Cyanotype, Fossil Hunting Collective

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 01 Jul 2024

Fossil Hunting Collective is musician and sound artist Jamie Jones, from Guelph in Canada who has been active under this artist name since 2019. He has previously released music on labels such as Ambientologist, ROHS, Polar Seas and Rusted Tone Recordings across this project name and as (ph)authers (alongside Hymns57) and Still Harbours (with Brad Deschamps). Followers of our discography may also recall 2020’s contribution to our Home Diaries series, entitled ‘Aperture’. ‘Cyanotype’ was made primarily, via the beautiful surprises thrown out of various guitar pedals along with re-amped loops played back through old cassette recorders. Whilst virtual plugins are also used throughout the process, Jones places an emphasis on the physical too, with his small body acoustic guitar strung with nylons, a Jazzmaster guitar, a baritone ukulele and reel to reel tape. The sound is a heady blend of melancholy, nostalgic and life-affirming movements, using droning texture, tape decay and loosely performed instrumentation to tell dreamy stories. The theme for this album was born out of the emotions that Jones pours into his music, as he contemplates the day-to-day struggles of his daughter Hunter, who has been Type 1 Diabetic for the last two years of their life. This autoimmune disease can be life-threatening if not managed correctly and around 95% of Jones’ headspace is occupied with worry, as follows strict procedures to count carbohydrates, weigh out food and monitor blood sugar metrics to ensure that his daughter does not become hypoglycaemic, which could lead to a coma. Controlling this disease is a full-time job and one which Jones carries the weight of at all times. The worry, care and withered energy levels mean that these emotions surface their way into the music, when he sits down in his studio late at night. The album is a homage to what Hunter must go through each day of their life, living with Type 1 Diabetes. No child or parent should have to go through this. No child should need to understand how it all works, but they are forced to wonder ‘why me’. On top of the weight of the emotional trauma, there is a physical trauma that comes with being injected with devices and life-saving medication numerous times a day, until a cure can be found. Jones and his family are keen to remind themselves when they can, that the disease does not define the being, and they still celebrate all the positive splendour life can offer. These tracks are an emotional journey of the day-to-day; there is the good and the bad, days of hope and wonder, days of melancholy and sadness. Above all, they are not alone in this fight, and they all work together as a unit, protecting their family bond fiercely, like bees. At an age of around 18 months, Hunter adopted the nickname ‘B’, after being so enthralled with their bee costume for Halloween that they continued to wear on many occasions afterwards. The track titles for this album are all influenced by bee related terminology but also, in some cases there are double meanings, such as ‘Apiary’ (meaning home), ‘Castes’ (members of the family) ‘Mellitus Propolis’ combines Mellitus (Latin for sweet)) used in describing Diabetes Mellitus and Propolis (the resin that bees use to hold hives together). The album package makes use of the artist’s wife Richelle Forsey, who is a visual artist. Richelle often employs a process using the energy of the sun (ultra violet) to expose a camera-less image on paper coated with iron salts. This is called a cyanotype and the paper undergoes a chemical reaction which fixes the image, thus creating an imprinted monochrome ‘blueprint’. Cyanotype is the culmination and the idea of embracing your everyday surroundings despite individual struggles. This artist believes that everyone has an innate desire to feel the warmth of the sun, a close bond with those they hold dearly and an aspiration to create their own everlasting blueprint whilst on earth. The sun produces the light and heat source required for the existence and propagation of all things. Without bees for pollination or the sun we do not flourish. Without the sun, there is no Cyanotype.