My whole experience with The Outlaw Ocean Music Project has been a beautiful process and an incredible learning experience. It completely changed my perspective on the oceans. While I consider myself to be relatively well-educated on sustainability, reading Ian’s reporting shocked me. I had knowledge of overfishing and pollution, but the oceans always felt like something far away and distant. This project helped change that, making me see the bigger picture, and understand how everything is interconnected and that action is needed now. 

My favorite part of working on this project was having the chance to create with intention and toward a bigger cause. Creating music with a specific intention reveals a whole new dimension. Normally I create music for the club scene, which has a specific tone and feel to it. This project gave me so much creative freedom as an artist and the opportunity to experiment with other musical forms and explore different interests, from trying out new beats and grooves to even recording on the saxophone and using my own vocals. We as humans need to change our relationship with the sea, and this is my way of making an impact and fueling that shift. 

Joep Mencke