Recorded on Hayman Island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, the paths of stranded friends Ryko Kalinko (guitar & sampler) and Aemon Webb (vocals, guzheng & percussion) meet, creating an astonishing 3-part journey of deeply spiritual improvisations reflecting the beauty, isolation and nature of their vivid environment.
“There Are Many Moods Of Tropical Exultation” carefully spends its 20+ minute track length conjuring a spell, bringing all dust in the room to settle. Smoke trails rise. Shade cloth quietly billows. Ryko and Aemon let their guitar and guzheng flow across and between one another, dissolving clock hands and carrying the listener into the twilight hours.
“Stand For The Rush” introduces the B-side and shifts the sense of stillness towards something more rhythmic where the nocturnal world begins to open its eyes. Rattling drum machine percussion, slinking guzheng and chirping birds weave in and out of focus whilst booming kicks drive forward. A distant siren wails whilst life in surrounding undergrowth moves in shadows.
Finally “These Waves…” drops the world into droning negative space where crushing black sky comes down. Crooning out into vast nothing. Murmuring; lost at sea. “Never coming home”.
Released by Are You Before and Total Stasis.
Originally released by Breakdance The Dawn.
Artwork by Musheto Fernández.
Mastered by Amir Shoat.
Hayman Island Sessions was recorded on the land of the Ngaro people and produced on the land of the Gadigal people. The sovereignty of these lands was never ceded.
