Inverse Field Vol.1 - Inishowen

Touch Sensitive is delighted to announce a new release from Irish musician and producer, Connor Dougan, returning to the Deathbed Convert moniker; an outlet for selected organic, ambient works. Connor has long been a staple of the Irish electronic underground with a series of releases under the names Ai Messiah & Defcon and collaborating with the likes of Kaidi Tatham & Boxcutter. In ‘Inverse Field Vol.1 - Inishowen', he shares 42 minutes of music as beautiful and beguiling as both the landscape and processes that inspired it. With a desire to break from the hermetic, occupational hazards of the solo producer - endless late-night hours twiddling knobs and gawping at screens - and finding inspiration in the pioneering outdoor recording techniques used on John Martyn’s ‘One World’ and a clip of Pharaoh Sanders playing in an abandoned tunnel in San Francisco - Connor sketched a plan to improvise electronic music outdoors, play it back through a portable loudspeaker and record it with a stereo microphone. The music and environmental sounds would be captured simultaneously in a single recording. With the idea hatched, Connor settled on Inishowen, Co. Donegal as the location for exploring his "inverted field recording" technique. "Inishowen is a magical, tranquil area, ringed by a wild stretch of coastline strewn with secluded beaches, cliffs, forts and ruins. The whole place has a bit of an ‘edge of the map’ vibe to it." Unsurprisingly, given the equipment involved and the unforgiving nature of both the landscape and weather in the North-West of Ireland, the recording process was fraught with difficulty: "Wind and rain was a persistent threat. Locals and tourists, animals and vehicles continually threatened to interrupt recordings. Ultimately, the only sane way to cope with these inconveniences was to incorporate them into the work. Perfection was never a possibility." Despite these challenges, 'Inverse Field Vol.1 - Inishowen' gifts us magical moments of synchronicity and serendipity: the circular synth motif that mirrors the concentric layers of the magnificent Grianan of Aileach ring fort, the perfectly timed contributions from local oyster catchers, gulls and dogs, and an unexpected dip into spirituality from a visiting gospel musician. "This project is not intended to reflect the very rich and fascinating history of Inishowen. It’s merely an opportunity for me to respond, musically, to places I’m experiencing for the first time - an experiment in spontaneity, attempted in fleeting moments at unfamiliar locations. Inishowen is a beautiful part of Ireland that everyone should visit, at least once. If these recordings have succeeded in capturing a fraction of the majesty of the place, I’m happy out!"