Electronic Poetic Mysticism

Written

By

Mariusz Mandarynka

 I remember always dreaming that Edgar Froese would one day turn to the works of his dark literary namesake. Edgar Allan Poe is, after all, a perfect subject for musical visionaries like Froese. As we know, The Alan Parsons Project handled this theme brilliantly on their debut album from 1976. One could also mention the dark masterpiece by Peter Hammill, leader of Van der Graaf Generator — The Fall of the House of Usher — as well as Lou Reed, who together with a group of friends created The Raven, something like a rock opera inspired by Poe’s stories.

And now, here it is — my wish has finally come true. I admit I had doubts whether Froese could truly capture the gloomy atmosphere of Poe’s tales. In my mind, I hoped the music would revolve around the minor-key moods of Tangerine Dream’s excellent film score Motta Atma, and… fortunately, that is exactly what happened.

Of course, there is no trace of the stereotypical Tangerine Dream sequencer patterns from recent years. For example, the astonishing track “Fay Bewitching The Moon” surprised me in the best possible way. It is precisely this element of unpredictability in Froese’s music that I love so much. It’s true that in recent years his compositions have become somewhat predictable, but the fantastic, fiery cello performance moved me deeply. The musical background is also fascinating — reminiscent of his old solo albums. These pulsing, misty synthesizers tell a story, I think a mysterious one, as if something is lurking on a path full of surprising paranormal phenomena. I see beautiful yet dark visions, something like a polar aurora on the horizon, something foggy passing by… hmm… perhaps hallucinations, illusions? I must admit, the magic of this piece overwhelms me, and the only disappointment is its short duration. A pity. Every self-respecting lover of the “mandarin dream” simply must obtain this album for this mystical track alone.

But that is not the last enchantment on this release. Here comes “Cycle Of Eternity”, which begins in darkness and then transforms into an extraordinary, eclectic musical journey. Once again, we hear cello improvisations, beautifully highlighting the historical aspect of the era in which the extraordinary protagonist of this musical tale lived and created. There are graceful melodies that gently weave into a ticking, sizzling pulse forming the backbone of this intriguing composition. The combination of cello and modern synthesizers fills me with admiration — something that hasn’t often happened in Tangerine Dream’s recent productions. Is this the end of my subjective impressions? Not at all.

“Death In The Shadow”, as its dark title suggests, is not a trip to a sunny beach — it is an entry into the mysterious, shadowy world of Poe’s stories. Froese’s musical vision introduces his modern instrumental palette, and fortunately it does not clash with Poe’s darkness. The electronics open our senses even further; through various sonic details Froese expands my admiration for what Poe once created with his pen.

The final composition, “Darkness Veiling The Night”, is a very melancholic ending to the album. The sonic ornaments are surprising, and the music — despite dealing with a dark subject — is charming and gives a kind of positive energy. At least that’s how I perceive it; this is only my subjective commentary. But I think it would be very unfair to dismiss this release as “just another Edgar production.” Absolutely not. If someone disagrees, so be it. I fear that in an era of emotionless music consumption, in these schizophrenic times, this Tangerine Dream work may be forgotten. I listen to this disc again and again, constantly discovering fascinating sonic details. To encourage Tangerine Dream fans to buy this album, I’ll mention the characteristic analog sounds used by Froese — the very ones that defined the band’s sonic identity in the 1980s. Those who love such now‑cult albums as Poland, Exit, or White Eagle will, thanks to The Island Of The Fay, once again experience moments of mandarin‑colored delight.

I strongly recommend this new Tangerine Dream work. Yes — work of art. I have absolutely no doubt about that.

SEE ALSO:

Dante's Inferno

The Solitude of Heroic Death

The grave steel of the shipwrecked Demokleides – A minimalist work from the 4th century BC about the immenseness of the sea, the solitude and the pain of a heroic death.

The deceased Demokleides, son of Demetrius - his name is engraved on the epistyle, above his head - is depicted sitting on the ground with his knees raised, in front of the prow of a war trireme, as indicated by the protruding, curved ram.

He wears a tunic with short sleeves and sits on his chlamys. He has placed his weapons, a shield and a Corinthian helmet, next to him. He was a hoplite.

He supports his head with his right hand, resting on his knees, immersed in immense sadness for his lost life or for his cruel fate that destined him to remain unburied far from his homeland.

The sculptor emphasizes the idea of the infinite sea by shrinking the figure of Demokleides, placing him high on the stele, leaving a large void to occupy the greater area of the column, thus emphasizing the dramatic effect of his story.

The abstraction and minimalism of the column are accentuated by the absence of colors that would once have emphasized the details of the ship. The lower smooth part of the column would have been colored light blue to indicate the sea.

Both the armament and especially the ship's ram testify that the young man met a heroic death in a naval battle. The stele was probably erected by his family over his cenotaph, in his homeland, since the sea became his grave.

SOURCE: Hellenic National Archaeological Museum

Archetypes , Myths and Reality

 

Since there is too much fuss lately about Nolan's trash-film and the herds of ignorants, racially inferior and other similar degenerates claiming that Homeric Epics are "myths" and not reality (and based on that any of their Heroes can of any race), here is the message that the archaeologist Henrich Schliemann sent to King George of Greece. Schliemann based his research upon the Homer and also other ancient sources so to locate the original places that Homer describe on Iliad. The Mycenae and Troy. With this proved that the Homeric Epics were not just fantasy but stories based on real historical facts.

"With great joy I announce to your Majesty that I have discovered the monuments which the tradition proclaimed by Pausanaias indicated to be the tombs of Agamemnon, Cassandra,  Eurymedon, and their companions, all slain at the banquet by Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. These tombs enclosed by a double, parallel circle of slabs, which was undoubtedly built in honon of the aforementioned great persons.

I found in the tombs an immense treasure of archaeological objects of pure gold. This treasure alone is enough to fill a great museum, which will be the most magnificent in the world, and which for all the ages to come will draw myriads of foreigners to Greece from every land.  Since I labor from a pure and sole love of science, I have no claim whatsoever, and rightly so, upon this treasure, which I hand over with boundless enthusiasm, untouched, to Greece. May it be, Your Majesty, that with God's help these treasures become the cornerstone of immense national wealth."

Heinrich Schliemann , 28 November 1876

SEE ALSO:

MYCENAE 2022 - The Birthplace of Hellas

A Fallen Raven

THE THIRD RAVEN

by

ROGER "B.WAR" SVENSSON

(1965 -2026)

I Carve my runes upon a cairnstone surface

 A powerful pattern that will crush the walls to the unknown

I kill my eye as a bloodbounds sign

Generating powers that sleeping far beyond and down below

A warlock timeless strong I will be

With farces to see more than man can see Wise as the mountain I'll prowl the world

The trinities last perfection

The Allfathers Eye

I'll be the third

One eyed God who rule the night

Grant me a part of your sempiternal might

Use me as your messenger

The third raven your second night

The Nornor Goddessess knows my fate

I'll walk right through the greatest of gates

Walls of spears

Roof of shields

In the Golden Hall I'll kneel in fear

For the one enslaver of my mind

Until this night I've enlarged my mind With secrets of most dreadful kind

Obscure rites have revealed the truth

I can not stop now

I can not choose

A warlock timeless strong I'll be

With forces to see more than man can see

I'll be the third

One eyed God who rule the night

Grant me a part of your sempiternal might

Use me as your messenger

The third raven your second sight

I let myself fall into an ancient lake

I break it's silent mirror like face

It's name is the sake that I defend

A Midgard worm- Nor beginning nor end

The Nornor Goddessess knows my fate

I'll walk right through the greatest of Gates

Walls of spears

Roof of shields

In the Golden Hall I'll kneel

For the one enslaver of my mind

The greatest God that man can find

The Racialist Friedrich Nietzsche

 

A collection of various quotes and notes from Friedrich Nietzsche's work that directly reflects his racialist worldview

"The Greeks believed in a difference of races."

(Nachl, Spring–Summer 1875, KSA 8, 5[72])

"There is only nobility by birth, only nobility by blood Where 'aristocrats of the spirit' are spoken of, there is usually no lack of reasons to conceal something; it is notoriously a favorite word among ambitious Jews.

Spirit alone, namely, does not ennoble; rather, it first needs something

that ennobles the spirit.

What does it need for this? Blood."

(Nachl., August–September 1885, KSA 11, 41[3]).

"It would not be possible that a person does not to have the qualities

and preferences of his parents and ancestors in his body: whatever

appearances may say against it. This is the problem of race. 

'... with the help of the best education

and cultivation, one will only succeed in deceiving about such an

inheritance."

(Beyond Good and Evil)

"The descent from good ancestors constitutes the true nobility of birth;

a single interruption in that chain, an evil ancestor therefore,

nullifies the nobility of birth."

(Human, All Too Human)

"Perhaps as a consequence of the crossing of too foreign races (or of

classes, classes always express differences in origin and race: the

European 'Weltschmerz', the 'pessimism' of the nineteenth century, is

essentially the consequence of an irrationally sudden class mixing)"

(On the Genealogy of Morality, Essay III)

"It is completely in order that we have no religion of oppressed Aryan

races: for that is a contradiction: a master race is on top, or it

perishes."

(Nachl., Spring 1888, KSA 13, 14[195])

"Essentially, the subjected race has finally regained the upper hand

there, in color, shortness of skull, perhaps even in the intellectual

and social instincts: who can guarantee to us whether modern democracy,

the even more modern anarchism, and especially that inclination for

'Commune', for the most primitive form of society, which is now common

to all the socialists of Europe, does not in the main signify a

monstrous atavism, and that the conqueror and master race, that of the

Aryans, is not physiologically being vanquished?"

(On the Genealogy of Morality, First Essay)

"Some pack of blonde beasts of prey, a conqueror and master race which,

organized for war and with the ability to organize, unhesitatingly lays

its terrible claws upon a populace perhaps tremendously superior in

numbers but still formless and nomad. That is after all how the 'state'

began on earth."

(On the Genealogy of Morality, Second Essay)

"How much falsehood and swamp is needed to raise racial questions in

today's mishmash Europe."

(Nachl., Summer 1886–Autumn 1887, KSA 12, 5[52])

"The spell of definite grammatical functions is ultimately the spell of

physiological value judgments and racial conditions."

(Beyond Good and Evil)

"One may be perfectly justified in being always afraid of the blonde

beast that lies at the base of all noble races and in being on one's

guard: but who would not a hundred times prefer to fear when one can

also admire, than to be safe from fear, but thereby eternally condemned

to the disgusting sight of the ill-constituted, dwarfed, atrophied, and

poisoned. And is not this our fate?"

(On the Genealogy of Morality, First Essay)

The Golden Sun and the War of Religions

 

June 21, 1920

Summer Solstice, I have ordered my Cossacks to light fires on all the hills surrounding Dauria. The Bolshevik partisans will certainly wonder what trick we are preparing for them. Its simply another revolution, which will be a little more terrible than theirs. They worship the red star. We celebrate the golden sun. Its a war of religions

Roman Von Ungern-Sternberg

Drosoulites - The Ghost Riders of Crete

 

Nearly 200 years ago, one of the many glorious chapters of the 1821 Greek War of Independence was written in Crete. Although its outcome was far from victorious.

It was the battle between the men of the brave commander Hatzimichalis Dalianis, who were defending Frangokastello — an imposing Venetian-built fortress — against the hordes of Mustafa Pasha. It was May 18, 1828. The battle was fierce but unequal. The Greeks were defeated, leaving behind 338 dead, among them Dalianis.

From this sacrifice, another legend was born. As the bodies of the Greeks remained unburied and were quickly covered by sand, their souls were said to never find rest. And since then, every year around this time — in the days following the battle, late May or early June — just before dawn, human-shaped shadows appear on the castle walls, moving one after another for 8–10 minutes, resembling the heroic warriors of Dalianis. In a silent, otherworldly procession of mourning, a kind of annual memorial they hold for their disembodied selves before disappearing into the sea.

These are the famous Drosoulites. Well known in Crete ever since, but their fame has spread beyond the island and Greece, attracting significant international scientific interest.

Scientists from various fields have at times visited Frangokastello to observe the phenomenon firsthand and attempt to interpret it. Visitors from around the world patiently wait for hours, trying to confirm a reality that fuels their imagination.

Some claim they have clearly seen the Drosoulites — as shadows under specific conditions of high humidity and calm winds, just before sunrise during the relevant time period mentioned above. However, the phenomenon has never been officially recorded, as the light at those hours is minimal.

The first sightings were made by shepherds, who saw above the Monastery of Agios Charalambos an entire army of black human-like shadows, foot soldiers and horsemen with weapons and swords advancing toward the sea. Frangokastello — the “castle of the Franks” — is located in southwestern Crete, in the Chania region, about 12 km east of Chora Sfakion.

It was built between 1371–1374 by the Venetians at the request of the Sfakians to protect the area from pirates, and later came under Ottoman control when they conquered Crete. It was used as a base to suppress ongoing Cretan uprisings. This brings us to 1828.

The legend of the Drosoulites is so strong that much later, one morning in 1942, German soldiers also claimed to have seen several armed men in formation walking into the castle. They took defensive positions thinking they were rebels or intruders; according to some accounts, they even opened fire on the shadows.

Some scientists attributed the human shapes to shadows cast from the mountains onto the water vapor over the beach in front of the castle, others to mass autosuggestion, and others to mirages from soldiers in distant Libya under certain atmospheric conditions.

The most widespread explanation attributes the phenomenon to a simple optical illusion caused by the evaporation of morning dew. The light mist often created can produce shapes on the walls that may be perceived as human figures.

SOURCE: Legends and Mysteries Haunting Greece