I had always viewed the ocean as a beautiful and tranquil haven — an open expanse of freedom. Reading the stories of the stowaways in “Jail Without Bars” made me realize that the concept of “freedom” could actually become a nightmare. While we are becoming more aware of the environmental crimes happening to the oceans, many of us, myself included, do not think of the crimes against humans that are facilitated by the anarchy of the sea. The struggles and risks that the stowaways went through just to find a better life abroad show exactly how lawless the oceans can be. This reality is heartbreaking. It’s even more saddening knowing their story is just one of many.

After reading the entirety of The Outlaw Ocean as well as watching the footage and listening to the recordings from the field reporting, I knew I wanted to create music that would contribute to a realistic depiction of the ocean. Like the book, these clips were unfiltered and raw, and I wanted to maintain their authenticity when composing my tracks. I wanted to do justice to the story of The Outlaw Ocean. I drew upon emotional and dreamy tones, as well as some more aggressive and somber sounds, to capture exactly what I felt when reading the stories of The Outlaw Ocean.

Ash