Back in 2000, Martyn Ware (Heaven 17, B.E.F. and The Human League) and Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure) formed Illustrious Company. Their MO (to paraphrase their own words) was to create new types of spatialised sound compositions using three-dimensional surround-sound systems. Collaborating with a host of digital and fine artists, world heritage sites, museums, exhibitions, live events, dance, theatre, technology, developers, researchers and educators. Up to now, they have created more than sixty sound projects that have been played, exhibited and heard across the world. It’s Always Ourselves We Find in the Sea is one such project.

Alongside Ware, this particular project features musician, artists and sound designer, Charles Stooke (Me Charles) , Gabriel Ware, a composer for orchestral soundscapes, films and drama and the son of Martyn, Oscar Blustin, a designer, director and producer specialising in immersive art, and artist, media, and technology expert Anna Soderblom. 

It’s Always Ourselves We Find in the Sea is 'an immersive sound installation that explores our cultural relationships with water' , and this particularly album is the soundtrack to that installation featuring two long tracks the first, "A Call To Water: Part 1" is a 10 minute track that explodes out of the blocks with huge pounding drums and distorted synth drones that sound like waves crashing on the rocks during a storm, before things slow down and we are greeted with gentler sounds of water, however the booming drums never seem far away. Tribal sounding female vocals enter about the midpoint and are quickly followed by chanted male vocals that give the suggestion of lobbying the gods for some respite. The swell of the waves begins to rise again in the mix, culminating in a full on storm of sounds before fading away again towards the end. "The Water Circle: Part 2" starts with the sound of thunder, and a rainstorm ensues before the gentle babble of running water enters the fray, with bird songs and other found sounds. Before long, a gentle atmospheric synth joins in before the sound of water becomes increasingly harsh. Amid all the sounds of animals, seabirds, waves and wind, we are treated to some beautiful synth work that weaves its way in and out of the mix throughout the track’s 20-minute length. 

It’s Always Ourselves We Find in the Sea is a beautiful, atmospheric ode to the power of the ocean. It takes us on a trip from the powerful sounds of a storm at sea to the gentle moments of waves gently lapping on the beach and fluctuating between these sounds to give a sense of just how important water is to everything we know and understand. The album is produced by Martyn Ware and Vince Clarke and bears their stamp of quality. Every sound is meticulously placed, and the overall sound is epic in scope. This is a beautiful album, and I would love to get to see the full installation in all its glory. The CD from Cold Spring comes in a beautifully presented digipak with notes about the project, those involved and some great photographs. Overall, this is a well presented album that will live long in the memory and will hang around on my playlist for some time to come.