Inspired in part by the ambient qualities of John Martyn’s One World, and also a touch of cabin fever resulting from long periods of time locked in a studio, Connor Dougan  aka Deathbed Convert, decided to take his work outside. Developing techniques that would allow him to improvise his electronic music outdoors, responding to the environment of his chosen location. Capturing everything, with his “jamming” effectively becoming a field recording. The interruptions of birdsong, fishermen, the weather, and stray, wandering dogs becoming an integral element of the overall sound design.

The first fruits of this experiment are the album, Inverted Field Vol. 1 – Inishowen. One of many planned expeditions, where, in this case the “venue” was the titular stretch of unspoiled coastline in County Donegal. Each piece is named after the place it was composed.

The opening Tullagh Bay – a serene synergy of Echoplex-ed guitar and crashing surf – is the number that most resembles Martyn’s music. Rich with reverb, Malin Head similarly summons a nocturnal tide of drones derived from delicate 6-string picking. The cut further coloured by the conversations of oyster catchers toiling on the peninsula’s beach.

Carrickabraghy Castle hovers on muted harmonies that resemble monastic chant, while big programmed bass hits set off showers of bell-like chimes. Tullagh Dunes Campfire rolls on slowly rattling percussion. Sails on glitchy, sustained techno textures. 55°13’37.0″N 7°28’27.7”W, introduced by short wave radio dial shuffles and finessed from stretched sequences that sometimes shoot backwards, also floats on Fennesz-esque fizz.

Broken, busted downtempo drums drive Fort Dunree. A groove of rusty gears and pistons, accompanied by glimpses of grainy euphoric swells. Stopped short before they reach their peak. Melodic, but stoned and noodling, like Two Lone Swordsmen executing a glide by shooting on their flightpath estate. Kinnagoe Bay, though, is perhaps the album’s standout. A dream state drift, where North Atlantic waves wash dubby, delayed beats.

The album closes with spirals of marimba / kalimba-like movements that bring to mind Carl Orf’s Gassenhauer and Hans Zimmer’s True Romance, and through spooky serendipity can be taken to represent the ancient, concentric walls of the Grianan of Aileach ringfort.

Deathbed Convert’s Inverse Field Vol . 1 – Inishowen is released today on Touch Sensitive.