Musician and Occultist

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RockDemon
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Musician and Occultist

Post by RockDemon »

So recently it turned out there are a few musician occultists here. I wonder what occult practices do you incorporate into your music, to develop your musical abilities?
For instance today I got back practicing an Perfect Pitch ear training course , which I abandoned a while ago. It turned out that my pitch in fact was developed more. I guess it was developed because of meditations. I am more easily able to do exercises because able to concentrate on the sound more precisely. I also remember there is an exercise concentrating on sounds in IIH as well. That is definitely something to look forward to and to try as a musician.
My primary instrument is solo guitar. In case you need to know. Looking forward to your ideas.

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corvidus
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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by corvidus »

I used to play music, but for the most part i just sing to myself.
I've always been interested in making a 'magick guitar'. Basically a portal for the more musical spirits and energies to manifest through.

Was the name of the course 'Perfect Pitch'?
Free yourself from the seduction of words.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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corvidus wrote:I used to play music, but for the most part i just sing to myself.
I've always been interested in making a 'magick guitar'. Basically a portal for the more musical spirits and energies to manifest through.

Was the name of the course 'Perfect Pitch'?
Magick Guitar, sounds fascinating. I've done something similar actually. Back in a while when I was a dabbler I used one of the spirits of the Necromonicon spellbook of fifty names to improve my guitar playing abilities. I concealed the seal into the guitar. And throughout time indeed my abilities improved vastly. However the spirit is not exclusively musical, besides majority of people consider those spirits to be fictional, I wander if there is an exclusively musical "real" spirit which would like to help fellow musicians?

Also Yogic breathing exercises help a lot. I found my vocal is improved after doing some exercises from the Science of Breath, especially the one which is intended to improve vocal abilities. And it is stated that there is a whole yogic theory how sound is produced, but I don't know any corresponding literature, so if any one knows any books about yogic sound theory do tell me.

Yes the name of the course is called Perfect Pitch, by David Lucas Burge.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by cyberdemon »

Mmm, musicians.
I still think electronic music to be the highest form of musical magick. After all electricity is magick and many electronic genres utilize vibration so well and so much... mmmm.
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corvidus
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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by corvidus »

cyberdemon wrote:Mmm, musicians.
mmmm.
Good post!!
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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cyberdemon wrote:I still think electronic music to be the highest form of musical magick. After all electricity is magick and many electronic genres utilize vibration so well and so much... mmmm.

I dig electronic music to a certain degree, but I think it has a rather significant lack of "soul" or "spirit" in most of the songs I've heard. Natural instruments provide a different sensation on the subtle bodies than electronic instruments give. I try to not over-do it on the artificial sounds, because I can't imagine they can be all that well for your body. A lot of those techno songs are written with some unique formulas to cause a particular effect on your brain. Honestly, it's down to a fairly accurate science at this point.
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cyberdemon
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Well, here's the thing. Traditional music normally brings you something, say, an emotion or an idea, from the musician. For the context of this thread that's fine. But electronic music is more on the side of eliciting a reaction from the listener. That's not to say there's loads of electronic musicians who get their own ideas across perfectly fine. And although electronic is "artificial", which it isn't once you accept computers, synthesizers or even electricity as an instrument; it's the same thing as instrumental songs played on a traditional instrument.

With that said, the reaction to electronic music is by definition different from person to person, and until you find the right track that resonates with you, you won't resonate with anything else in any genre to be honest.

*cough* Country music. Can't stand it. It's got a whole lot of soul, sure, but, no, thanks.
Haelos wrote:I try to not over-do it on the artificial sounds, because I can't imagine they can be all that well for your body. A lot of those techno songs are written with some unique formulas to cause a particular effect on your brain. Honestly, it's down to a fairly accurate science at this point.
This is what I just said. The "unique formulas" aren't bad. There are several reasons behind them. One is that if they don't follow formula, they can't be played in harmony with other tracks. Another is that these are known, tried and tested and found to be working formulae that gets, say, the crowd up and on their feet. Dance music.

The basis of electronic music is you'll have to have all the necessary apparatus to have it sound "right". A bass woofer is essential. Headphones just don't do electronic music justice, just as much as an mp3 won't do a live performance of any instrument justice. You won't feel the "pressure" around your body over headphones, would you?

Music is music. And when you've found whichever genre resonates with you, you'll stick to it.

Now, honest opinion. Electronic music feels so much more primitive to me. These are sounds we'd never hear naturally, of course, but given that our hearing range is already a mere 20Hz-20kHz, what about all the sounds that the earth and the universe and the rest of everything makes that's NOT within our hearing range? I find electronic music to at least be an artist's rendition of these "inaudible" noises. And that brings me closer to the universe itself far more than what any artist is trying to tell me about his or her feelings or of their lives or of their ideas, etc.

Occult symbol using musicians have already infiltrated the mainstream so freaking far that when we're bombarded with enough symbolism already from everything else, they just add the cherry on top of the ice cream.
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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cyberdemon wrote: *cough* Country music. Can't stand it. It's got a whole lot of soul, sure, but, no, thanks.
It's like emotional puke.
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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by cyberdemon »

Haelos wrote:
cyberdemon wrote: *cough* Country music. Can't stand it. It's got a whole lot of soul, sure, but, no, thanks.
It's like emotional puke.
And beer, and trucks.

(see edit additions of my post above btw)
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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cyberdemon wrote:
Haelos wrote:
cyberdemon wrote: *cough* Country music. Can't stand it. It's got a whole lot of soul, sure, but, no, thanks.
It's like emotional puke.
And beer, and trucks.

(see edit additions of my post above btw)

I don't know, man. I have a pair of $2 USD dollar-store headphones that are the most amazing pieces of auditory technology I've ever owned. They can make any song sound good, and depending on the scale, tuning, and frequency of the song in question, some very well do have an effect of resonating across your entire body with headphones alone.
Binaural beats are a good example here. Listening to a pure tone (only two sounds, a slight frequency apart, played at the same time), it's possible to hear any number of crazy sounds that are nearly impossible to measure in their source.

The band I listed is actually really good for that. I prefer to listen to them with headphones on, as you can encase yourself in a world of sound for a brief moment. Listen with the headphones at the maximum volume that doesn't damage your ears and you'll be able to feel it in your toes.

And finally, this is just kind of a smart remark, but it really depends on the artist as to whether or not they actually sound good live. I can list a rather large majority of bands that are significantly better in the studio than they are in any live performance. Not to mention the effect venue has, as well as other ambient sounds. A lot of shit can ruin a good concert.


(I really had no intent to progress this thread in a meaningful way.)
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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by Rin »

Going off what's been preserved in folklore and mythology, Celtic (especially Irish Celtic) magic had a strong focus on music - the two are treated as almost interchangeable, with druids, bards etc. often working powerful feats of magic through playing music or singing (as well as preserving lore through song, which was a major part of their training, as their tradition was entirely oral), and even less overtly magical music being seen as having an effect on the listener and the world that goes well beyond what's generally accepted in Western society today.

So yeah, if you're looking for inspiration on the combination of music and magic and are so inclined, I'd definitely suggest looking into some Irish mythology. I believe there are similar practices in the Norse end of Northern European pagan spirituality (specifically involving the singing/chanting of runes), but I haven't done as much reading on that (maybe Shin will chime in).
I dig electronic music to a certain degree, but I think it has a rather significant lack of "soul" or "spirit" in most of the songs I've heard. Natural instruments provide a different sensation on the subtle bodies than electronic instruments give. I try to not over-do it on the artificial sounds, because I can't imagine they can be all that well for your body. A lot of those techno songs are written with some unique formulas to cause a particular effect on your brain. Honestly, it's down to a fairly accurate science at this point.
The thing to remember about electronic music is that it is, almost exclusively, made for dancing. I could never appreciate EDM until I got into the rave scene, and now that I no longer party I have to say I've mostly lost my taste for it (although I still enjoy a lot of ambient/experimental stuff). Dance music isn't made for passive listening, it's made to be experienced as part of a wider setting involving dancing in a large group (potentially under the influence of psychoactive drugs, if you're so inclined - I'm not advocating drug use, but that's just the reality of the scene) - which has been a part of ritual and spiritual practice for the history of human society. So you really have to immerse yourself in that setting if you want to "get" dance music on a deeper level, in most cases.
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"It's still magic even if you know how it's done." - Terry Pratchett

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Rin wrote: The thing to remember about electronic music is that it is, almost exclusively, made for dancing. I could never appreciate EDM until I got into the rave scene, and now that I no longer party I have to say I've mostly lost my taste for it (although I still enjoy a lot of ambient/experimental stuff). Dance music isn't made for passive listening, it's made to be experienced as part of a wider setting involving dancing in a large group (potentially under the influence of psychoactive drugs, if you're so inclined - I'm not advocating drug use, but that's just the reality of the scene) - which has been a part of ritual and spiritual practice for the history of human society. So you really have to immerse yourself in that setting if you want to "get" dance music on a deeper level, in most cases.

That's also a little but of a problem though. Even though you're supposed to listen to it actively, it puts the mind in a trance where that becomes very difficult to do. Dance music with lyrics is something to stay away from.

I honestly don't like very much ambient music, but that's just because I get bored and it makes time pass too slowly for me. I like my music to tell a story if it doesn't have words. Artists like Lotus and Cloudkicker are wonderful for that.

I also like trippy electronic music, most notably Shpongle, because it makes you think, and something clearly lives inside the music.
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Tell me what you know about darkness, and I will tell you about the light.
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Haelos wrote:
Rin wrote: The thing to remember about electronic music is that it is, almost exclusively, made for dancing. I could never appreciate EDM until I got into the rave scene, and now that I no longer party I have to say I've mostly lost my taste for it (although I still enjoy a lot of ambient/experimental stuff). Dance music isn't made for passive listening, it's made to be experienced as part of a wider setting involving dancing in a large group (potentially under the influence of psychoactive drugs, if you're so inclined - I'm not advocating drug use, but that's just the reality of the scene) - which has been a part of ritual and spiritual practice for the history of human society. So you really have to immerse yourself in that setting if you want to "get" dance music on a deeper level, in most cases.

That's also a little but of a problem though. Even though you're supposed to listen to it actively, it puts the mind in a trance where that becomes very difficult to do. Dance music with lyrics is something to stay away from.

I honestly don't like very much ambient music, but that's just because I get bored and it makes time pass too slowly for me. I like my music to tell a story if it doesn't have words. Artists like Lotus and Cloudkicker are wonderful for that.

I also like trippy electronic music, most notably Shpongle, because it makes you think, and something clearly lives inside the music.
The moving trance state is the entire point, dancing to repetitive music has been one of the classic methods of attaining a trance state since before civilization as we know it.
"The path of the Sage is called
'The Path of Illumination'
he who gives himself to this path
is like a block of wood
that gives itself to the chisel-
cut by cut it is honed to perfection"

- DDJ, Verse 27

"It's still magic even if you know how it's done." - Terry Pratchett

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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by RockDemon »

Guys while your discussion is really interesting, and I appreciate your music tastes this is not what this thread is about.
Haelos wrote:I honestly don't like very much ambient music, but that's just because I get bored and it makes time pass too slowly for me. I like my music to tell a story if it doesn't have words. Artists like Lotus and Cloudkicker are wonderful for that.
Awesome bands, I am looking for such bands.

@Rin , thanks I'll check out Irish Lore, any specific pieces that come to your mind in regards to the topic ?

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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I am a singer and I utilize meditations to calm myself down before performing. Also it helps me with my breathing. When I'm singing I try by feeling to project and radiate "higher vibrations" as I dive into the song and try to communicate it by feeling to others so to make it an emotionally intense experience. We all do that in the band, and by our powers combined we surprise ourselves how awesome we did. Also, be releasing energy blockages my singing tends to be more honest, powerful, and airy. And interesting thing is that all that rapid, controlled breathing gives me much more space to breathe, with that more oxygen to the mind. And in turn, it's easier to meditate more deeply. Most importantly - pranayama builds strong foundation for proper breathing, mantras like Om give you awesome resonance and a deeper voice with little to no strain when talking, and your energy levels are at all time high with constant practise so you can utilize it in any way you want.

It has helped me immensely.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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EternalReturn wrote:I am a singer and I utilize meditations to calm myself down before performing. Also it helps me with my breathing. When I'm singing I try by feeling to project and radiate "higher vibrations" as I dive into the song and try to communicate it by feeling to others so to make it an emotionally intense experience. We all do that in the band, and by our powers combined we surprise ourselves how awesome we did. Also, be releasing energy blockages my singing tends to be more honest, powerful, and airy. And interesting thing is that all that rapid, controlled breathing gives me much more space to breathe, with that more oxygen to the mind. And in turn, it's easier to meditate more deeply. Most importantly - pranayama builds strong foundation for proper breathing, mantras like Om give you awesome resonance and a deeper voice with little to no strain when talking, and your energy levels are at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="cpatext-link" href="http://alltime.ru/" style="position: relative;">all time</a> high with constant practise so you can utilize it in any way you want.

It has helped me immensely.
Thank you, I will try Om mantra. Do you do anything specific ? Or just sing it ?

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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EternalReturn wrote:We all do that in the band, and by our powers combined ...
You become Captain Planet. Yes.
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Tell me what you know about darkness, and I will tell you about the light.
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Re: Musician and Occultist

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RockDemon wrote:
EternalReturn wrote:I am a singer and I utilize meditations to calm myself down before performing. Also it helps me with my breathing. When I'm singing I try by feeling to project and radiate "higher vibrations" as I dive into the song and try to communicate it by feeling to others so to make it an emotionally intense experience. We all do that in the band, and by our powers combined we surprise ourselves how awesome we did. Also, be releasing energy blockages my singing tends to be more honest, powerful, and airy. And interesting thing is that all that rapid, controlled breathing gives me much more space to breathe, with that more oxygen to the mind. And in turn, it's easier to meditate more deeply. Most importantly - pranayama builds strong foundation for proper breathing, mantras like Om give you awesome resonance and a deeper voice with little to no strain when talking, and your energy levels are at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="cpatext-link" href="http://alltime.ru/" style="position: relative;">all time</a> high with constant practise so you can utilize it in any way you want.

It has helped me immensely.
Thank you, I will try Om mantra. Do you do anything specific ? Or just sing it ?
Vibrate it as lightly and fully you can. It gives better results than mere mumbling.

Haelos wrote:
EternalReturn wrote:We all do that in the band, and by our powers combined ...
You become Captain Planet. Yes.
It was weird. Yes.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Just my 2 cents...

I have found that experimental sound manipulation works well in a ritual setting. Constructing loops and layering them intentionally to create a platform to build off of. My experience with pushing Will through music has been nothing short of life changing. I did a series of LPs that followed a specific pathway that I was trying to carve out, the results were always on cue (the vinyl being an end result as well).

"Noise" is an art form, it's also a very chaotic school of thought. I have found the recordings of Cultus Sabbati to be an excellent example. There are (and in some cases, were) many great magickians within the noise and experimental world.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Neters wrote:Just my 2 cents...

I have found that experimental sound manipulation works well in a ritual setting. Constructing loops and layering them intentionally to create a platform to build off of. My experience with pushing Will through music has been nothing short of life changing. I did a series of LPs that followed a specific pathway that I was trying to carve out, the results were always on cue (the vinyl being an end result as well).

"Noise" is an art form, it's also a very chaotic school of thought. I have found the recordings of Cultus Sabbati to be an excellent example. There are (and in some cases, were) many great magickians within the noise and experimental world.

Wow man that is incredible. Pushing your will through music? If I understand correctly it is with a goal to envelop it and, sort of, embody it?

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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EternalReturn wrote:

Wow man that is incredible. Pushing your will through music? If I understand correctly it is with a goal to envelop it and, sort of, embody it?
There are multiple ways to break this down, but the way I work with sound revolves around intention through execution. The embodiment of the creation is the basis of the ritual or exercise, so the intent is rooted in the initial foundation, enabling the manifestation of Will to be presented through the aural channels. Therefore, the execution of said expression, in the methods I tango with, needs to be fortified through the crafting of tonal structures of manipulated soundscapes.

In other words, my goal as an artist is not to embody the composition, but rather for the composition to mirror and embody the Will. As we know, rules are merely suggestions in the grand scheme of things and rarely encompass the greater whole. This being said, a guitar is only limited to the mind of the one playing it. Let's take Free Jazz as an example, Paal Nilssen-Love certainly doesn't play a drum kit like say Lars Ulrich (lolz), he pushes the envelope to make the sounds he wants to create, not the sounds that have been given to work with (ie the side of a cymbal resonates a much different sound when vibrating from a violin bow than when struct with a stick...)

So, all in all, the opinion that I am sharing is that music as a form of ritual work should ideally be the same process of execution as performing any other magickal exercise. Education and study is the key, one must learn the processes internally before the results of the work can have any power behind them. There are some obvious holes in this brief rundown of my theory, but I do believe the general explanation is solid enough to share as such.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

Post by RockDemon »

@Neters would you please go into some more details and practical ideas?

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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https://youtu.be/UCSwGeVdAbY

Sorry, couldn't figure out how to html this to the page, but here is an example.

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Re: Musician and Occultist

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Uh that actually bothers me a bit. It forces you to listen to the song with full concentration. I'm not quite sure if I got that right but it does something subtle to the mind. I'll blame my unfamiliarity with black metal. [grin]


Also I wanted to ask, what de you recommend for relaxation before playing live? How can one get rid of anxiety, or lit his energy levels to make the live more powerful for example?

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