As keys and scales shift from major to minor there is strain.. tension.. This is so in life as well. Take time to embrace the moment, not to battle tension, but to stretch it just like a sore muscle. Just as we should listen to and treat aches and pains in our body, so should we attend to the aches and pains creating tension, anxiety and troubling thoughts and moods.
Existential ponderings often manifest a steep and slippery slope which can keep one down for quite some time. While keeping perspective in the larger picture is an important thing to cultivate, so is a firm grasp of the moment.
Stop, breathe, appreciate. Put your phone down. Stare at a cloud, stare at a bird or a deer. Exhale the minutiae and inhale the moment. Whether it be a memory, a meditation point, a mantra or just a point of light. Embrace the moment and disengage from the crush of existence. It could be a walk around the neighborhood or just sitting still at your desk. Take time to regenerate, let stale and stressful thoughts molt and rejuvenate.
masquerade
Do you wear the mask?
We all wear masks from time to time. But when you are constantly hurting that mask can become your everyday face. The sad clown, hiding pain behind jokes. Lifting others up only to tear yourself down.
Coping mechanisms adapt to hide the sticky corrosive feelings that become inescapable.
Do you hide behind the mask?
Do you berate yourself for the pain?
The voices, the viscera, the dissonance….
If you don’t feel this, look around. Someone you know does
Are you OK?
This simple question can change everything.
Peel away the mask
carnivale
carnivale – Sometimes you need to embrace the absurd, the strange, the unknown, but be wary, occasionally “something wicked this way comes”. Carnivale is a composition inspired by the Ray Bradbury novel and just came to be. To reductively describe the music, the happy meets the weird and hooks up with some underlying evil. Don’t put to much thought into it, just enjoy!
alethia
The truth is the truth, however the perception of the truth is subjective and often misguided and ill conceived. In times of tumult the light of truth is clouded and shrouded by the oculus of those pushing agendas in the guise of information. There is no single source of truth, there is no omnipotent, infallible source of information. Only through experience, triumph and defeat, victory or learning, do we see the truth manifest. In the end we only begin to understand that what we know is but a single atom in the cosmos. This is wisdom, the ability to reform your perspective through the understanding of not what we know, but the infinite amount that we do not know. Learn, live and seek wisdom.
Alethia / Aletheia defined – The Greek word “aletheia” (ἀλήθεια) can be translated as “truth” in English. In ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, “aletheia” referred to the state of being unconcealed or the disclosure of something as it truly is. It conveys the idea of truth as a form of unveiling or revealing that brings clarity and understanding. “Aletheia” is often contrasted with “doxa,” which means “opinion” or “belief,” emphasizing the distinction between subjective perception and objective truth.
replicant
Replicant – In Blade Runner, the brilliant 1982 sci-fi masterpiece directed by Ridley Scott, the replicants were robots, humanoid creations who became sentient and some rebelled. Many times I feel as though I am a robot and am simply following through with my programmatic instructions.
In times like that I create. This composition is precisely one of those pieces that came from a need to insert a break in a cyclical recursion loop of monotony.
dying light
dying light – A metaphor for memento mori, a reminder that we all die and so we should all live each day to the fullest. This is a 1hr dark ambient doom drone soundscape for sleep, meditation or relaxation. It’s soft undulations and transitions are a perfect background soundtrack for any activity requiring focus or purposeful non-focus.
Day to night, light to dark… Do you hear the ticking of the clock? We are not promised tomorrow. Tomorrow is a privilege, not a right. The dying of the light is a reminder that we are not promised another day, and if you are, it can be easily broken. Memento mori/memento vivere is the reminder that we all must die so too we all must live.
In no way is this meant to be depressing. It is a call to live life to the fullest. Waste no days, waste no minutes. Live hard, love hard. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be true, be a good friend, lift up those who are down and be the hero in your own story.
Be a beacon when times are dark.
boogeyman
With inspiration borrowed from classic horror soundtracks, boogeyman bleeds subtle notes of fear while still remaining a calming piece for your relaxation and enjoyment… sleep tight.
What exactly is a boogeyman? The Boogeyman, also spelled as Bogeyman, is a mythical creature often depicted as a malevolent figure used to frighten children into good behavior. The Boogeyman is said to hide under beds or in dark closets, waiting to grab or scare unsuspecting children. The concept of the Boogeyman is widespread across various cultures and has been around for centuries. While the appearance of the Boogeyman varies, it is often portrayed as a shadowy, shapeless figure or a grotesque monster. Despite being a fictional character, the fear of the Boogeyman has been known to cause anxiety and sleep disturbances in some children. This concept has traversed the horrorscape to morph into the slasher genre in the characters of Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, and the ever grotesquely hilarious Art the Clown.
khaos
Even the most frenetic chaos will manifest patterns.. from patterns we derive order, and as order hardens and becomes brittle it fractures into chaos.
Khaos, also known as Chaos, is a primal Greek deity who represents the formless and shapeless void that existed before the creation of the universe. In Greek mythology, Khaos is often depicted as a vast and swirling abyss, from which the first gods and elements of the cosmos were born. Khaos is neither good nor evil, but rather a neutral force that represents the potential for creation and destruction. Khaos is often associated with the natural world and the unpredictable forces of nature, and remains a powerful symbol of the mysterious and unknowable origins of existence.
hubris
Pride goeth before the fall.
Hubris refers to excessive pride or arrogance, often resulting in a person’s downfall. It’s a sense of self-importance that can lead to overconfidence and disregard for the opinions of others. Hubris often manifests as a feeling of invincibility or superiority, leading individuals to make reckless decisions that ultimately bring about their downfall. The term has its roots in ancient Greek literature, where hubris was considered a tragic flaw in heroes that led to their ultimate undoing. Today, hubris is still used to describe a dangerous level of arrogance or overconfidence in any individual, not just tragic heroes.
liminal
A liminal space refers to a transitional or in-between space, often characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, and disorientation. It is a place where one has left something behind but has not yet arrived at a new destination. Liminal spaces can be physical, such as a threshold or a hallway, or psychological, such as the transition between childhood and adulthood. They can be both unsettling and transformative, as they offer an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Liminal spaces are often depicted in literature, art, and mythology as a place of initiation or ritual, where individuals undergo a transformative journey.
The chord progressions in this track were left intentionally without embellishment to allow the listener to find their own melody, structure and path from ambiguity. As such, losing one’s self amongst the wash of sounds is an added benefit.
nox reanimus 