Cthonicist

In parapsychology and Spiritualism, a psychomanteum is a small, enclosed area set up with a comfortable chair, dim lighting, and a mirror angled so as not to reflect anything but darkness, intended to communicate with spirits of the dead. Created entirely with apps on IPad. No keyboards were harmed during the making of this track.

“Barely a twelvemonth after / The seven days’ war that put the world to sleep / Late in the evening the strange horses came.” - The Horses, by Edwin Muir All sounds live looped in AUM on iPad with Behringer hardware: K2, Wasp Deluxe, VS Mini. Alteza reverb, no other synths, sequencers or apps used.

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” - H.P. Lovecraft Track created entirely with Behringer VS Mini synth, recorded and manipulated using AUM on iPad.

“Crom watches the world from his mountain top, but does not answer prayers and will receive no worship.“ - A God for the Godless. Thank you, Robert E. Howard. Made with the BramBos/Jakob Haq semi modular app Solderbox. No keyboards were harmed in the making of this track.

A meditation on violent passion, via a setting of William Blake’s poem The Sick Rose

…but I do.

“In the beginning was Scream / Who begat Blood… …Who begat God Who begat Nothing Who begat Never Never Never Never Who begat Crow.”

A ‘Kill Chain’ describes the process by which an individual marked for death is identified, their location established, their movements monitored, an appropriate weapon selected, the victim engaged, and the aftermath reviewed in preparation for the next victim. The idea originated in the military, but it is adaptable to… other contexts.

“These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume.” - The Friar.

“They say it has a horse's head, long legs with hooves, two short front legs, and a bat's wings. No one knows how tall it is. Some people think it's six feet tall, others think it's only three or four feet tall. The Devil has glowing red eyes and makes loud screeching sounds.” - description of the Jersey Devil from the State of New Jersey’s official website.

“Evil wings in ether beating; Vultures at the spirit eating; Things unseen forever fleeting Black against the leering sky.” - H.P. Lovecraft, ‘Despair’. In time for the best season of the year, my musical setting of one of HPL’s poems, pitch shifted from The Talemaster, a.k.a. G.M. Danielson’s wonderful original reading: https://youtu.be/A7PucGRd96U?si=oM51C88Q--4kNocr. Read the poem here: https:/...

“When you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. Desolation tries to colonise you.” - Jeff Vandermeer Played live on Thereminator 2 https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/thereminator-2/id6736556748 using Loopy Pro in AUM on iPad, no other instruments used.

“All kinds. Some good. Some bad. And some… well, that’d be telling.” - The Old Woman.

In theoretical physics, quantum nonlocality refers to the phenomenon by which the measurement statistics of a multipartite quantum system do not allow an interpretation with local realism. Obviously. A.k.a: “You’re not from around here, are you son?”

It will surprise no-one who knows me that I, too, was born on a Wednesday. Korg Volca Modular, multitracked in AUM on IPad. No other instruments used.

All sounds: Roland Aira System 1 synth recorded live into AUM on iPad.

“A secret facility used by a country's military as a prison and interrogation centre, whose existence is denied by the government.” Created entirely with apps on IPad.

“The hungry ghosts, along with animals and hell beings, occupy one of the three realms of existence no one desires. In these realms it is extremely difficult to be reborn in a better realm (i.e. the realm of humans, asura or deva) because it is nearly impossible to perform deeds that cultivate good karma.”

“Now it is raining, but we don't know what will happen in the next moment. By the time we go out it may be a beautiful day, or a stormy day. Since we don't know, let's appreciate the sound of the rain now.” ― Shunryu Suzuki Live improvisation using Cigar box guitar, electric bass, mountain dulcimer, Roland S1 synth, Cloudbusting electronics, looped in AUM by someone who can’t play any of these ins...

If attempting Real Sleep, looking at the Moon in Local 58 is a very bad idea. The Kleitman Map will not help you. Essential safety tips: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgHTax5GWgz0PBBig8y0tU4vBqhqBjCge&si=7Fj2xrnVY32356DK

“Since we are all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter.” -Albert Camus, killed in a car crash, aged 46.

With thanks to Duncan Bell, who permitted me to mangle a little of his masterwork: https://soundcloud.com/user-154254/the-coronation?si=010e482dc50e47ad88fed9068f1ed7ad&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

“They used to call us witches, because we knew shit. We still do.” - Carole Cadwalladr A track made on iPad in AUM using only multiple iterations of the excellent Luapsel ambient guitar sample app: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/luapsel/id6569224196

In the Ancient Egyptian Enigmatic Book of the Netherworld the symbol of the serpent swallowing its tail represented the beginning and end of time, and the formless disorder which surrounds the orderly world. In Norse culture it was Jörmungandr, the world-serpent. In the 15th century alchemical text the Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra, it represents balance of opposites. For Jung, the embrace of the shado...

Chris Marker’s 1962 La Jetée, inspiration for Terry Gilliam’s later 12 Monkeys, is an astonishing tour de force, a sci fi time travel movie told entirely in still images. Except, that is, for one quietly startling moment when the unnamed protagonists’ present day girlfriend opens her eyes, in live action. Never has such a small motion felt so… momentous. Mixed and recorded live into AUM on iPad.