ALEX

Edinburgh, Scotland

Oceanum

Electronic

Behind the Music

With this album, I want to convey the feeling of a journey across uncharted territory, a place full of curious wonder. At the same time, I want to also highlight (in the second track) what is unpredictable and dangerous about the sea. The third track is meant to convey a cautionary note to the vast ambiguity of the ocean. I want this track to have some interesting layers while also being simple enough to parallel the reader's experience without becoming distracting. This track is supposed to be an easy listen and perhaps present a meditative or binaural vibe, while immersing the listener into the very real world of The Outlaw Ocean. 

The chapter of the book that really grabbed me was “Adelaide’s Voyage” because it really makes clear just how expansive the oceans actually are. It shows that there is a line at sea that when crossed, all former limitations and jurisdiction of civilization are abandoned. The chapter was equally terrifying and somewhat inspiring. It also really puts into perspective just how unregulated and unseen the high seas are in this sprawling part of the world.

ALEX
About ALEX

Scottish-born artist ALEX has been making his sonic journey into new territories since he began his craft, spending time on the NRW Records label before moving on to conquer new ground.

Emerging from the underground techno scenes, EDM, trap, cyberpunk and an entire melting pot of genres and influences ranging from Daft Punk, Justice, College, Gesaffelstein, Skrillex and much more; ALEX is constantly operating on the fringes of electronic music, pushing boundaries into uncharted realms with full artistic freedom where no style is off limits.

Charting #5 on billboard with AKUMA II and two other previous times consecutively, as well as being a regular to Bandcamp's front page and with a selection of slick music videos under his belt, ALEX's quest into the world of the arts has only just begun.

Winner of the 2021 Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Innovation in Journalism

The Journalism behind the Music

All music in this project is based on The Outlaw Ocean, a New York Times Best-Selling book by Ian Urbina that chronicles lawlessness at sea around the world. This reporting touches on a diversity of abuses ranging from illegal and overfishing, arms trafficking at sea, human slavery, gun running, intentional dumping, murder of stowaways, thievery of ships and other topics.

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