April 22, 2019

William Basinski - Watermusic II



             Arpeggiatic Pacific currents turquoise blend into sky and descent through the fresh water ocean.  Like glass ripples up above impossible to distinguish layers of atmosphere from the liquid purity; peacefully partially submerged partially floating.  Delving into drinkable, breathable water.

              Sun rays penetrate through fluid curtains.  3D 1990’s Final Fantasy death aquatic burial.  Ancient wisdom saturate all encompassing currents and streams.  Totally lose sense of body, sheer density and soothing of the water dissolves physical and ego boundaries and we become a gelatinous unity.
               Undulate through cross current pockets of velvet fuzz feeling subtle warmth like a kitten laying in the sun.

               Flow somewhat deeper somewhat more still where light shies.  Bodiless, ambiguous form transperse experiencing cool and warm simultaneously.  Sensations cease to be put into words, formless unity grows and we become part of all.  Divided and peacefully overtaken by water, our cells now solution with the entirety of existence via water.  Such as all colors of light spectrum combined become white, so do all experiences combine into  spiritual wordlessness and cosmic All.

               In between collective experiential existence, more feelings specific to your ego briefly emerge and pass like roaring rapids.  The time spent with old friends, two, five, maybe ten years ago.  Where you were then versus where you are now.  Every life you’ve touched or influenced.  Every bit of interconnectedness: Close friends spent time with daily, shop clerks you were friendly with but never knew on a deeper level (a smile can mean a lot).  The countless anonymous strangers you passed on the street, the unknown people who’ve overheard your inane conversations with friends, how even our clothing affects the people we experience day to day but never directly interact with.  The lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, cereal, clothing, entertainment goods, the people behind the scenes who make that happen.  The farmer in Mexico who grew that tomato for you to eat.  He’s middle aged now, knows how to use all sorts of complicated farming tools and machines.  He has a wife and children he’s supporting.  Probably got a significant spot in his community.  But he was young once, growing up and getting an education, helping his parents in any way he could.  An entire infinitely complex story behind that one person who brought you the tomato.  Within our egos we are bound by the web of interconnectivity.  These experiences wash over us like the Pacific currents.  Then, dissolve again into the egoless white light prismatic combination of the cosmic All.

               The water becomes more still yet and we nearly motionlessly drift amidst this breathable, drinkable, heavy comfortable fresh water oceanic liquid.

               Slight ascension at a leisurely speed, like we are exiting the life stream.  Bodily feeling gradually returns, our physical outlines solidify once more, vague feeling of warmth present.  Pleasant steady upward drift.  Light becomes stronger and the surface of the water is within eye sight.  Distinction between divide of ocean/sky becomes visible.  Turquoise blues, pastel blues, liquid curtains.


               Tonally the piece centers around C major.  There’s a super low bass note of C humming in the background that seems to meander between C and A.  It’s hard to hear it clearly, there’s just a low presence that jellies itself between those two notes.

               One of the main riffs is a sustained A, B, down to G.  Then repeats as A, B, up to E.  This is sometimes doubled in a super high octave.

               Another main wave is a quickly descending sloshy arpeggio.  It’s very transparent, very fast, and the notes blur together really well so it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on.  I think the notes are something like B, A, E, A, all descending.  This theme pans between both ears and fades in and out throughout.

               Less active parts I’ve noticed are a sustained E note, a subtle E to F trill, and another trill of A to B, this one very high pitched. 

               I’m sure there’s more to this song than these few parts.  The way it’s mixed is so gelatinous and difficult to discern.  Super cool stuff =)

April 9, 2019

Chihei Hatakeyama – Mirror



1.  Ferrum

               Alka-seltzer currents in a vast diamond ocean, colors separated blend smear through each other.  Aqua greens through tourmalines, brisk blues through lavender hues.  The ocean is a countless number of living creatures celebrating life in dance.  Each particle exists of itself but also as the whole.  So as each speck of ocean is a conscious being, it has a collective consciousness which belongs to all the ocean.

               Micro bead of liquid life thrashed upwards from aqueous projection soars in the air tumbling in slow motion, the universe’s code reflected on its surface.  Light + water = blue prints for all that exists.  And then innocent drop catches onto bird mid flight, rides its feathers and goes onward to another world.  Water droplet absorbs into bird’s skin, now they are one.  Transformation, interconnectivity, interdependence.

               Swath of birds silently seated on saline throne.



2.  May 15, 2010


               Ambiguous water decanting from the sky.



3.  Splith
              
               Venerable monks candle glown Om in dimly lit cavernous architecture.  Browned stone, deep darkness.  Effervescent children playing outdoors atop chilled snow dusted mountain.  Resounding character from each chant meld into universal being, swirled like a spiritual ice cream.

               The sound, palpable as hot butter opens the oversized monastery door.  Children continue playing.  The cumulative chant travels down the mountain, wraps around the trees, passes by the small animals, and onto the road, far, far away.  What tiny echo remains from the projection spills into the streets of a 3rd world country.  Homeless parents and children bundled up, run down shacks for living.  The Buddhist Om surrounds them and subtly offers a glimpse of hope.  The people of the town receive blessing.



4.  October 3, 2009

              
               Ancient woman sweeps her stone front steps.  Tall grass and trees shroud her home.  She sees the town below in ordinary routine.



5.  Renitency


               Children sitting on the dock of a small stream after school.  Inscrutable object floats downwards, and ominous feeling from it.  They spare a moment for its attention, then continue on their elementary conversation.  Object floats past view and the thought is no more.


6.  July 4, 2008


               Cat exploring the outdoors; nooks and crannies around the property.  Small urban inlets.


7.  Alchemy


               A breeze from off shore welcomes itself to the town.  Spiraling to playfully shove off a woman’s straw hat, and providing relief for the over exerted working man in overalls.  Tide of the sky.  It blusters through 2nd story clothes lines, offers a boost to the bike rider peddling goods.  Gusts a fleeting memory, then passes it by, to a reminiscent young man.

               It climbs the snow strewn mountains, upwards through the trees and passed the small animals.  It wisps by the children playing atop, then through the oversized monastery doors.  It extinguishes the candles inside the temple.  Then the chanting stops.  A minute passes and the monks step outside the door.  They laugh wholeheartedly.