'O.A.R.S' is an album devoted to the concept of ‘Madness at Sea.’ It's a topic we became really interested in particularly after watching two films, ‘The Mercy’ (Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz) and ‘The Lighthouse.’ (Mark Lewis Jones and Mark Jibson.)

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Madness at sea was a phenomenon prevalent in the Georgian/Victorian era, where sea-faring individuals such as sailors and lighthouse keepers would endure intolerably long stretches of solitude, claustrophobia, physical hardships, danger and lack of sleep and nutrition whilst on board/on-duty - and often, this coupled with loneliness and lack of contact would lead to eventual madness. 

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The thing that really inspired us musically was the paradoxical nature of this idea of being driven mad or to some kind of severely compromised grip on reality, because many of us feel that 'sailing away' and being carried across the globe on the ocean would bring a sense of extreme liberation, unshackling the individual from the everyday restraints and complexities of domestic life and relationships. In reality, life on board a ship - depending on one's role, personality and of course reaction to life on the seas, would often bring the opposite. From Christopher Columbus to Donald Crowhurst, there have been countless witnesses to - and victims of - madness and hysteria at sea.

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'O.A.R.S' is a collection of instrumental songs that attempt to explore this idea, and through song writing, instrumentation and production, they examine the causes and effects of madness at sea. We have tried to tell these stories in the most compelling and interesting way we could.

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The album was written in 2023-24, and we were lucky enough to record the piece at Alma Vale Studios in Bristol. The recording process was definitely the most productive, engaging and enjoyable process for Crystal Chapters yet. We both challenged ourselves musically, we approached production with curiosity as well as preparedness, and most importantly, Luke Cawthra who recorded, mixed and mastered the whole project understood and invested in the album concept fully.

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We're really proud of this piece; we hope you enjoy the soundscapes.

 

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