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English is one of the most distinguished sound artists involved in field recording, with decades of footage from throughout the world. He possesses an inquisitive mind, exquisite ears and is a mic placement ninja. Here, his talents are lent to a worthy cause. ‘Oseni is the Tongan word for ocean, and the release is a benefit for victims of the recent disaster in the Kingdom Tonga, a volcanic eruption followed by a tsunami, All proceeds will be donated to relief efforts by organizations that include the Red Cross and CARE.   

Field recordings and the role of mediation in them is a topic of much discussion in our current moment. English’s field recordings are sound art, in that they are not merely representational of a single environment, but encompass blending of multiple aural scenarios. The mix itself is arresting. Unlike synthetic white noise, in which all frequencies are more or less present, or its more soothing variant pink noise, in which the high frequencies are somewhat abated, there is a dynamic and timbral variety to the crashing of waves against disparately formed shores. At a lean half hour in duration, it bypasses long form ambient listening in favor of closely attending to the subtle variations of a morphing soundscape.  

The recently deceased ecomusicologist R. Murray Schafer, who coined the term soundscape, urged humans to push back against sound pollution and fill their lives with beautiful sounds whenever possible. He included both composed music and what you find on your own soundwalks, ambulatory listening experiences that can enliven the experience of any environment. Field recordings serve to capture the ever-shrinking beauty of our increasingly noise-addled environment. ‘Oseni is an example of the ideal sounds that Schafer described, but it also has an ecopolitical underpinning. It serves as a response to the dangers of the climate crisis, both to specific peoples such as those of Tonga, and to our world at large. Whether listened to through this critical lens, or as an appreciation of the power and poetry of the Pacific’s surf, ‘Oseni is a compelling piece of sound art.