It was late February before the world closed down, and the impending travel restrictions to and in Hawaii meant travelers and locals keen on outdoor escapes in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands would soon be relegated to their sofas at home, replete with nothing more than a computer screen or mobile phone, hopefully at least with a decent sound system to enjoy during lockdown.
In those anticipatory moments of the world coming to a still, I realized something that had been under my nose for a long time: Kit Ebersbach had tons of field recordings of Hawaii. Hundreds, possibly thousands of ambient sounds recorded during shoreline walks or hikes in the jungle, captured over the years on practically every island in the archipelago (well, the populated islands, at least).
I knew two things: that most of these recordings were really only being used for Kit's "relaxation" in-flight program on Hawaiian Airlines; and that most people who'd soon be stuck at home were going to be desperately in need of soothing sounds from the Pacific. Outdoor sounds, nature sounds. Something to transport them from their home and into the magnificent beauty and tranquil spaces of Hawai‘i.
The path revealed itself, so we seized the opportunity. What a rewarding one it has been — many of our current fans thanked us for the welcomed escape in paradisiacal sound. New listeners have discovered Aloha Got Soul through the Aloha ‘Āina series too, and we're grateful to make the connection.
Bandcamp Daily wrote an in-depth piece on Kit Ebersbach's career in sound — which presented us with a profound statement by the artist, producer, engineer, and field recording enthusiast:
"Music is sound manipulated by spirit."
Enjoy the recordings, and check back again for the remaining volumes — we're aiming for at least 12 volumes.
https://pacificsounds.bandcamp.com/album/aloha-aina-volume-8-field-recordings-of-hawaii
