Sea Island and Ferry - Crossings (2018) [Hi-Res]

Sea Island & Ferry, a rare concoction of western and traditional Chinese instruments including piano, xiao (Chinese flute), cello and saxophone, calls themselves a Hong Kong "neochamber" ensemble. Their debut album "Crossings" features original instrumental works created during their first two years recording and performing together.

The works in "Crossings" involve taking the back seat to look at the inner and outer worlds, and have a diverse range of stories behind them. For example, "Adrift" was written in response to the refugee crisis in Europe in recent years. Extending beyond 10 minutes, "Salt Chronicles" tells the story of Yim Tin Tsai, an outlying, formerly salt-producing island in Hong Kong. "Living Under Water" was inspired through a conversation with a transgender person, who used exactly these words to describe the lives of sexual minorities.

People who heard Sea Island & Ferry live tend to link their music with film scores, but their works are not confined to any single genre such as jazz or classical. It is largely Hong Kong's cultural diversity which enabled an ensemble with such a combination of instruments, and provided the themes that inspired their work.