Calling all lost souls

In the great universe that is the ‘arts’, Harmonograph must be one of the most remote, obscure planets out there. Even though it’s populated with fantastical strange beings, warped intellects and trans-dimensional entities, Harmonograph still remains an undiscovered world at the edges of reality.

Of course we’re not ‘bothered’…we’re far too bohemian to be ‘popular’…but maybe it’s time to light a flare, a beacon, a landing light to the lost souls who are floating through the great firmament. Well we’re here…waiting for you all !

BodhGaya

A new digital animation weaves together the epic music track ‘BodhGaya’ taken from ‘the Buddha’s Footprint’ project. The original recordings, photo’s and concept were by Harmonograph’s Francis Booth. The music was composed by Steve Ellis using MAX MSP to synthesize the original field recordings of Buddhist chants, and the animation was crafted by Paul Squire.  You can view the video here…

The Spiritual Significance of Music

The Spiritual significance of Music image

THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSIC is an epic anthology of exclusive interviews with over 500 of the world’s most visionary leaders in music and spirituality. Prelude provides readers with a brief introduction, and Encore encapsulates a summary of this ambitious project. The complete portfolio is freely available.

Harmonograph are planning a more in depth collaboration with Justin, later this year…

http://www.xtrememusic.org/

The Spring Harmonograph Podcast

Harmonograph Spring Stream 2009

Spring 2009 stream track list:

Growl back at the world – Tektonix
BodhGaya – Steve Ellis
Time Measured by Stars- Bela Emerson
And They Said 1 – Jisei
Svahdistana – Moksha
Protected species – Aleatoric
Organ Grinder – Oneirataxia
Planet 4 Calling – Tektonix

hmg-podcast-march09.mp3

Francis Booth Podcast

Having given up music in my late teens in
favour of a career in business I semi-retired
8 years ago to make music again. I first took up
double bass and lap steel and started writing
conventional songs, later moving into more
experimental forms. I have a share in a
professional recording studio in East London
and in the label/art community harmonograph.co.uk.
For me, writing and sound are inseparable and all
my work relies equally on both.

I have been exploring several areas…

francis.mp3

The Buddha and the Elder Sisters

New verse translations of the Buddha’s words from
Dhammapada – the path to the truth – compiled by
his followers soon after his death. Using striking,
fresh and beautiful images it gives us great insight
into his ideas and personality. Combined with this
are verses from Therigatha – Songs of the Elder
Sisters – written by nuns who gave up home and
family in later life to live in the Buddha’s community.

These poignant songs are about loss of youth
and beauty, wealth and family, balanced by the
greater gains of peace and wisdom. They are
among the earliest poems by women and form
the only canonical work in any religion written
entirely by women.

The text is illuminated by haunting images of
the Buddha from the earliest cave monasteries
in Maharashtra, India.

"The Buddha and the Elder Sisters" by Francis Booth, screengrab image

The Blind Seer by Francis Booth

The Blind Seer is an online virtual book that combines text/music; typography/photography; play/poem; greek tragedy/gnostic philosophy – exploring ideas of sight/insight; blind/faith; light/dark; vision/visionary, revelation and apocalyptic prophecy.

Like reading a play by Georg Trakl, typeset by David Carson in an apocryphal landscape, with a score by Sunn O)))

The Blind Seer screengrab image

Ghost River

‘Ghost River’ is a series of digitally created works by artist and musician Paul Squire.

Taking inspiration from classical and early music, the synthesis between modern and traditional , contemporary and orchestral.

The concept of the Ghost River is taken from ancient Chinese mythology, and documented in Stephen Karcher’s edition of the I-Ching. The Ghost River is the spiritual essence from which the World tree grows, creating the world of yin-yang polarity in which we live.

Atmospheric and compelling.

Ghost River album cover by Paul Squire

Tektonix E.P. “Destroyer of Worlds”

Tektonix are back and this time it’s political !
Here are the first four tracks from their latest
“spacestep” offering -

more analogue electronics,
dubscapes and industrial beats mixed with
protest and propaganda.

Expect the rest of the album later this year.

Tektonix E.P. "Destroyer of Worlds" album cover by Francis Booth

Tektonix – “The Soul of a Machine”

Take a voyage into another dimension, to destination freedom! Stop living like part of a brainwave machine, find your soul and growl back at the world of time and space. Since they came back they are around you in this cave by the restless sea but we are a different people; earth is finished and this is the beginning of a revolution At the end there will be peace in a perfect world.

Tektonix – "The Soul of a Machine" album cover by Francis Booth