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White Hills “The pursuit of rock & roll transcendence”

June 24, 2013

White Hills “The pursuit of rock & roll transcendence”

I’m going to non-randomly throw in some
ideas about Zen calligraphy, because I think it relates to White Hills and
their “thing.” Writing, sound, and vision combined.
Live, I got totally sucked in, filling in
the void, a transport, my (against contentment) mind took over with an
unconscious (1) escape move (2).
The heartbeat of movement, a hammer, a
different kind of psych-rock hammer.
Things didn’t start off in the right way
though, there was a paranoia, a flashback, and not because I saw a paperclip on
the floor. A pre-show tune from the Melvins Bullhead, a vinyl I had recently
sold on ebay so I could survive. What does it mean? What’s gonna happen? It’s
not what happened, but how we feel about it.
Visually throughout the show, I could have
used a hallucination periodically (3). What was lacking was 7 fog machines and
some pretty lights (saved for the headliner Kylesa). I needed to make things up
through my trance, like when listening at home, or when I’m moving in a vehicle
– I thought of Heavy Metal the movie, the original one. The not perfect
animation, a bit sloppy, expressive as if already at tomorrow’s party, or
through an old radio. Seeing some knee-high red boots and a trippy floral print
shirt didn’t cut it. And I was missing the weird Crispin Glover performance for
this, yes, and with a smile.
All upbeat sounding live, driving,
hammering, traveling, easy on the guru vocals. A soundtrack for reversing time,
like when Monster Magnet’s Tab is playing backwards, but it sounds
regular?,………. listening on the ledges of meditation (4). Or a soundtrack while
executing your style of writing, due to the non-repetitive repetition, the
snowball effect, or what Foucault liked to say – enveloping. The written lines
created through some effects pedals, op-art-ness, the not exact lines of
connecting energies (5) with the drums riding the cymbals, there to control the
chaos.
Let it go man, put on the record and let it
go (6), have patience my friend, the music is listening to you, empathy and
atmosphere. Recorded material is less aggressive at times, mellow meandering,
lonely, Floydish, don’t be afraid. Being low at times, I’m not sure if it’s
best to plan on listening to a White Hills record, seems more of a spontaneous
thing for full effect, in the moment, chance, you will never know, and it
doesn’t want you to. But you can create the situation where a listening might
be ideal. Find it, it’s different for everybody. You can’t lose your own
experience.
The Spirit of Exile video was not subtle
(7), a contrast to the music (8). Themes of powerlessness in the face of
nature, outer space, energy (9), symmetry, with generated color and technology,
sometimes against it, but embracing it when needed to keep up the middle way,
Buddha.
Modern missing planets rock is
entertainment, producing images, and includes that non-threatening guitar
indulgence/focus (10). “Open your eyes,” “open your mind” (11), and don’t rely
on techniques because the beauty of it cannot be repeated.
By the way, I didn’t mention Hawkwind at
all, but I will say hippie metal, no shoes.
1.           Work
of conscious effort is devoid of life.
2.           Be
one with the creation, the characters.
3.           Viewing
the work is communication with the spirit of the creator.
4.           Standing,
using the whole body, form and spirit.
5.           Lines
emerge from the void (chaos that preceded separation of heaven and earth)
beginning the instant brush touches paper.
6.           No-mind.
Thought, emotion, and expectations don’t matter, true creation.
7.           Bold
strokes for stability and weight.
8.           Gently
curving lines – warmth and compassion.
9.           Gestural
energy.
10.         Do
not be indulgent. Write simple characters with intense focus.
11.         Remove
barrier between self and others.
Article made by Robert Savela/2013
© Copyright
http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2013
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