SMALL ISLAND BIG SONG HUGE STORY

While recording traditional music in Vanuatu, producer/engineer Tim Cole learnt of a heritage shared by island communities throughout Asia, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Most of those communities were established by ancient seafarers; the indigenous people of Taiwan who, thousands of years ago, pushed their boats out to sea and headed for the horizon. Inspired by this, Tim thought “What an incredible wealth of cultures, music and instruments to base an album on.”

A year later he was in Australia’s remote Central Desert recording Inmas (songlines) of the Pintupi Elders. Their ancient songs were full of information about living on the land, maintaining social systems in harmony with nature, and more. That night, while listening to the IPCC report on climate change, a tragic irony struck him: the people who know how to live sustainably on the land will be the first to lose their land through the unsustainable practices of the rest of the world. The developed world is going to lose the knowledge it needs to hear, at the time when it needs to hear it.

This was all the motivation Tim needed to act on his previous inspiration. Teaming up with BaoBao Chen, they headed to the shores of Taiwan to retrace the paths of the ancient seafarers. They visited 16 different island nations and collaborated with over 100 artists to create a series of contemporary ‘Oceanic Songlines’ for a sustainable future. The resulting album won the ‘Best Asia & Pacific Album’ award at Songlines Music Awards (UK), the ‘German Record Critic’s Award’ (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), and was nominated for ‘Best Concept Album’ at the American Independent Music Awards. They’re currently taking the movie of their musical adventure around the world festival circuit.

“So we hung the mics from trees, or found sticks to tape them to”

In the following interview, Tim relates their story of tropical islands, typhoons, bush mechanics and audio derring-do...

EQUIPMENT

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