COORDLP001 The water that glows..

Aboutface live Feat. Taro presents - The water that glows like dancing glass cuts crimson.(2022)

Project partners and contributors:

Alfred Wegener Institute – a centre for polar and marine research. (Polar expedition sound recordings) https://www.awi.de/en.html

Extinction Rebellion: Link

Dubplates & Mastering: Link

Aimee Lawrence @ The Prism Network: Link

Deepgrooves Green Vinyl Pressing Plant: Link

Rush Hour Vinyl Distribution: Link

Taro (Violin): Link

Leyla Pillai (Narration and Artistic input)

Cheryl E. Leonard: Link

Presales for UK: Link

Presales EU/WW via Rush Hour: Link

Inspired by dream prose collected from a 3 month period recording in a dream journal, the project uses glacier sounds recorded on Polar expedition c/o the Alfred Wegener Institute – a centre for polar and marine research, to create an interdisciplinary music performance and portfolio of works.

Exploring an abstract intersection between the dream realm and the Polar cryosphere in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Evoking the inter connectivity between environmental change and the collective subconscious.

Upcoming in 2022

6 Brand new compositions exploring the conceptual themes and dream prose. Limited 300 Eco Vinyl Gatefold LP. Eco-frienly recycled vinyl, carbon neutral delivery by Deepgrooves, NL.

All profits from this release are to be donated to Extinction Rebellion’s legal fund to help provide counsel to those protesting against contributors to the climate emergency, much needed since the UK government have decided to criminalise disruptive protesting, at a time when civil disobedience is urgently needed most to force action and help mitigate the climate emergency.

All downloads and streaming of this album are limited to one of Earth’s revolutions of the Sun only (365 days) from release date – an ephemeral release for an ephemeral existence.
Limited eco-friendly recycled gatefold vinyl produced with Deepgrooves, Amsterdam, NL, distributed by Rush Hour, AMS, NL.

This album release also includes: Polar Soundscape compositions for guided dream meditations to aid lucidity and recollection, a full project description outlining the methods and creative inspirations. Also, concerned with a lack of transparency of the true environmental impact of music releases, Ben is also including an essay which highlights the hidden environmental cost of current music consumption, and the potential reforms to stimulate industry action with the aim to contribute to music becoming more environmentally sustainable and energy transparent Enabling consumers and artist’s alike to exercise their judicious right to make an environmentally informed choice to release or consume music, in a time of climate emergency - the essay is included at the bottom of this webpage.

300 x Eco friendly Vinyl ℅ have been manufactured in collaboration with Deepgrooves, Amsterdam, NL. Deepgrooves are committed to produced vinyl as green as possible by:

Using Granulate (the grains which we melt to make a vinyl record of) are based upon calcium zinc stabilizers instead of the classic heavy metal stabilizers, which are highly toxic.

Using machines are powered by green energy, green gas and solar energy - all supplied by local suppliers.
Their factory is almost 100% circular in terms of waste, recycling and energy.

Using environmentally friendly FSC-certified Tullis Russell labels, 90 GSM inner sleeves and thick 300 GSM cardboard covers.

The ink used on their products and packing is Eco- Friendly & vegan.

As a standard, all orders are shipped in Eco- Friendly heavy duty FSC-certified cardboard boxes and biodegradable paper adhesive tape.

The larger shipments are sent on a wooden pallet that is 100% recyclable with biodegradable wrapping/shrink made of 50% sugar cane.

Are recycling our useless cardboard and use this for packaging and transporting purposes.

As a standard, we ship our packages 100% carbon neutral worldwide.

Team up with companies who use empty spaces on trucks for sharing logistics.

Website and project management software are located on servers that run on green energy.

Limited to one of Earth’s revolution of the sun for Download.

Limited to one of Earth’s revolution of the sun for streaming.

Ephemeral existence.

Music and credits

1. Aboutface ft. Taro: Small hands and feet in the sand show you the great illusion. (8.08)

Aboutface: Classical Guitar, electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Taro: Violin
Leyla Pillai: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI

2. Aboutface ft. Taro: Coutata Couyata save Couyata. (13.03)

Aboutface: Quena Bamboo Flute, electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Taro: Violin
Leyla Pillai: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI

3. Aboutface: We flee whilst the wild smoking horses swim among us. (12.31)

Aboutface: Hulusi flute, electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Taro: Violin
Leyla Pillai: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI

4. Aboutface ft. Taro - The water that glows like dancing glass cuts crimson. (11.30)

Aboutface: electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Taro: Violin
Leyla Pillai: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI

Bonus tracks (Bandcamp only)

5. Bonus 1. Aboutface: We Think We Sway We Rumble Im Numb My Base Shrieks Its Time Now Well Tumble.

Aboutface: electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Perspectivism Prose: Ben Kelly
darker: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI
Additional Field Recordings from Palmer Station, Antarctica: Cheryl E. Leonard.

6. Bonus 2. Aboutface: As My Ice Edge Blooms.

Aboutface: Piano, electronics, field recordings composition. Arrangement.
Perspectivism Prose: Ben Kelly
Anthony Lund: Voiceover
Polar Expedition Recordings: AWI
Additional Field Recordings from Palmer Station, Antarctica: Cheryl E. Leonard

Additional project info

Dreams

The project was conceptualised following a three month period of recording the content of my dreams in a dream journal (included below).

I developed techniques to be able to recall dream content in more detail- sketching elements, or obtaining objects within my dreams. Also using meditation techniques in order to prolong the hypnopompic state – the theta wave brain state transitioning between the dreams and being awake. During this period it is much easier to recall dream content in more detail.

During the two months a reoccurring theme presented itself – flooding; a railway line that led into the sea; a room filled with seawater; a city centre flooded.

One prominent dream was monolithic ice structure, with an embossed foreign language much like braille.

Following a period of reflection and Interpretation of my dreams, I decided

To pursue a project based on Glaciology and Sea Levels rising, subsequently being granted access to AWI’s expedition sounds and polar research data.

Dream Prose

An interesting development of the increased interaction with my dream content was the ability to see passages of text, or Dream Prose. Sections of these have become the song titles, in advance of the music being made and thus influencing the songs through musical interpretation. The Dream prose consists of sections of text literally seen in my dreams, and my interpretation of my dreams.

Full Dream Prose transcribed from dreams and dream content, narrated by Leyla Pillai:

There's not anything,

Because we’re everything.

Blinded by night it's so bright when we shift into our being;

The water that glows like dancing glass cuts crimson.

We flee whilst the wild smoking horses swim among us.

But where does the sea begin, and the railroad end?

Your children, consider your protection;

Only the sha_pe of our words can be seen, and not heard.

The jagged edges of misunderstanding. Telling us to leave. Once these walls rippled like velvet and echoed like harmonies.

The man with a tame gull is watching you.

Small hands and feet in the sand show you the great illusion.

Only for a short reprieve, an ephemeral exhalation.

But it’s enough for you to inflate your lungs with a change of direction.

Torn, warn shoes with no long walk.

Present yet transparent;

look a little closer and you will see a rainbow with conditions.

The boa constrictor is the brother we hurt and friend we could not forgive,

So pull those buoyant thoughts from your mind,

Drop them in the river flux.

Couyata, Couyata. Save Couyata!

The crying woods do not have an audience

Nor do flying bullets have flesh to pierce

For he dreamed too, within my dream.

But is it my dream?

I felt his pain, but it was warm;

I am Couyata.

I understand.

We share this dream I do not own,

Now I see you and you see me.

It feels like I am the last person to notice the stars in the sky.

It is different here, the adults can only inhale-

A cold mist which transforms into their children, who breathe out a tepid suspension.

The kind faces seek me out.

They were expecting me, excited that I am finally awake.

Tides of eyes flow with recognition,

The currents draw still and reveal my reflection in the water, I do not recognise whom I see.

This my true self, an imposter.

I go to sleep.