Lawrence English - 'Oseni (2022)

On January 14th the volcano Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai, erupted with a force estimated to be in the range of 10 megatons of TNT. Nasa’s estimate speaks to the enormous force, one registered physically by a pressure wave that travelled the entire circumference of the globe. Sonically, the eruption carried an unerring distance, with the sound likely to match the amplitude of the Krakatoa eruption in 1883.

In the wake of this event, a tsunami ripped through parts of the Pacific and critically, impacted tens of thousands of people living in the Kingdom Of Tonga, something compounded by heavy ash fall. This eruption, which registered effects across numerous South Pacific nations, New Zealand, Australia, North America, Chile, Peru, Japan and elsewhere, represents an important reminder that all these countries, and the people living in them, are connected via the flows and currents of the Pacific Ocean. This ocean is the porous conduit through which we find commonality of cause and understanding.

It’s in this spirit of connectivity and solidarity that I offer ‘Oseni, which is the Tongan word for ocean. The piece is comprised entirely of field recordings of the Pacific which I have captured over the past decade and a half; in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. All proceeds generated by this edition will be donated to a number of charities supporting relief efforts in the Kingdom Of Tonga including the Red Cross and CARE.

I send my warmest to all those folks over there, who face the enormous task of rebuilding their communities and their lives in the aftermath of this eruption.