Recorded live on the HMAS Vampire, Sydney Harbour ⚓️🎶🌊
In 1964, my dad’s eldest brother, Franklin Morgan, was a 20 y/o sailor working aboard the HMAS Voyager & by all accounts a lovely young man. Frank was one of 82 officers & sailors who tragically died when the HMAS Melbourne collided with the HMAS Voyager during a nighttime training exercise. It was the worst peacetime disaster in the RAN’s history & devastating for dad’s family.
57 years later, Frank’s niece (me) was invited to play an ambient set on board the Voyager’s identical sister ship, the HMAS Vampire. Bit of a full circle moment.
NB: Although both the HMAS Voyager and Vampire were ‘Daring Class Destroyers’ ie. gun ships, neither ship ever fired at an enemy.
Preparing for this gig was at times very sad, and being physically on the ship felt heavy. This history influenced some music choices & the narrative that I built. You will also hear a ceremonial Yolgnu song to release the spirits of the deceased ❤️🖤 You will hear women’s voices singing in various languages, because brave women in Australia are now raising their voices & being heard 👊 Almost half the music is composed and/or sung by women. And underpinning all of this is one of the most powerful and beautiful forces in our world - the ocean 🌊
I toyed around with some subtle 8D-inspired mixing at a few points, let me know if you hear it & like it. Enjoy X
Tracklist:
Ligovskoï - Esam (Field Records)
Djrum - Blue Violet (R&S Records)
Waak Waak Djungi - Rainbow Serpent (Efficient Space)
Grand River - Horses (Spazio Disponible)
Imaginary Softwoods - Positive Ruin Court Garden (Mineral Disk)
Cressida - The Place Beyond Your Garden (Voitax)
Stefan Vincent - Arpeggino (Unreleased)
Para One - Shin Sekai (Alva Noto remix)
Yu Su - Touch Me Not (Music from Memory)
Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi - Into Silence (Melody As Truth)
Dialect - Yamaha Birds Pt 2
The 7th Plain - Seeing Sense (Ostgut Ton)
Barker - Paradise Engineering (Ostgut Ton)
Imaginary Softwoods - Another First/Sea Machine (Mineral Disk)
A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Thirteenth Century Travelogue (Artificial Pine Arch Manufacturing)
Caro Cheyne - Moth With Wet Wings (Unreleased)
Tasoko - Molt (Dred Records)
Bjarki - Untitled 1
Aasthma - Das War’s Dann, Leute! (Aasthma)
Irena and Vojtěch Havlovi - Light Circles (Melody As Truth)
Bjork - Tabula Rasa (One Little Indian)
Djrum - Unblocked (R&S Records)
A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Total Perspective Vortex (Artificial Pine Arch Manufacturing)
Para One - Shin Sekai
Nils Frahm - #2 (Erased Tapes)
Pauline Anna Strom - The Unveiling (Ether Ship Records)
The Cinematic Orchestra - Breathe (Ninja Tune)
