The cycles and tides of the sea are driven by the Sun, Moon and Earth’s rotations and so mark time and season. The sea is connected to deep time, having marked these cycles for millions of years. The birthplace of life on earth, where much of evolution has happened, the sea can also be seen as the universal mother or womb.

The Sea was played on BBC Introducing East Midlands on 4/9/21 and then selected and played on BBC Radio Nottingham four times over the week starting 13/9/21.

The Sea - Radio Edit

Get ready to melt into the flow. Flow is a celebration of what we can learn if we pay attention to natures’ intelligent solutions in difficult times. It is inspired by nature and Daoist texts, that advise to "be like water", as a response to life's challenges. This was also the mantra of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Flow is available on all digital platforms on the 10th Febuary. 

Flow, flow, flow with the river
Float, float, float, with the tide.

Like water flows around boulders,
Like wind whips around walls,
Like birds follow the seasons,
I will follow when you call.

Like clouds pass over mountains,
Like craftsmen follow the grain,
Like lovers follow moonlight,
So love will wax & wane.

Like laughter breaks up tension,
Like birdsong follows the rain,
Like springtime follows winter,
So love will spring up & grow again.

Recorded @ Kinema Audio, Nottingham
Mixed by Matt Cotterill
Mastered JP Braddock @ Formation Audio

Flow

Love is Like an Ocean describes the extremes of newly found love, that addictive burning energy you feel when you lock eyes with someone you’re deeply attracted to, whilst at the same time, the cold insecurity of being completely lost at sea.

Red Sea’s music is deeply relaxing, environmentally conscious, desert jazz that soothes the soul. Think Billie Holiday meets Nora Jones in a Bedouin tent on the shores of the Red Sea.

The Sea

01 Love Is Like An Ocean

A song for the blackbird singing in May 2020 that really lifted my spirits  :-). 
Performed by Red Sea -  https://redseamusic.org/
@redseanottm

Written by James Tolhurst

Blackbird Blackbird

Small Birds was written in early 2019 after watching a flock of small birds drive away a kestrel at a local nature reserve. At the time, far-right populism was rearing its ugly head in Europe and America and there were the beginnings of an emergent anti-fascist counter protest movement. The collective strength of the small birds struck me as being a powerful metaphor for the collective strength and ability of people to stand up together against these hawkish forces.

SMALL BIRDS 

Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away?
Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away? 

Rising rising rising rising
Rising rising rising rising
Rising rising rising rising
Rising rising

Black shadows on the water glistening
Stop pretending you’re not listening
Dark currents in the water twisting
Don’t turn away

Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away?
Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away?

Hear the puppet master muttering
Now’s the time to stop your stuttering
Black banners in the city fluttering
Don’t turn away

Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away?
Have you seen the small birds mob the hawk and drive him away?

Our roots are shared we have one history
The tree of life in all its mystery
Rising up we pull together 
Rising up we shine forever
Our roots are shared 
The tree of life in all its mystery
Rising up we pull together 
Rising up we shine forever

Small Birds

Red Sea’s music is deeply relaxing, environmentally conscious, desert jazz that soothes the soul. Think Billie Holiday meets Nora Jones in a Bedouin tent on the shores of the Red Sea.

Nottingham based Red Sea, play extremely chilled, self-penned jazz, originally inspired by the intense stillness and beauty of the Sinai Desert and the Red Sea. Deeply soulful and descriptive, and heavily influenced by the 1930’s most lyrical proponents of jazz, their music explores the relationships between people and the natural world, place and psyche

Twice featured on BBC Introducing in 2019 and formed in 2016, Red Sea has been gigging regularly round Nottingham and the East Midlands and has played some the city’s most prestigious venues including Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham Contemporary, The Maze and the New Art Exchange.

Red Sea

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