Read this: How the pandemic has stranded an experimental music act on a boat in the Pacific Ocean
As most of us brace ourselves for a return to societal lockdowns (lockdowns many of us never really left in the first place, if we’re being honest), it’s probably good to keep our sense of perspective about the pandemic’s effects on our lives. Sure, interminable months of self-quarantining in close quarters with loved ones and friends can be a real pain in the ass these days, but look at it this way: At least you’re not part of an experimental musical troupe stuck on a small sailboat in the middle of the damn Pacific Ocean.
That’s what the two-person avant-garde Filastine & Nova and their small, all-volunteer crew have been facing for months now, according to a profile published yesterday over at Pitchfork. Originally conceived as a nomadic port tour touching on themes of post-scarcity, late capitalism, and environmental collapse, the boat and its inhabitants have essentially been battling all three since the outset of their voyage—scrounging for supplies in wrecked Chinese cargo ships, getting turned away at harbors due to the COVID-19 crisis, and even radioing an atoll known for incinerating biological and chemical weapons in hopes of finding a place to weigh anchor.
Filastine & Nova have vowed to continue on with their project come literal hell or high water, “We had touring culture before airplanes, and we’ll have touring culture after the end of fossil capitalism,” Filastine says near the article’s conclusion. “The transition can be intentional, or it can be apocalyptic.”
Folks looking to chip in for the group’s meager sailing expenses can donate via their Patreon, so, yeah…next time you can’t find something on Netflix to watch, just think: You could be stuck listening to avant-garde noise rock practices on a sailboat for God knows how much longer. Read Pitchfork’s full profile here.