indeed.

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