Mike Cooper

When A Screaming Comes Across The Sky

DRM4233

August 1, 2025

Digital

A note from Mike….

I was born during World War Two and I hope I don’t die during the next World War.

“A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now”

These are the opening words of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Gravity’s Rainbow, a book that I have lived with for a half a century since it was first published in 1973.

Its main character is the V2 rocket that Germany sent across the sky to England during that World War.

The V2 predecessor was the V1: actually the first jet propelled flying bomb invented by the Germans. In 1944 they launched 10,000 of them against Britain killing around 6,000 people and injuring many many more during that war.

That same year came the V2, the world’s first long range guided ballistic missile and the first man made object to reach Space travelling at supersonic speed and consequently arriving at its target with no audible warning. 3000 of these were launched against Britain, killing a further 9000 people. The toll is even higher if you include the 12,000 forced labourers and concentration camp prisoners who died whilst manufacturing them too.

Modern space travel, guided rocket munitions and long range missiles have their origins in these German weapons from 80 years ago; all evolving from these original V1 and V2 rockets.

I made these pieces in the first two weeks of June 2025 as Israel continued (and continues) to commit war crimes in Gaza and the rest of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and then, with the full support of most of the western worlds governments, with its attacks on Iran.

Dedicated to Thomas Pynchon and all friends and colleagues displaced or missing since 1948 in this on-going tragedy that should never have happened in the first place. 

credits

releases August 1, 2025

Thanks to Lawrence English at Room40 for continued support.

All proceeds from sales will go to Palestinian charities and to support the Crescent Red Cross.

“A screaming comes across the sky. It has happened before, but there is nothing to compare it to now”

Assembled in Valencia/Spain June 2025

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