Shipwrecked/Castaway

There’s equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation when I think about being on a remote island like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Or even stories such as Robinson Crusoe, The Swiss Family Robinson, etc. An entire island all to your own – it sounds amazing and exciting. And while there were sometimes outside dangers that appeared, it was often more unnerving to find someone’s isolation and inner-self as the bigger concern to the remote island setting.

A recent mixtape request posed the idea for us to tackle this topic, specifically, “A representational musical progression of one’s emotional state following sinking of vessel and subsequent isolation on a castaway island.”

Taking this concept and instilling it with the story-telling arch as found in the above mentioned tales of remote island life was fun and slightly challenging. A previous mixtape (Deep Dark Jungle), which happens to be one of our favs-if we can be so self-indulgent, had a storyline, but it came after the fact, whereas this mixtape was made intentionally with a narrative already in mind… Mixing different styles was the other tricky part, but if you read along the storyline (below) with the music, hopefully the pieces work together…

Cryogenic Husk #34 – Shipwrecked/Castaway

1) Neurosis – Lost

2) Boards Of Canada – The Breach At Redpoint

3) Gorillaz – Orchestral Intro

4) The Bear Quartet – I Was A Weapon

5) Ulver – Island

6) The Chemical Brothers – The Forest

7) Sebastien Tellier – Fantino

8) The Doors – The Crystal Ship

9) Nachtmystium – Seasick (Part I: Drowned At Dusk)

10) The Cure – Faith

11) Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Gentle Hum Of Anxiety

12) Underworld - Come Scientists Destroy

13) Kylesa - Intro

14) Jane’s Addiction - Chip Away

15) Ulver - Rock Massif Pt. II

16) Emperor - Opus A Satana

17) Mono – Burial At Sea

18) Swans – Real Love

Some liberties were taken with this theme. Obviously some song titles demonstrate the common thread (Burial At Sea, Lost, The Beach At Redpoint, Seasick, Island, The Forest, etc.), but the feeling of the songs for congruency was key.

1) Onset of voyage with a mysterious/unknown cargo. Slowly, dark clouds begin to gather, the water gets choppy, and then… a full-on thunderstorm. And though you may weather the storm and breathe a sigh of relief as the wind dies down and sea goes calm, jagged rocks can unexpectedly appear and spell disaster for any ship.

2) Wake from unconsciousness, disoriented on a strange island. Apprehension and confusion fill the mind.

3) The search for survivors is harrowing – there are none, you’re all alone.

4) Breath has been caught, tension is lessening. You turn your back on the ocean to fully take in the island’s exotic nature. “Where am I?”

5) Wonder and fascination begin to percolate. You commence to explore the island/surroundings… the jungle opens up.

6) The forest lures with unusual flora and fauna, beckoning further adventure and exploration.

7) Fear and anxiety have given way to beauty and awe. Any worry is gone and you begin to feel at peace with the island.

8) Carefree now, playful even. A curious boon in the form of cargo remnants washes ashore. Tools/shelter are made, your continued mastery of the island allows for greater tranquility.

9) The island has now been completely explored for some time now. You hold domain over every inch. And yet, what now…? Is something missing?

10) Loneliness and melancholy settle in. Time crawls by slower and slower…

11) Depression deepens. The psyche is strained due to isolation and hopelessness. The island now feels barren and desolate – it is now a prison.

12) Sanity is tattered without human contact. You’ve lost track of the days. An island teaming with life and yet emptiness reigns… Until, a far off sound catches your ear. It grows louder, and you eagerly race towards it…

13) Pirates. Scavenging for the wrecked cargo. Until they find something else… your footprints.

14) Keeping hidden to avoid capture while panic sets in. What do you do? You race through the jungle, heart pounding.

15) Action is on the rise as you realize your one choice: stand and fight. You fortify your camp and booby trap the island. The island is your territory, and you know it like the back of your hand.

16) You lead them on a wild goose chase. Ducking danger and dodging pitfalls. Catch your breath and then round the bend past the lagoon where you leap off the waterfall to either death or victory…

17) Flashback of your life before the shipwreck. Then your time aboard the ship flashes by, complete with the dramatic and surprising crash on the rocks. Your soul-rendering time on the island, each day, every challenge, all condensed in a flurry of memories. Images race by like a train, documenting your trials and tribulations that climactically jolt you awake.

18) You awaken. On the beach again. Yet this is no deja-vu. You’ve emerged victorious from the final throes of conflict with the pirates. You board the vacant pirate ship and set sail. Leaving the island behind you, heading towards freedom…