Description
This collection of music draws inspiration from century-old photos captured by my grandfather during his travels across the seas between islands and mainlands around Mauritius. Each photo helps tell stories passed down to me, revealing the life experiences of generations before me.
Like strands of DNA, these stories weave the past into the present, carrying continuities that endure, passed from generation to generation.
In one poignant memory, the Mariner pauses as the ocean envelops him. Gazing back at the island where he grew up, the sorrows of the past flicker in and out of view. In the stillness of that moment, he whispers a final farewell: “I will never see you again.” And with that, he sails away—forever.
“I discussed the previous release by Australia’s double bass player Mark Cauvin in Vital Weekly 1384. He also plays electronics. The last release mentioned the scope of his work in the title, ‘Compositions, Interpretations And Improvisations’. On these two new releases, one mentions double bass and electronics (‘Mariner At Sea’), but why there’s no mention of electronics on ‘Hoolscrawls’, I don’t know. Bandcamp mentions Cauvin using “reel tape machines, double bass, amplified silent bass, HP pulse generator, B&K Beat Frequency Oscillator, Effect boxes, LOM microphones, various prepared double bass bows.
“There are other differences, too. ‘Mariner At Sea’ is a quieter release, whereas ‘Hoolscrawls’ seems noisier and chaotic. ‘Hoolscrawls’ he named after the small town in New South Wales where he lives/, and bird calls and farm animals inspire the music. The other release is inspired by century-old photos from his grandfather, rocking back and forth the islands and mainlands around
Mauritius. Please don’t think that quieter means more ambient in this case; it isn’t. The most on ‘Mariner At Sea’ has a most reflective element, with quieter, sustaining parts of dark bowing next to small bursts of a pluck here and some hiss there. Perhaps the ocean is calm and violent – except the violence here is controlled. (FdW) Vital Weekly 1478
