Enchanting Journey From the Ocean

Artist: VA (Various Artists)
Title: Enchanting Journey From the Ocean / Includes Companion Guide with Images, Sounds, and Process on Nature Recordings
Label: Wind Records

What kind of music touches people's hearts? A record that took five years to make, with painstakingly-made recordings of sounds from Taiwan's ocean. This includes whales and dolphins playing in the waves, birds flapping their wings in the sunset, fishing women singing, the rustle of trees, the calls of fishmongers, elderly people counting fish, waves lapping on the shoreline. This series of sounds, captured by the microphone, replaces the paintbrush and creates a beautiful mosaic of Taiwan's sea vistas. "The Indigo Current" is strong, mysterious and full of life. The busy undersea aquatic life is far richer than that on the shores. Underwater microphones capture hundreds of whales and dolphins conversing with one another and the stories that take place below the ocean's surface are just as interesting as what happens above. A strong production team, fresh guitar music and leisurely sounds of the flute help highlight the lightness and romance of a flight of birds. The piano and Chinese "Pan Di" also humorously describe the hard work of oyster farmers, while soft female vocals sing about the Green Turtles' breeding season.

--By James Su, translated by Cara Steenstra