In 2006 Natasha Barrett was awarded the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize for her work …fetters… released by Aurora. Her new album consists of one work only: “Trade Winds” is a fantastic voyage down to the mythical and physical depths of the wide oceans.
The piece is inspired by the vast expanse of sea – unleashing the musical potential of recordings from the 100-year-old sailing ship Dyrafjeld, from above and within harbour, shore and open oceans around the world, and the spoken narrative of an old Norwegian captain. From a narrative listening position Trade Winds' macrostructure consists of two halves, the first exploring culture and fables, the second exploring nature and science. The central pivot is inspired by the chapter Mobilis in Mobili from 20000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne. Throughout Trade Winds the reference to Captain Nemo is evident in various manifestations of organ recordings.
Musical narrative is not necessarily a predictable linear chain of events, and surprise is essential to a compelling story. Natasha Barrett launches multiple narratives in parallel and lets them take turns, interrupt each other, unfold simultaneously, or twist backwards. Sounds emerge from the depths and sweep dramatically across the sound stage in an ever evolving dance of sonic patterns.
