I am approaching my music as if I am creating a soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t yet exist. The enormous library of footage and recordings that Ian gave us to draw inspiration from is a real treasure trove that allows me to visualize scenes from the book and connect more deeply with the human stories. I use my music as a canvas to paint the pictures I have in my head, and through these pictures, I try to convey an array of feelings, from hopelessness and shock to hope and tranquility.

The Outlaw Ocean is an emotional rollercoaster that sheds a new light on unseen injustices, environmental issues, and other lawlessness. The chapter “Jail Without Bars,” about the plight of stowaways, resonates with me the most and has inspired my track “Cast Off.” I try to convey in the track the isolation and hopelessness of being set adrift and left to die as a storm approaches. The track is minimal and understated, but probably my favorite.

In composing my pieces, I tend to focus on themes rather than specific chapters so that I can cover more ground. The track “Esperanza” is about the struggle to enforce meaningful laws that stop environmental and human rights abuses, and protect fishing within borders. “Bycatch” reflects the indiscriminate and destructive nature of bottom trawling, while “Minke” focuses on the whaling industry, and the response that comes from Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd. And “Dirty Cruise” paints a contrast between the glossy upper decks of cruise ships and the bunker-burning engine rooms, that employ crude practices like dumping waste illegally into the ocean via “magic pipes,” to save costs. I’ve always been known for producing a lot of emotions in my music and this is a rare opportunity to emote about real-life troubles and characters. If I am able to do justice to the gravity and depth of Ian’s journalism, I will be extremely happy.

Tripswitch