Mestre

KOMPRIPIOTR
This whole project is about connection between the Decima MAS wartime dangers, gear, deaths in the ocean and Mestre's death, gear, etc.
All my sound sources are specially made water recordings at Atlantic Ocean and recording experiments with water from the Mediterranean.

One hour of HNW sounds!
Printed Cassette Body.
Two flaps cover with External / Internal Print
Cassette comes wrapped in a printed Canvas Bag.
Bag includes also 3 Pins and 2 Special Objects related to diving.
Edition of 50 numbered copies.

After my first work based thematically on the Italian Frogmen of WWII entitled ‘The Voyage of the Decima MAS’ (CD, Troniks), I continued the theme with a 7” (4iB Records) entitled ‘The Journey of the K-Verband’ which tackled the interesting story of the German Frogmen who eventually took their cues and techniques partially from the Italians. 
The fearful aesthetic of the Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS full face diving mask rebreather gear is undeniable, and the various stories against the British in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt during WWII continually presents an abyssal dark ocean world of stealth explosives and ingenuity, not to mention immense risk and casualty in the Mediterranean sea. 
Some time ago, Italian noise artist KOMPRIPIOTR approached me with the idea of continuing the study of the Italian frogmen’s legacy via ocean and freediving / spearfishing as sound source (pre-recorded and personally recorded), but this time with a personal family background connection on KOMPRIPIOTR’s part as a relative of his actually fought in the Decima Flottiglia MAS as a frogman / diver. 

As I continued my various interests in the various themes and amateur participation in freediving, and the more I read about the casualties and dangers of the WWII Mediterranean WWII frogmen at the hands of the British, the more i drew parallels with the risk and tragic fatality of female world record deep ocean freediver Audrey Mestre. 
Mestre’s controversial death during a record breaking attempt in 2002 in the waters of the Dominican Republic thematically reminded me of the various Decima Flottiglia MAS technique and battle stories, the aesthetics of the the rebreather masks and suits vs. Mestre’s streamlined yellow and black Mares wetsuit and related freediving gear. 
Mares banners adorned the surrounding boats during her fateful freediving record attempt, bringing to mind the strong and creepy aesthetic of the low volume Mares freediving masks, most notably the Mares ‘Viper’ mask - the eyes of the Italian rebreather masks virtually being brought back to life by the dual lens style of the Mares mask design.  

“Audrey’s body is placed along the narrow hull, I immediately grabbed her to immobilize her head and open the airway. 
Eddie cuts with scissors her black-and-yellow wetsuit from the neck, down to the waist. 
The zipper is on her back, so what Eddie does is faster. 
She’s wearing a hood, five -millimeters in thickness just like the wetsuit. 
I start removing the hood from her head but Eddie cuts it, allowing me to check her carotidal pulse.” - Carlos Serra

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