** (Update 8 December 2021 : I wrote a piece about recent events that have circulated about The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. Read it here.) **
One of my favourite undertakings with this blog last year was covering the wonderful sounds being made as part of The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. Since its inception early last year, Ian Urbina’s ambitious collaborative project has brought together some of the world’s most prestigious electronic music producers and classical composers. I was like a child in a sweet shop uncovering my favourites and interviewing the artists responsible for the music. The entire collection is a momentous library of sound, if you dig in deep enough through the catalog, gold is just waiting to be uncovered.
Wondering what it’s all about still? Read my introductory piece about the project here or check out the official website.
Follow all the previous coverage on our landing page.
Here are the latest songs to have tickled my fancy recently.
BLU J / Adrift
Canadian/American electronic duo BLU J have just released their new two song EP ‘Submergent‘ in collaboration with The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. I’ve singled out the melancholic track Adrift as a fitting opener for today’s selections. There have been loads of high quality electronic artists sprinkled through the vast library and I can safely say, BLU J’s Adrift sits pretty high among my personal favourites thus far. The pair incorporate Urbina’s field recordings into the intro of this track seamlessly and it’s evident they’ve a couple of sets of experienced, well tuned ears between them. Lovely.
Christina Higham / Melting Icebergs
Australian composer Christina Higham chimes in next with a simply breathtaking composition called ‘Melting Icebergs‘. Growing up as a boy, I had the privilege of sharing my home with a wonderful professional pianist. My mother’s piano playing is/has been enjoyed by millions of passing Dubliner’s and tourists over the course of her 40 year career as resident pianist at The Powerscourt Townhouse. Even though my ability to play myself is near enough non-existent, I’ve always been quite a snob about piano music from listening to her caressing out tunes at various venues around the city. Whenever I hear piano music on Spotify, I always utter to myself, ”Ah but Mam’s better than this” or ”Mam’s style is far more accomplished than that.”
But hold that thought for a second now! This composition from Christina Higham is certainly right up there you know. In fact, Higham’s subtle playing style against the oceanic background soundscape is utterly beautiful. Thanks for the music Christina – Melting Icebergs is pure art and a song I’ll keep coming back to.
Nuage / Thunder Radio
Back to the electronic side of things now as we travel to Russia for a swift blast of Thunder Radio from St Petersburg’s Dmitry Kuzmin (Nuage). This track has just surfaced as part of his work with Ian Urbina and it’s a hidden gem. Lively production and a fantastic use of vocal samples make this track a must listen for fans of the project. Nuage has that same kind of euphoric, throwback sound as Irish duo Bicep – this is really solid.
Mollono.Bass / The Change
Mollono.Bass has been churning out high grade tunes since 1995 and has decided to jump on board and release some music alongside Ian Urbina here. The Change stops and starts, to’s and fro’s and is ultimately a brilliant choice for any DJ wanting to get the crowd moving at the peak of their set. Hearing the driving beatwork takes me back to the days of raving in abandoned factories, forests and clubs – hopefully the rave culture will get back to its former glory sooner rather than later. Mollono.Bass has constructed an ace jam here.
I hope you enjoyed my latest selections from The Outlaw Ocean Music Project. For more coverage, check out the landing page.
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog that’s still only a baby – Founded in early 2019 by Kevin Coakley, a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ also runs gigs and showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists found in the blog’s submission inbox.
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