Friday, January 27, 2012

Inspired School of Astral Music - 10:10 Opening the Digital Door (PSR005/SM037)





10:10 Opening the Digital Door, by Inspired School of Astral Music (ISAM), is a meditation on Internet Consciousness, The Cybergenetic Fugue State (CFS) and Numerical Synchronicity as memory recovery in the digital age.  The aforementioned is explained in an essay that accompanies this intriguing release.  CFS is inherently problematic, acting as a blocking interface between the Electronic and Biological brain.  10:10 and other binary computer codes seek to awake the spiritual self from CFS.  10:10 Opening the Digital Door is packaged in screen printed covers on heavy cardstock; it is co-released by Psychic Sounds Recordings and Sonic Meditations, two of my favorite labels.  

A few days ago, I read a wonderful interview of Derek Rogers by Steve Dewhurst, of Foxy Digitialis.  Steve wrote about the idea that emotion can be channeled through the use of drones and ambient soundscapes.  Later in the day, I listened intently to this ISAM lp.  What happened throughout this meditation was nothing short of spiritual discovery - tantamount to recovering visual perception by taking the hands away from the eyes.  ISAM makes me feel euphoric, and a man among beautiful people residing in a state of equanimity.  Opening the Digital Door is music that breathes.  Within a few minutes of dropping the needle, the music would swell and recede. Thus, there is an inherent warmth to the placid sounds which emanate from the speakers.  These are the sounds of friendship, of companionship.  In sum, this is the type of music that you want to invite into your home.

In a complicated world, I yearn for the connection provided by this type of music.  Throughout the release, I remembered the way in which Basinski's drones would wash away my tears of grief.  Needless to say, I highly recommend 10:10.  This one is still available from places for which I have great admiration:  Discriminate, Tomentosa (restock soon), Psychic Sounds and Sonic Meditations!