New Tusk Mix

Hey Crew

Just threw together a dubstep mix and put it up online. It starts mellow and moody and builds up real good. Enjoy! And remember: There aint no Dub if you aint got no Sub. Ya hear?

Link: download.yousendit.com/300A58DB6022D346

The Madness of Mental Health

Recently I have spoken to a number of friends about "mental health" and I have become alarmed at the number of people in my community who are taking various prescription drugs to stabilize their minds. I find it surprising that so many people I know who eat organic food and dislike corporate society are willing to trust their neuro chemical well being to modern medicine and pharmaceutical companies. Let me be clear right off the bat: I recognize that there exists a certain strata of the population who are extremely "imbalanced" and literally cannot function in consensus reality without chemical intervention. I have known and worked professionally with many people like this and I see the positive effect these compounds have on their lives. The majority of people I know who are on these drugs do not fall into this category. They are people who (in my opinion) are capable of functioning in society with varying degrees of success and happiness without any chemical assistance but are taking them none the less. When I was in my early teens I was diagnosed with several scary sounding "disorders" and promptly prescribed half a dozen different drugs for various specific purposes. Some made me giddy, others made me feel like I wasn't there. Some made me the perfect student until I got home and lay on the couch for 3 hours crying for no reason. Admittedly some of these drugs made things "easier" (i.e.. Less intense, less scary ) but always at the cost of some level or type of awareness. When I was 20 years old I stopped taking every drug I was on (except hash) and went a bit nuts for about a week. I was simply unwilling to trade any aspect of my experience for what some asshole in a cheap suit said was a normal healthy life. In retrospect Im sure there was a better approach to emancipating myself but Im still glad I rid myself of them all. The reason I say all of this is not because I have heavy judgments on people who choose to medicate their consciousness, it is because A: I am worried about my community. And B: I believe the entire modern western medical paradigm is completely insane.


Until very recently Madness was not considered taboo within society. The legend of the Holy Fool is widespread throughout medieval literature and many shamanistic cultures would seek initiates in epileptics and highly sensitive persons. The visions and words of the Mad were considered messages from beyond and the Mad themselves had a culturally recognizeable place in the world. In todays mono-cultural empire the social mirrors capital and all conviviality has been replaced by social transaction: Highly conditioned social rituals for specific (though often unspoken) purposes. A social realm so heavily mechanized runs against natural laws and thus seems to be spawning a vast array of demonic backlashes within the minds (and bodies) of the populace. In order to maintain order and efficient operation of the social, the medical priesthood concoct fabulous potions capable of suppressing the natural chaotic instincts in individuals and allowing them to resume normal social functioning. The issue for me is really one of perspective. Society tells me I am crazy because I converse with disincarnate entities. Society tells me that it can help by injecting synthetic compounds into my brain that keep me from perceiving these disincarnate entities. But if I take a good hard look at society I see a vast socio-cultural mechanism that values abstraction (god, country, capital) and oppressive power structures over life, health, beauty, love etc etc etc. From my perspective modern civilization is awash with sickness, verily, it is made of it. If doctors and pharmaceutical companies existed outside of and uncorrupted by the world of capital as a rigorously observed, purely altruistic practice, then I would trust them implicitly and have considerably less trouble taking their advice. Prescription consciousness altering drugs are a multi billion dollar business making lots of people extremely rich and these people plan on staying that way. In my opinion the people making the drugs my community are ingesting do not have my community's best interests in mind. This, for me, is the bottom line.


Language seems to play a key role in the establishments domination of consciousness. People (aka "patients") are coerced into identifying with some aspect of there internal world that is troubling them. This internal conflict is then given a name ( Depression, Bi-polar etc ) that encourages them to not only identify with the "problem" itself, but also to see themselves as part of a community of suffering who collectively identify with that conflict. The individual, now identified as a (fill in the blank) person can feel safe knowing they are not alone in there struggle because it is just a normal, boring defect in their being, shared by millions of others. The person, now sufficiently dis-empowered, is given a magickal cure (prescription) for the problem that will simply make it disappear without any cognitive or spiritual work on their part. The language of mental health does not transcend science or modern psychology because all other paradigms are incompatible (or potentially threatening ) to modern civilization.

Ultimately, for me, sanity comes down to three things: Freedom, Tact and Grace. The much maligned Aliester Crowely equated freedom with sanity in the sense that if your experience of life is integrated, empowered and passionate you simply wont care what others think and will be free to do as you Will. I try (with varying degrees of success) to live as much in accordance with my own sense of right action and truth and I find that this perspective gives me the strength and the philosophical peace required to allow me to live in what is often a challenging and competitive world. Tact is simply about recognizing how much to reveal at any given moment in relation to the social situation at hand. My local bank teller probably does not need to know what the invisible (to her at least) 8 legged black imp just whispered to me about the movements of time. If I were to inform her, it could potentially affect all of our future interactions and possibly lead to being ostracized by certain members of my community, thus making my life a bit less easy. One might say: "why not simply ingest some government issued substance to suppress the awareness of the imp?" to which I reply that the 8 legged black imp (or whatever other unregisterable experience you may have) often conveys fascinating insights and information. Whether its "real" or not is irrelevant to me. I dont mind its presence and if the bank teller doesn't know about it, it wont bother her either. Grace is in many ways the embodiment of tact but in a much deeper and more fundamental sense. I see it as simply allowing yourself to be in the world. In some ways I suppose it is the connection between freedom and tact in that it extends from freedom, informing and beautifying the moment. If you are standing in grace then you will feel and KNOW, holistically, totally and absolutely that it is the right time to tell the bank teller about the invisible friend and how to do it in a way that will seem perfectly natural to her.


The connection with nature is another key element here. It goes without saying that when people in society feel crazy, stressed out, obsessed with abstracts (career, social standing etc) they often head to the beach or the woods to get "back to reality". This to me is the ultimate admission of the false consciousness inherent in modern civilization. The recognition of the healing power of being natural and the unconscious awareness of the wisdom of the ancient cultures that lived in harmony with the planet. The awareness of nature and my natural physicality is tremendously important for my sanity. When I start feeling wobbly I hike in the woods, get exercise and hang out with people I can be completely natural with (thanks to all of you by the way). When my madness overwhelms me I become lost in abstraction, a giant head full of ghosts, disconnected from the body and the cycles and sensations of grounded, natural reality and I know its is time to re-connect. At this point I could launch into a lengthy rant on the toxic effects of modern architecture or popular music but perhaps its not the time.


In closing I want to restate that I in no way offer these observations as a judgement or condemnation of those who choose to take prescription drugs. The point is that it should be a clear choice, based on real inference and self awareness. There are a myriad of options for those experiencing inner conflict and the best choices are made from a place of empowerment. The conflict you experience is not an incurable defect of the self but a challenge that is as special and individual as you and an opportunity for growth and learning. Sanity is the functional mid-ground of a spectrum of experience and behavior that allows us to understand one another and work together, not a bottle of pills or the coldly impersonal structures of modern psychology. May we all know our true beings and may we all be empowered do the work of healing and Illumination.

Sub-Occulture: The Pantheon of the Street

One of the criticisms most often directed at our current western paradigm is that it is spiritually devoid. This is true insofar as there appears to be no clear uniting spiritual principles or archetypes in our day to day language and culture, but appearances often deceive. The realm of spirit is inextricably linked to humanity and cannot be escaped despite the best efforts of the gods of science and organized religions. The archetypes represent the drives and dreams of the collective unconscious. They are the unified, anthromorphisised representations of various currents of transformative energy and techniques for understanding and manipulating reality. They are the guardians and guides on the pathways carved out by magicians, artists and dreamers over time. It is my belief that the spirits our ancestors worshipped and worked with are still with us today: in our blood, our stories and our culture.


The Underworld has traditionally been a place of initiation where the aspirant goes to meet the spirits and gods. Rather than simply a quaint and anachronistic myth I believe the underworld is represented and embodied by so-called underground or fringe culture. Underground culture is the place where ideas, sounds and images that are inadmissible or threatening to the everyday conscious reality are given space to live and grow. Underground spaces must be accessed via some form of secret language or signs and are most often active in dark and hidden spaces. The spirits that indwell these temporary autonomous zones are atavistic in nature, ancient racial archetypes re-interpreted through the lens of the information age. Just as the ancient pantheons contained epic hierarchies of spirits and gods responsible for various aspects of reality, I believe subcultural spirits are accessible through the evolutionary layers of cultural movements. For instance, in its initial emergence Hip Hop was not yet a "God" per-se but a new and undefined convergence of several currents. Like a baby, undefined and full of innocent potential Hip Hop was parented via the spirits of Jamaican Soundsystem culture, Jazz and European "industrial" (turntable appliance as experimental instrument) and electro. As the spirit grew it began to take on more organized and identifiable forms: 4 elements, Particular styles, Language etc. Now a fully fledged cultural god, Hip Hop can be channeled through individuals via their association and embodiment of its defining characteristics. The individuals may then access Hip Hops inherent power and abilities for personal growth or the distribution of cultural memes. This God has since spawned smaller versions of itself (angels if you will) that are responsible for different specific or regional aspects of its growth and work. Thus we get spirits of Crunk, Graphitti, etc all with attendant language and appearance. There is a trade involved of course: the individual gains the Culture Spirits power and allows the Spirit to explore its own possibilities in the embodied world but the individual can become too heavily defined by their association with the archetype; potentially limiting their ability to adapt.


I have explored numerous sub-cultural realms and found for myself some of their powers and pitfalls, and will attempt to evoke them here. It is axiomatic that the gods and spirits are perceived and affected somewhat differently by everyone who contacts them so of course these reflections are my own and are very much open to debate:


Dancehall Reggae:

I have been working with Dancehall for a number of years in various ways (producing, DJ'ing, attending parties) and have found it to be tremendously empowering and healing on a number of levels. Dancehall is concerned mainly with the individual and collective experience of sensual/ sexual pleasure, confidence, wit and rhythmic embodiment through dance and lyrics. Initially I had a hard time dancing to dancehall due to my physical patterns associated with techno / industrial dancefloors. It took awhile but eventually by allowing dancehall "in" I began to react physically from my root as opposed the upper regions of my body. I began to be more conscious of the physical pleasure of dancing and my connection to the crowd and less concerned with my inner mental or symbolic experience. The explicitly sexual and "ego based" lyrical approach and vibe corroded the asexual and heady patterns I had assimilated and I found myself incredibly present, grounded and confident. In addition Dancehall, (despite its apparently a-political stance) is the offspring of the pure rebel music Reggae, itself the spawn of the African Nyabingi drum and early american RnB. Dancehall still retains the defiant celebratory energy of the African diaspora, albeit in a sublimated and sometimes overly aggressive way. This is important as any true underground culture is inherently antagonistic towards false or outdated paradigms. Though empowering and highly enjoyable Dancehall is rife with pitfalls for the unconscious. It is intensely dogmatic as a culture and deals with gender and sexuality in heavily divisive and oppressive ways. This energy can be channeled in order to break down patterns of fear based passivity as well as testing ones relationship to "political correctness" but is often simply ignored (How much Patois do you understand?) or laughed off ( cynicism as a potentially racist reactionary gesture). Dancehall being a manifestation of roots Reggae is heavily intertwined with Rastafarianism and is as a result a vehicle for the energy know as Jah. In my experience this energy is very caught up in the confusing semantic mess of christian dogma and superstition as well as historical inaccuracy. None the less, the essential spirit of "Jah" itself is wonderfully empowering and enjoyable when apprehended as an energy in an immediate and grounded way. Dancehall is, in my opinion, a new mask for certain African spirits far older and more intoxicating than the passive christian programming omnipresent in western civilization. It is capable of re-imprinting negative patterns of sexuality and physicality as well as bringing people together consciously in celebration; a direct attack on oppressive forces.


Industrial Culture:

Initiated by the ritual / performance art group Throbbing Gristle in late seventies London, industrial music was (and is) a new interpretation of folk / trance inducing music utilizing the contemporary surroundings of "the folk": the world of machines. Explicitly electronic and mechanized sounds emphasizing the dissonance and noise of the factory and the city combined with aggressive and transgressive lyrics. Industrial is a fascinating movement due to its intensely amorphous and chaotic nature. Look in the industrial section of a decent record store and you will find everything from pop dance and electro, middle eastern experimental, pure noise, ambient etc. Industrial has retained its essentially chaotic nature by becoming an ethos and vibration that can contain or be combined with any other cultural movement. Granted within the public eye industrial has certain defined characteristics, some of which are representative of its more essential shape. Most people probably associate industrial with bands like NIN, Ministry and various other dark "gothic" electronic rock bands. Industrial is "gothic" insofar as it seems to be spawned of the collective european cultural / magickal tradition but it is not limited to what is currently seen as "goth" culture nowadays. Modern goth culture (especially in N. America) is in an intensely stagnant period right now and in many ways appears to be an inversion of the initial intentions of industrial culture (witness the horror of mall goths or any hot topic store you care to enter) Goth seems to be a culture ripe for re-birth due to its tenacious romantic tendencies and anti-christian ethos. Early Throbbing Gristle performances sent audiences into hypnotic frenzies and intense states of consciousness. Industrial has always been about pushing people sonically and experientially into novel and transformative states and at its best is still capable of catapulting individuals into gnosis. It also retains the positive aspects of european culture: Strength, Romanticism, Perseverance and Technological Innovation. Industrial is at its nexus a highly practical and adaptable spirit of challenge and mutation. Due to its arrival in late seventies UK via the efforts of noted magickians such as Genesis P.Orridge, Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and others, I believe it to be the musical / cultural expression of the Chaos Magick current.


Hardcore Punk


Along with Hip Hop, Punk is currently one of the major players in the "war for reality" having spread its influence into global mainstream culture. As a result punk as we know it is no longer an underground movement and has become digestible and lost much of its power to effectively transform mass culture. Hardcore still retains a powerful liberatory charge and some practical techniques for the destabilization of false culture and the creation of community. Hardcore picked up where early punk left off and carries the flag of Anarchism and Rebellion proudly, albeit with a lot of semantic and stylistic baggage. HC has become a heavily dogmatic realm, closely guarding the "true" spirit and aesthetic of punk with a intensely judgmental and divisive approach. What is and isn't punk is clearly defined and adhered to within its various sub manifestations (crust, thrash, d-beat, skatepunk etc). HC is also generally seen as lacking a spiritual dimension although there are a few artists pushing this boundary (unfortunately many of them are christian). Because of its aggressive and uncompromising stance HC is incredibly empowering and transformative but is also heavily addictive due to its unconscious conservative undertones. At this point I feel HC is best utilized as a tool or technique enhancing the practicality and intensity of other cultural spirits. It is a stance and an attitude that recognizes the often ignored cultural war against oppression and a channel for passionate aggression and emotion.
I use it like hot sauce to spice up (charge) other more easily digestible spirits and enhance their flavors (spiritual energies).


Dubstep:


Dubstep is the name which has arisen in the last few years to identify music which attempts to re-interperate soundsystem / bass driven electronic music. It has only recently begun to develop noticeable attributes (beyond sub-bass frequencies) and is collectively perceived as having a half step or 2 step rhythmic structure and often wobbling and swelling bass-lines. Dubstep is an offshoot of the Uk based Jungle and 2 step garage movements and retains many of their attributes but is different in a number of ways. Dubstep fascinates me because it contains numerous heretofore disparate cultural notions: Slow yet high energy, Intellectually stimulating yet often simple and physical in its approach, novel and mutable yet firmly rooted in the soundsystem tradition of Jamaica. Dubstep is also the first cultural movement to be intrinsically linked to the internet and as a result has spread globally and mutated faster than perhaps any other cultural spirit ever. I believe Dubstep is currently entering a crisis phase where various interpretations of itself are arising to attempt to define its modes of expression (cultural puberty / identity crisis if you will) and numerous sub-genres seem primed to be born. Wise cultural engineers are aware of this and via experimentation seek to retain its mutability and novelty. Dubstep is walking the razors edge and attempting to be a recognizable and thus contact-able movement without splitting itself into myriad hyper specialized stagnant sub-genres and losing its collective power. I believe it has the power to accomplish this feat as it is an off shoot of post industrial / rave culture (Throbbing Gristle became Psychic Tv, a major influence on the rave movement ) and is an expression of the hybridization of european and african energies a-la Kraftwerk influencing Afrika Bambatta or the Post Industrial African flavored Dub of legendary UK producer Adrian Sherwood. Because of Dubstep's newness and mutable tendencies there are numerous powerful applications available: Dubstep is inextricably linked with the physical experience of the music (bass in particular) and thus includes the body as an essential element. It is also highly meditative thus it allows the mind to experience the music directly whilst remaining embodied and present. It also places value on interaction with the crowd in the tradition of Soundsytem Culture. No longer is the DJ an omnipotent separate consciousness but a figure in services to and inseparable from the crowd. A crowd (especially via the mediation of a skillful MC) show their appreciation for particular tunes and can call for rewinds in order to assert their own power of collective unified choice.

I have dealt extensively with both Metal and The Spiritual Rave Movement in other writings and will direct the reader to them if asked. I have not dealt with numerous other Culture Spirits due to a lack of experience based knowledge or personal resonance. Indie Rock, Free Jazz, Baile Funk, Drone etc. are all interesting and potentially powerful but I have not worked with them or don't know them well enough to comment on their natures.

I tend to treat any cultural spirit as a coconspirator in the battle for the liberation of Humanity. I believe that by approaching these spirits as energies with their own conciousness, will and agenda one can determine the degree of resonance or alignment with them and the evolutionary potential of collaboration. I see myself and my magickal artistic process as the crucible wherein the various subcultural spirit energies can be mixed and channeled into memetic devices (CD's as talismans, parties as rituals etc) for magickal transformation. Working directly with the Old Gods is incredibly powerful and effective but can become compartmentalized in the individual due to their possible associations with other times / places and their position in the current paradigm as purely "spiritual" and thus irrelevant or unreal in modern western reality. Subcultural spirits are very much here-and-now, accessible to those capable of recognizing their energy and symbolic signifiers. By tracing back a culture spirits evolution and ancestry one can access its hidden intention and power: Dubstep from Dub and Post Rave aka Reggae and Industrial aka African Nyabingi rhythm and European Pagan Folk. It is in the melding and hybridizing (breeding if you will) of the cultural spirits via. human experimentation (Art and Magick) that evolution occurs and new sub cultural spirits are "born". The spirits then grow and expand until hopefully achieving mass transformational ability and altering the collective culture of the planet. Once a cultural has achieved this and becomes fully digestible to the majority of the population it loses its evolutionary charge via saturation and omnipresence and the initial spirits of rebellion return to the depths of the collective psyche to ride the next wave of "dangerous" culture in a new guise. The key seems to be to perceive the cycles and to work with the most potent and relevant new manifestations whilst recognizing the impermanence of the masks and being able to stand at a (relatively) neutral position within the cycle. To not become trapped by association with any particular movement. Granted there is much to be said for devotion. By dressing as Shiva the Shaivite gains the powers and knowledge of the god but loses total adaptability. Ive met people who have ridden the collective charge of being so "punk" within their community but as a result are often trapped by this association and stagnate by fully identifying with so rigid a spirit. It is important to respect the cultural spirit as a living entity and thus gain a clearer and more practical perspective of ones relationship with it. The spirits are living here with us now: In darkened pounding warehouses, basement shows and internet forums. They want to work with us (and through us) to transform the world according to their wills and natures. it is up to us to determine how best to work and live with these entities in order to liberate our planet and expand our perceptions.

Hippy Ravers Unite!

Facing what appears to be a spiritual crisis within our community I have chosen to attempt a critical analysis of the current situation on multiple levels and to offer some possible options and ideas that can be practically applied towards a new spiritual / magickal movement within the community.

I have observed numerous cyclical shifts within the larger spiritual movement but for the purposes of clarity and relevance I will direct this analysis at what could collectively be referred to as the spiritual post-rave movement. This movement dovetails into innumerable other cultural realms (new age, hip hop, occult etc) but I believe can be treated as a relatively autonomous entity due to its intensely familial nature and its general ambivalence towards other, or external cultural movements. The roots of rave can be traced back to the acid house days in the late 80's UK. In the early 90's the scene began to evolve towards a more shamanistic and psychedelic group experience, due to the arrival of ecstasy and the intervention of magikally inclined figures such as Genesis.P.Orridge. It continued to grow and expand and gradually the more spiritual element broke off and became an international movement unto itself whilst the rest of rave gradually slid towards commodification and legitimacy (i.e.. Club Culture as we know it). Mid nineties social utopianism and pre-millennial intoxication provided a fertile ground for the new spiritual rave movement to flourish as an underground entity with its emphasis on mass shifts in awareness and new models of community, language and technological integration. Things were looking good, albeit a little bit overly sincere. For some reason the movement grew without establishing a critical faculty or strong awareness of its place in the global paradigm, seeming to instead label most other movements as somehow "Babylonian" (a whole other issue in itself) and outside of the sacred space created within the "family" , thus unworthy of attention. This is obviously not the case in terms of individuals within the community who continued to feed the movement with outside inspiration in subtle ways. None the less, the community seemed to be unable or unwilling to create art or experiences palatable to the outside world, choosing instead to feed the massive gravitational pull of the movement itself in hopes of attracting and initiating outsiders through the creation of a sacred and inclusive atmosphere. Several problems arose:

1: Language: the language of the movement was too direct and "on the nose" as writers say. Something given to readily cannot be properly absorbed by the intended receivers. Spiritual teachings are effectively transmitted by allegory and symbolism, as well as by the energetic state and abilities of the transmitter him/herself. Something told too explicitly bounces of the ego of the receiver as they struggle with their personal identification with the ideas presented and the essential dualism of the human mind. In addition the language employed and the rituals (i.e.. structure and format of presentation) was one of absolute almost pious sincerity, lacking humor, challenge and erotic impulse. This not only turned off innumerable people due to an inability to relate to such sincerity, but also provided fodder for nay sayers and critics.

2: Cultural Appropriation: As the information age swelled into being, the symbol systems of the world became ripe for the plunder. The spirituality of the east, being readily understandable (thanks to the 60's, Star Wars etc) and still relatively exotic, provided a sense of a connection to history and tradition required for the movement. Perhaps due to "white guilt" or the spectacular corruption of christianity western spiritual traditions were considered relatively uninteresting. As the movement progressed some western ideas emerged and became integrated. Tarot and Celtic Pagan themes became accessible yet still were treated as interchangeable masks with minimal respect or care payed to the traditions the symbols arose from or their sheer living potency.

3: Denial: The movement denied and suppressed the chthonic or shadow forces at play within it. This was supposed to be about love, enlightenment and saving the world right? Why focus on all the negativity when "babylon" is constantly shoving it down our throat anyways? The attitude is understandable but only works in conjunction with a clear recognition (and respect for) of all facets of the spectrum. We are still at a dance party, on drugs, often surrounded by people we have intense emotional relations with (admiration, attraction, annoyance etc). Indeed the best way to become something is to act like you are it until you are (i.e.. enlightened, caring, aware) but the demons must be known, named and accounted for. This problem, in particular seems to be the reflexive cause of the current crisis situation.


So where are we now? It seems we have come full circle to embrace all the shadow elements wholeheartedly, although I believe, not consciously. Due to the relative success of certain individuals and endeavors within the scene (most notably music and fashion) the movement grudgingly opened its doors and allowed the outside world in. This influx of energy and new personnel brought with it a temporal window of change where community members were able to escape the dogmas and structures that had arisen. Finally we could all admit that we wanted a drink, wanted to look cool, wanted to get dirty on the dancefloor.
Black became the norm, Cynicism was indulged in like a long awaited exhale. Sounds got glitchy, edgy and rough. A schism seemed to arise at this point where community members chose to either continue with the program of enlightenment, or embrace the cathartic joy of the new school. This is a binary over-simplification, I recognize, but it still serves to illustrate the splitting of priorities of (or purposes) within the movement. We now seem to be at the other end of the pendulums arc. The spirit of the party is the afterthought, the unspoken and perhaps embarrassing sub truth. This is not all bad, as I believe a buried truth grows deep roots and will re-emerge stronger than before.

What to do next? As this movement still contains the essential seed meme of liberation and has built strong familial / emotional connections, I believe it still has value and the potential for global change. I believe by addressing the aforementioned problems and providing possible antidotes the cultural engineers amongst us will be able to revitalize the movements power and effectiveness.

1: New Language: We can no longer tell people what to do or believe. We can only imply through poetic allegory and right action (attained via honest self reflection) a new way. The art we create and the language we use to contextualise it must be accessible, relevant and artistically alluring. Very few are excited by a lengthy and academic exegesis of the structures of taoist thought but everybody wants to watch The Matrix because its cool. This leads into the second possible strategy...

2: New Myths: We must create (or rather re-create) archetypes and stories in a new relevant context. The rituals and stories of old and far away provide powerful transformative and healing experiences for people but can often become separated from daily life and encapsulated in a "spiritual" or "natural" realm, thus empowering the schism of within the western paradigm. If a holistic and global transformation is to be made then every aspect of our life and experience should perhaps be recognized as sacred. Everybody knows the buddha (look around, I bet there is one in the room with you right now) and may think they know his teachings. When his image arises it seems to evoke a sense of comfortable familiarity in many. "Ah yes, spiritual, calm, enlightened, Chill". The image can be invoked often without any crisis arising, on shirts and flyers. The Buddha seems to represent (to the community at least) an end in itself. Completion, enlightenment. I believe a new fundamental myth must be evoked in order to better reflect the lives of people and the global situation. The Heroes Journey of Initiation provides a model of constant growth and transformation. The cycle does not end. 2012 will not bring about a world of endless paradise and perfection. The hero must be constantly vigilant and aware in order to explore and chart the unknown and return with new insight to the world above. As most of us grew up on TV and movies our minds are formed and attuned according to theses modes of mythscaping. By utilizing the tools of the modern worlds storytelling machines we are able to penetrate the subconscious more effectively because these tools or techniques have been absorbed by most of us through our youth. The archetypes are eternal but not unchanging. It is far easier ( i.e.. more fun and digestible) to hear the voice of the initiator when he is cloaked as Morpheus, rather than sitting robed on a throne bellowing at us in latin. The new myths dress up the old in novel and interesting ways without being hung up on the cross of spiritual dogma. If we can evoke the heroes journey through powerful well crafted artworks, those who are ready will hear.

3: A Declaration of Honesty: An individual and collective recognition of all that we are. Sounds flaky and seems near impossible but it is the essence of the work our community is dedicated to. Practically speaking this begins with the individual being willing to observe and explore every aspect of there being and feeling empowered to bring their authentic self into their community. Cynicism is a healthy reaction to a hypocritical, fear worshipping culture but is also a horribly addictive reality tunnel, creating an illusion of superiority in the user. This is not to say we need to revert to the creepy 20 minute enforced eye gazing techniques of yesterday nor the grudging acceptance of all expression regardless of its relevance, grace or beauty (or lack thereof). It means being able to say something is good or that it sucks but being well prepared to say why based on genuine inference in regards to its power and effective transformational abilities and not simply due to cycles of fashion or personal stylistic preference. It doesn't matter if you didn't like the music in the ritual. If it worked, it worked and that is what is important. If it didn't, for the sake of all that we are attempting to do, say something.


All this was written from the perspective of one who wishes to see our community assist in initiating powerful and positive transformations globally. This intention is, I believe, something we all share and part of what makes this movement special and important right now. Im sure there are those who see the current state of the community differently than I and perhaps will bemoan what may seem to an overly critical tone. Restated, my intention is simply to see our efforts as a group develop and succeed. No disrespect or rejection of ideas is intended. This is simply a possible re-contextualisation and re-formating of approaches and techniques that can be employed by all of the brilliant artists within our community for the purpose of mutual evolution and liberation.

I had almost lost all hope for humanity...

until I saw this. Bow down to The Japanese Indigo Turntable Kids.

www.youtube.com/watch

Metal Still Rules

Im not sure if its just the eerie autumn woods casting their spectral spell, or perhaps the thinning of the veil has released atavisms buried deep in my Pagan past but Im so back into Metal right now and its Amazing. Within our community agggresive music remains something of a pariah, perhaps due to our cultural inheritance from the "hippy" movement and all of its attendant semantic baggage about, peace and love and being a living symbol of light. None the less, it seems to me like a sizeable number of our crew grew up culturally attuned to hard rock and metal music (nirvana, metallica, tool etc) and eventually began to resonate more with the new intelligence and sonic culture of electronic, beat driven music. This was a sensible and relevant option in the mid to late nineties as guitar based music descended briefly into the shadow of the western cultural pardigm. Rock has clearly re-emerged with a vengance, unfortunatly seemingly accompanied by a feverish retrogressive nostalgia. Metal has always been the black sheep of rebel music culture and this is evident in how it, for the most part, remains an "untouchable" within most serious or spiritual cultures, regarded with a mixture of laughter and fearfull wariness. This is not the case in europe, where metal is still seen as a relevant cultural force with roots in traditional classical and folk music and belief. Scandanvia especially has seen a full Norse Pagan resurgance fueled largely by the emergence of Black Metal (the first spiritual musical movement since Reggae) , with its explicit anti christian ethos providing a window for the Old Gods to arise anew. The electronic music played at festivals and parties these days seems to be getting harder and darker, from Trance to Dubstep, crowds appear desperate for more and more pummeling basslines and progressions. Sonic masochism reigns. Rather than an ambient backlash this trend seems destined to dovetail into even more aggressive realms, ie. Metal, Noise, Industrial (in the traditional not NIN sense) etc. I believe this is a positive movement as "unacceptable" music is a reflection (albeit a dirty or unconcious one sometimes) of the collective shadow within the psyche of a scene or community. Metal in particular seems to be a highly potent force for individual or collective integration due to several factors: 1, It is explicity magicko / religious. This is music about Satan (by any name you choose, ie The Rebel Archetype), always has been, always will be. Since Black Sabbath churned out those doomy chords that began ushering in the end of the hippy era, it has always been about evoking what the frightened populace couldent face. It does this in a way that pays tribute to the symbolic trappings of traditional western magick as well as sonically expressing power and... 2: Catharsis. Most Metal fans became initiated in their early teens by resonating with the power and anger and finding a sense of comfort, camraderie and release through it. Metal still retains this potential and allows the creator and listener a safe place to vent and get on with making the world a better place. 3. It isnt Cool (yet) Metal is often seen as hyper conservative (fair enough) due to its uncompromising stance and obsession with "Truth" ie. being true to the spirit of Metal. The positive side of this is that the music and cultural evolve according to the true desires of its creators, independant of fashion or trends and thus standing in opposition to cultural norms. It takes genuine passion for the music and a certain amount of balls to admit you like something so anti-social (anti-normal socialization), overtly emotional and in your face, when the prevailing paradigm of cynisim and business-as-usual casual conduct looms like a monolith over the culture of the west. Now to be fair, this is not The Music That Will Save the World (That has yet to come as a full blown movement), Metal has numerous serious hangups it needs to shed. 1: The Fans. Everthing you believe is true. Most Metalheads are (especially in n. america) social nightmares, asleep at the wheel and lacking any political or real spiritual analysis. Going to a show can be a fun and refreshing experience in sonic and atmospheric immersion, till the music ends and you are surrounded by a full on drunken redneck / internerd sausage fest. The problem seems to be one of arrested development, whereby someone finds solace and power in relating to a movement / sound / scene and gets stuck to it, unable to find their true relationship to the culture as a tool and not an end in itself. 2: It Sounds Ugly and Noisy. This is only true to the unintitaed who, like one gazing into those 3d magick eye pictures sees only yelling and distortion and not the more subtle compositional and thematic images beneath. The sound is both the carrier of the message (power) and the guardian at the gate. Metal is best experienced live in order to understand the physicality and joyous release that grounds it all out and makes it seem natural. 3: It takes it self Waaaay to seriously. Tis is why perhaps so many psy-trance tracks I hear have chugga chugga metal samples in them. Like psy, Metal is like a weekend roleplayer, totally oblivious to how ridiculous it looks running around in spikes and corpsepaint killing orcs with a rubber sword (or blazing around a field in full neon buddha glory, chewing your own face off). Until Metal is able to finally stand up and admit it is silly it will remain silly and cuturally margianlised in the West. Granted it may lose some of its potency by doing this, but it may be worth it overall. There are already a sizeable number of bands integrating metallic elements intelligently and conciously. Bands like: Meshuggah, Isis, Transmission0, Mastodon, Enslaved and Gojira have generated crossover appeal due to their ineligent use of an aggresive sound contrasted by
ambience, experimental structures and intelligent lyrics. For those interested in the more spiritual Pagan / Heathen vibrations bands like: Enslaved (again, so good) Hardingrock, Amon Amarth and Einherjer hold down the Old Ways with a raging fury and zeal. And for those unconvinced, take a closer listen to some current scene favourites like DJ Distance, Bassnectar and Vex'd and you will find elements both explicit and shadowed, telling of the Metallic Resurgance, rising like a iron phoenix (Woah) from the ashes of the hiprocktronicastep's rotting carcass.

Love, Life, Respect and Slaying Orcs
J

Burial: Untrue

Its not often I wholeheartedly and unreservedly endorse an album but this is absolutely absurd. Im listening to previews of the new Burial album on Kode 9's Hyperdub label and it is truly earth shattering. I havent felt music hit me like this for ages. Anyone with even the most remote interest or affinity for emotional electronic music will be shocked by what is happening here. Burial completely revitalises and humanises (in the most potent way) urban "Dance" music with this album. The first Burial album was incredibly powerful and innovative, but perhaps too dark and heady for many. This album is ecstatic and and radiant (glowing). It is a completely idiosyncratic and deeply emotional experience in listening. I havent even heard %10 of the record and I just keep rewinding the previews over and over. Personally, this is the movement in electronic music I have been waiting for. The album (Untrue, Hyperdub) drops in 14 days. Be Warned: this could change everything...

Shock

So I got hit by a car riding my bike in SF the other day. It was pretty brutal and totally the drivers fault. It was what the local riders call "the ol' right hook", he turned directly into me and luckily stopped fast or I would be way more fucked up. Amazingly ive got no serious injuries and my laptop (while damaged) still works. None the less, Im kind of chocked because the driver got out of his car, made sure I was alive and then took off. A witness got his liscense # but the cops werent very hopefull about getting any $ from a guy who probably has no insurance and possibly no green card. Anyways I dont want anyone to go to jail or get deported but it would be nice to get my damages (bike, laptop, chiropractor etc) covered. The whole experience has just shown me how strong and incredibly sensitive the human body is and also how dangerous cars actually are. It felt like being kicked by a fucking transformer. Also It showed me how much I love my whole crew and how much I need all of y'all. For Real.

Love
J

i love sausage juice

can't help it....
in the face.....
buffalo preferred. but anything goes.