Not only do I love Irish sonic composer Michael Smalle's (AKA Cane 141) Lost at Sea, I love the whole damned idea of it as well. Let's just examine that formula: pulsing electronica that is epic yet accessible, with a heavy dose of looped ocean waves thrown in the mix, as former Royal Navy Commander Bill King tells war stories, all accompanying the visual doodles of Roisin Coyle. It's quite easy to understand why I'd like this music!
The music itself is downright beautiful; Smalle does a fine job of capturing the come and the go and the to and the fro that is the ocean; these songs don't really require the samples and the loops to convey that feeling. Bill King's stories are interesting, what little bits and bites you get, and the spoken word bits that aren't King are not superfluous, as they all tie into the nautical theme. Hearing Japanese mixed with English is an interesting approach as well; it makes you think two soldiers on two sides are telling their stories decades after the fact. Maybe they are? Don't know. As you'd expect, there aren't proper "songs" on the record; all fourteen tracks are interwoven and form a wonderfully cohesive whole.
I'd love to see how the visuals play into the music, but, really, the concept and execution of Lost at Sea is strong enough to make Coyle's visual element nonessential. That's not to disparage her art; it's a strong testament to the strength of Smalle's soundtrack. I think seeing the visuals intended for the music would be interested, but I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. Others might think differently, but I frankly do not care about the opinions of others...
Listen To: Lost At Sea, Section FourLabels: Cane 141, Lost At Sea |
