Drones and Debris is a project by Paul Rooney, working with cellist Gyða Valtýsdóttir. For their one-off 12″ single project, seal calls and other natural sounds of the Holy Island landscape – recorded by legendary sound recordist and musician Chris Watson – were transcribed into cello phrases by Valtýsdóttir and moulded into a richly layered cello composition by Rooney. This immersive sound piece was initially installed within Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland, with a darkly humorous projected text that aimed to ‘translate’ the seal song as a warning of climate catastrophe. Owd Scrat Records were then pleased to commission a stereo edition of the piece – titled as Song (After Nature Future), with an ambient remix entitled Song (After Nature Past) – under the artist moniker Drones and Debris (the name is a quote from the seal song). The double ‘A’ sided vinyl 12″ single record (with the poem/text ‘translation’ of the seal song presented as sleeve notes) will be launched in March 2023 for the opening of the second season of the installation at the Castle (extended by popular demand), from March to October 2023.
