The Project

Nick and I have referred to this as The Project throughout the many years it's taken us to complete it. I don’t think either of us knew what we were getting ourselves into, but it’s a real joy to be able to finally release it out into the world.

In 2015 I went to an exhibition at The Barbican called ‘The World of Charles and Ray Eames’ - a retrospective look at their methods and works. For me there isn’t a better place in the world to show the influence of these two. I was oblivious to most of what they did, particularly their film and projection work.

One room featured several projectors across several small screens depicting a dinner party, but nearby was a MASSIVE screen showing a close-up macro-photographic video of a tiny jellyfish the size of a fingernail as it danced across the ocean floor. I was entranced as that week I’d read an article on the Turritopsis dohrnii - also known as the ‘immortal jellyfish’.

The cogs were turning.

By the time I’d left the exhibition, I’d started sketching out an idea of a story based around a family of artists and the implications of immortality. Pretentious as fuck - I totally admit it. Throughout the five years working on this project, not once have I been able to shake the mid-century modern aesthetic from the characters and rooms within the story itself. In my head, Edward’s parents are the Eameses.

We recorded the record wherever we could on a shoestring budget. The bulk was done in various bedrooms of mine living between Crystal Palace, Brixton Hill and West Norwood. Eventually we set up in Nick’s coffee roastery in Brixton to record some of the drums and vocals, then we finished tracking at Press Play Studios in Bermondsey.

Everything on this record was recorded in South London and most of the story itself is set here. Everyone who worked with us on this project are people we’ve known for years and who’ve believed in The Project. The biggest thanks go to:

Dom Kirtley who very patiently worked with me back-and-forth to tidy up and make beautiful the thousands of song-sketches and details.

Michael Osborne who stepped in to master the record into something much more powerful, cohesive and deep.

Harry Ridgway and Sam Airey at Hanglands who’ve brilliantly helped give vision to the release of all of this and who’ve put up with all my idiosyncracies and setbacks.

Lastly my mother Kona Serwatka for contributing the artwork that’s helped give The Project a unique and tangible aesthetic of its own. Also I owe her for a lot more - life itself, I guess - but she knows I’ll make it up to her.