Day 20: Slightly Esoteric.

Things started off prog with King Crimson's Beat. Then a little pop with the Beatles and their white album. Revolution 9 caught me off guard. I'd heard about the song before, but actually listening to it for the first time was quite a different experience. Eventually, I came to the somber works of Arvo Pärt. Specifically, Beatus - Tonu Kaijuste. To say that his music is heavy would be an understatement. I appreciate that kind of gravity on occasion, but his work felt very stiff overall. A big part of what I value in music is its rhythm. I don't mean it has to be fast and drum-blasting, but it does have to be interesting. Although the vocals were well-done, beautiful, in fact, they didn't help shake the overall feeling that I had been coerced into going to mass after getting slipped a valium by my pervy uncle.

There were some triumphant moments in his music. The fifth section of Magnificat-Antiphonen was engaging for its awed, reverent chord progressions and its ethereal dissonances. Of course the fact that its a cappella gives it the air of something angelic. Since I'm not Christian, my experience with the music is probably different from someone of a faith to which this text speaks. However, that sense of glory and mystery is pervasive to the human condition, and I believe that it is accessible to anyone of any theological/philosophical stance. His work reminds me of Eric Whitacre and William Albright in some ways. Hopefully I'll get the chance to tell you more about them later. Anyhoo, try out part of Magnificat-Antiphonen.

If you can avoid falling asleep it can be lovely.

                                              

                                                  -My Uncle

After that came something a little more palatable: The Eels! My friend Leigh introduced me to them about four years ago, and I had only really listened to their song "Ballerina," which hooked me because I'm a sucker for the tritone in music. Enjoy Novocaine for the Soul.

 Music left: 161.85gb

Cheers,

Bodhisvaha