Xiao Lung Wang, a young man from China, set a new Guinness record for the “highest vocal note by a male”, with a truly ear-splitting performance.

Before playing the below video of Wang’s successful record attempt, I strongly advise that you turn down the volume, especially if you’re wearing headphones, and get your dog out of the room, because this guy’s voice is no joke. To be honest, it sounds more like a whistling kettle than a human voice, but according to experts that’s just the sound of an E in the 8th octave, an audio frequency of 5,243 hertz.

The previous record had been set by singer and vocal coach Adam Lopez, who in 2008 managed to produce a D8 measured at 4,435 hertz, or three semitones above the highest note on a standard grand piano. Wang’s E8 sound was reportedly a half step higher than that of the Australian singer’s.

 

Wang’s impressive performance was recorded in January, on the Chinese television show Happy Camp. His incredibly high pitch was measured using professional sound equipment and acknowledged as a new record by a certified Guinness judge.