Everything about Sealand is so bizarre. I had no idea this micronation existed, and for this reason, the chapter about Sealand fascinates me the most. It’s amazing that no country has been able to take it by force, and that even though other nations do not recognize its sovereignty, it still holds some leverage. Like many other chapters, the one about Sealand brings to life the stark differences between land and sea, as I could not imagine Sealand being able to exist on land.

Darkness versus light appears to be a major theme in the book. There are so many incredibly inhumane and destructive things happening on the high seas that seem almost impossible to stop. But there are also organizations that battle these negative forces and achieve little victories along the way that protect our oceans and people from harm. I want my music to convey the tension between this darkness and light. I show a sense of darkness in the first track I wrote, called “Greenpeace,” in which I use a sample from the Greenpeace ship captain talking to another captain, asking him to stop the ship’s illegal activity at sea. To counter this darkness, the second track I wrote, “Peaceful Protest,” feels brighter and more hopeful. In this one, I take a sample from the captain of the Arctic Sunrise radioing with another ship’s captain about a peaceful protest to halt a destructive drilling operation. Hearing the captain say that they will stand their ground in peaceful protest gave me goosebumps and an overwhelming feeling of hope that their mission could be accomplished.

Petey Mac