High Adventure on the Open Market

“Once upon a time there lived a carefree group of adventurers who spent their days and nights frolicking through the nether regions of luxury and privilege. One night, while carelessly plundering the wilds of high society, the adventurers stumbled onto dangerously dark times. Powerful forces descended, and the group found itself cast into an unfamiliar life of doubt and despair. It seemed they were no longer masters of their own destiny. Propelled by the strange guidance of some invisible hand, the adventurers found themselves floating down dark rivers, dangerously adrift toward ends unknown. Before long, all power was lost to currents too strong to fight, too terrifying to understand. The captain lost his mind as darkness swallowed up the boat and all the people in it. A few of the adventurers managed to swim to shore, earning at least a slim chance of survival among the night fires. Others simply surrendered to the irresistible pull of the tides and softly slipped beneath the surface, lost forever to some strange tomorrow.” Performed by recording superstars Michael Mansions and J.R. Yachts, “High Adventure on the Open Market” is a sound-painting composed and produced by Seth Knappen, who has formerly worked with bands such as Darling, Driver of the Year, The Multiple Cat, Eyes and Rivulets. Inspired by the culture of excess and greed that led to the Great Recession, “High Adventure on the Open Market” is an instrumental sound-painting that tells a story of folly and declining fortunes by using melodies instead of characters and textural backdrops in place of setting. What starts out as a groove-driven celebration of wealth and mindless consumption soon transforms into a dark night of the soul, complete with menacing drones and disorienting rhythms. Although the album is entirely instrumental, Mansions & Yachts use their considerable talents to bring to life an engaging sonic portrait that is completely unlike other more overtly political albums. Rather than being limited by the instrumental format, the lack of words and recognizable characters allows the album to focus on the visceral and emotional qualities of living through a cultural fall from grace. For more information on the sound-painting aesthetic, please visit www.sethknappen.com/soundpainting.