Official artwork for MMCCXV
Significantly more conceptual than the previous album Progress, MMCCXV (read as "Twenty-Two-Fifteen") serves as the second full length album of the current form of High Five Spaceship. Initially conceptualized in early 2015, the project began on Kickstarter under the title 'Pathfinder' on 21 May 2015 with a goal of raising £2,000 to cover the pressing of a physical release, rent equipment and recording spaces, and to compensate each contributing artist. This goal, reached in just 21 hours, was extended and by the end of the campaign, £4,743 was raised in total in the 30 days the campaign was up.
Concept art for Pathfinder.
Contunuing the collaborative spirit, MMCCXV incorporates the work of Bryarly Bishop, Steve Bingham, Carlos Montero, Elliot Morris, TVMPST, and Jonti 'Weebl' Picking. As with Progress, a limited physical release involved a 2-disc special edition CD (with instrumentals, demos, and alterate mixes) and hand numbered vinyl with A4 insert. A launch party took place on 1 April 2016, incorporating a live performance and opportunity to purchase merchandise.
Official artwork for the single The Sea Hates a Coward
In terms of content, MMCCXV is a loose concept album; in the same vein of albums by bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis, the album is tied together by an overarching story. Told subtly in some tracks, a little less subtly in others, the story surrounds a pair of individuals (voiced by Bingham and Bryarly) speaking through a vast expanse of space; Bingham is travelling across the cosmos with a vast collection of knowledge, leaving everyone he knows behind. Over time, the distance causes a communication breakdown until they can no longer hear one another. Some aspects swing autobiographical (as with Progress), leaving MMCCXV a deeply personal and beautiful project.
Cover for the Vinyl release of MMCCXV.
MMCCXV can be streamed here on Bandcamp or here on Spotify.
Track Listing
- Passage [03:59]
- Team Dream [05:17]
- Boat People [04:53]
- Tithonus [01:02]
- The Sea Hates a Coward [04:07]
- Spell Remains [06:26]
- Artemis [04:02]
- One Hundred and Forty Seven [03:53]
- A Second Golden Record [04:05]
- Wisła [08:03]
Jewel case for the CD release of MMCCXV
Sources for information on this page come from Bandcamp, Discogs (CD Listing),Discogs (Vinyl Listing),Throw the Dice and Play Nice, Kickstarter and the Inside the Spaceship Podcast.