ABOUT RAAG
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Raāg is a vision - a cry from within; the voice of an ancient, tribal past coming back to life. It is a craving to reach back to old magick, while constantly evolving, and changing its musical shape. Psychedelic sounds, folk instruments, chanting in tongues and murmurs of dark incantations and mantras; a blend of influences, from jazz to traditional music, progressive rock, Zeuhl & ambient soundtracks.
In Sanskrit, Raāg means colour, hue, passion, attachment - litteraly colouring the mind and emotions. In the context of Indian classical music, raāg -or rāga- is a melodic framework that serves as the foundation for improvisation and composition, evoking specific moods or aesthetic flavors. Rāgas are deeply tied to temporality and nature, with many prescribed for specific times of day (e.g., dawn, evening) or seasons (e.g., monsoon, spring) to align with natural and emotional resonances, enhancing their evocative power. The concept of rāga extends into philosophy and aesthetics, symbolizing the delight or emotional tinting of the soul. In Hindu philosophical texts, particularly the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, rāga is defined as an intense attachment or desire that arises from the recollection of pleasurable experiences. This is articulated in Sūtra II.7 as sukhānuśayī rāgaḥ, meaning attachment that lingers or follows upon pleasure, positioning rāga as one of the kleśas (afflictions) that cloud the mind and hinder self-realization...
ABOUT
MUSIC FOR THE SECRET PLACES
Music For The Secret Places has been more than 10 years in the making. It is as much a compilation of my previous works as it is a new statement, or at least a new way of perceiving these compositions.
Most of the tracks chosen for this project were, in the albums they were taken from, originally used as little interludes, short musical explorations or introductions to longer, more progressive tracks. They were litteral thresholds, hazy hallways and musical portals leading to clearer visions. Some of them started out as improvisations around themes and tiny musical ideas. Others were summoned from the ether with a purpose, and developped into bigger statements. But all could be improved upon, refined, transmutated. Through alchemical sound-procedure I have tried to make gold out of these.
Music For... will be released in three parts, across two volumes and a bonus mini album that includes alternative versions and a few exclusive tracks. I am quite proud to present this work to you, and hope you will find some solace and magick in this music.
Look for the signs,
Finrod Artîwelë
NOTES :
No thinking-machines were used in the making of any of the artwork, music and written references ; but dark spells, intuitive wisdom and human connections were harnessed for this work to materialise.
Thank you to Axel, Héloïse, Iulia, Jamie, Lavinia, Laurent, Samuela, Stéphane, Thomas and Tristan for your help, support and advice.
Tarot cards meaning taken from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (Arthur Edward Waite, 1910), Notes from the Pagan Otherworlds, Tarot with Gord, Biddy Tarot, Labyrinthos, & Little Red Tarot.
“ A work of art is not an end point in itself.
It’s a station on a journey.
A chapter in our lives.
We acknowledge these transitions
by documenting each of them. "
― Rick Rubin