Window
Window is a remote musical collaboration between several patients at Langdon Hospital in Dawlish, UK (Devon Partnership NHS Trust), their music instructor, Matt Smith, recording artists Mike Ladd, John Matthias and Jay Auborn, staff and students at dBs Music in Bristol and Plymouth UK and dbs-i and dBs Pro. Langdon Hospital supports men from the South West of England who, as a consequence of their mental health needs, have had contact with the legal system and require a safe and secure environment that enables them to receive a wide range of treatments, therapies and care to assist in their recovery. During the Covid-19 pandemic, music instructor, Matt Smith has been unable to move freely around the hospital and decided to alleviate the patients' occupational deprivation by initiating a remote musical collaboration, inviting external recording artists to remix their music. This is the result of that collaborative process. All of the music was written after April 2020 and is inspired by different interpretations of the concept of the Window
You can listen to the patients' original tracks with the remixes alongside and read about the patients' inspirations and ideas for their work and their comments about the remixing process.
Impact Statements
“I feel that by exchanging my tracks with other musicians, it gives my work a sense of value. I like to think I can create things that others can work with and see that I am more than just a patient.”
N.C: Original content creator - Patent at Langdon hospital
“I found the original work incredibly moving, especially that timbre of the artist's voice.The imagery in the artist's texts, the ambiguity of some of the phrasing and switch language are elements I love. I felt compelled to leave as much room as possible for that text to live and for the listener to enter. Doing hands on work with people in challenging situations is the work that inspires me most throughout my career. I am very proud to be a part of this project and I hope it can continue.”
Mike Ladd: Artist / Producer / DJ - External contributor
“The theme ‘window’ was originally conceived by Koestler Arts For the theme of their 2020 Arts Award for people detained the criminal justice system Matt Smith has been working with the patients at Langdon thinking about different interpretations of what ‘window’ could mean, from lenses to visual barriers. Primarily for me, in the remixing process it was for very a brief period, a window into another person’s world.”
John Matthias - dbs-i
“I would like to swap my music with other people to open their minds and see what I can inspire in them. To share my journey together, it’s great to know that my work has value.”
C.D: Original content creator - Patient at Langdon hospital
“A uniquely enjoyable process that gave me an enormous sense of well being, like I was directly connecting with someone I’ve never met. I wanted to do their work the justice it deserved so the main aim was to be as sympathetic to the original stems as possible, make the train talk and interpret what we have all seen through the window.”
Toby Lewis - Producer / Musician - remixer
“This project caught my attention when I saw it was in aid of mental health and I also liked the creative challenge of creating a remix. The project was a much needed creative outlet in such a bizarre time, with both physically and mental challenges. Thank you to the creator of the original track for providing such a quality range of instrument sounds and ideas to work with!”
Lima Milan - dBs Tutor & Remixer - External contributor
“Taking my old school Hip Hop and house influences and putting them into an electronic melting pot then sharing them on a global platform makes me feel at one with the world again. My Koestler track uses sound sources in and outside of the hospital from one side of the glass to the other. Opening the window of creativity and sharing my sonic ideas with other like-minded individuals. It gives me something to look forward to each week”
J.D: Original content creator - Patient at Langdon hospital
“I believe music has the power to heal and to create a deeper understanding that is impossible to articulate through day today conversations. Which creates a personal connection that is very much needed in these times of division and isolation. I always try to consider this when producing new music and I felt this project was an excellent example of how this can be implemented in a very literal way. I hope whoever made this great track enjoys my version and gets as much from it as I did from listening to their lyrics and making the track with the elements provided. Whoever you are, keep up the great work, keep creating and I’m sure you will positively affect many more people with your wise words. “Like Greeks in Egypt, learning something deep from they teachers” - Nas
Green tee - Artist / DJ - External contributor
I feel honoured to be able to contribute to such an interesting and exciting project. I was amazed by all the original tracks and remixes. I hope that we can all continue to work together to keep making fun and unique sounds. Coming from a background of tutoring Music Technology to Primary school children, I was already aware of how rewarding it is to help another person realise and build on their creative vision, and how immensely cool and creative tracks are by those who have not been told what is right or wrong in music.
Joe Valek - dBs Student / producer - External contributor
All of the patients were amazed and intrigued by the remixes of their work; these created positive emotions and a sense of achievement from all involved. The patient’s felt their work had been valued and provided them with an identity outside of being “a patient”. Since the project; this has sparked the patient’s motivation and confidence to continue engaging in music and take a more autonomous approach to their work.
Matt Smith - FORENSIC SERVICE
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR (MUSIC) at LANGDON HOSPITAL.
The project and the creative work it's built upon took place at the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown here in the UK. People were starting to feel faded at this point, let down by elected guardians, their mental and physical well-being stretched. Lockdown tensions were in the air all around us, providing the remixers a timely and direct way of relating and sympathising with the patients daily lives in a secure facility. The music we exchanged allowed us to share, connect and reflect with one another without ever saying a word or meeting in person. The sounds and music were a shared window and perspective on the world.