ODG190: Abyss of the Senses / An Anthropology of Hell
Abyss of the Senses was founded in 2023 and is composed of Fred Minner (vocals, guitar)(see also ODG149, OUI010 and OUI014) John Menoud (analogue synthesizer) and Sam Jakubec (drums).
Their music mingles structured improvisation, doom/death metal, no wave, free jazz and dark ambient. They recorded their debut album An Anthropology of Hell in August 2023 during a 3 day residency at the AMR in Geneva Switzerland ) with Stéphan Mauclaire. The album was mixed and mastered in September 2023 by Nick Foglia in Turin, Italy.
uses an excerpt from the first chapter of John Mil ton’s “Paradise Lost.” The second part “ William Blake ’s Journey in Hell uses various excerpts from William Blake’s “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” and in particular the “Proverbs of Hell The third part William Blake’s Ascension to Earth is purely
inst rumental. The fourth part “ Earth’s Answer ” uses William Blake ’s eponymous poem taken from the “Songs of Innocence and Experience.”
An Anthropology of Hell is therefore a concept album that includes a narrative that begins with Satan’s fall and discovery of Hell. Once Hell is constituted, William Blake visits the place and being interested in the moral life of its inhabitants, collects their proverbs. Blake travels back to Earth to present his finding s to human beings. Thi s new knowledge being spread out, Earth is freed from religious moral oppression.
“As I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius, which to Angels look like torment and insanity. I collected some of their Proverbs, thinking that as the sayings used in a nation, mark its character, so the Proverbs of Hell, shew the nature of infernal wisdom better than any description of buildings or garments.” (William Blake, Proverbs of Hell in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell)
Structure of the piece and poems’ selection by Fred Minner.
Poems taken from “Paradise Lost” of John Milton, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” of William Blake, and “Songs of Innocence and Experience” of William Blake.
Recorded by Stéphan Mauclaire at the AMR in Geneva, Switzerland. Mixed and mastered by Nick Foglia in Turin, Italy.
Produced by Fred Minner.
Biography of the musicians:
Fred Minner (born in 1978) is a composer and multi-instrumentalist (bass, soprano saxophone, guitar, and vocals) active for more than 20 years in various experimental, metal, improvisation, and jazz bands. He’s based in Zurich (Switzerland). “Abyss of the Senses” is his newest project. He co-leads the experimental dark/doom jazz duo “Mademoiselle Plume Rouge”, who released 2 albums: “Junkie Movie Music” in 2021 on the Belgian label “Off”, and “Horror Politics” in 2022 on the Italian label “Signora Ward Records”. He was the frontman of the jazzy art-rock quartet “Poppins” (active between 2002 and 2009): their debut album was self-released in 2008 and re-released by “Off” in 2023. He also co-leads the Hadaly Quartet (psychedelic free improvisation, album to be released in December 2023 by “Off”). Since 2010, he’s an active member of the “Insub Meta Orchestra” (improvisation, minimalism, reductionism), with which he recorded 3 albums. He toured in Europe (Switzerland, France, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic). He collaborates or has collaborated with freddie Murphy (Father Murphy), Anton Ponomarev, Stéphane Povitch Augsburger, Antoine Läng, Stefan Kägi.
John Menoud (born in 1976) is a composer, guitarist, saxophonist, multi-wind instrumentalist, keyboardist, and electronic musician based in Geneva (Switzerland). A prolific musician with heteroclite musical tastes (classical music, improvisation, free-jazz, death metal, exotica, rock, surf), he’s active in a dozen of bands beyond classifications including “Giallo Oscuro”, “Flok Nazor” or “Space Age Sunset”. As a composer, he creates electro-acoustic music and composes for classical contemporary ensembles, dance companies, the theater, and the cinema. His own compositions appeared on several albums, and he released about 18 records with different bands, working with labels like Thödol records, Mauula records and Insub records. He’s a founding member of the “Vortex Ensemble” (contemporary music). He used to play with “Poppins”, “Les Legroup” and “Imperial Tiger Orchestra”, with which he toured in Europe, East Africa and Japan. He collaborates or has collaborated with Laurent Bruttin, Julien Israelian, Anne Gillot, Gregor Vidic, Antoine Läng, Claude Tabarini, Antoine Françoise, Benoît Moreau, Nadan Rojnic, Pierre Omer, Daniel Zea or Nelson Schaer.
Sam Jakubec (born in 1989) is a prolific drummer based in Geneva (Switzerland). He’s active in different bands (metal, jazz, improvisation, ska, and experimental music), and he also composes and plays solo pieces. He’s the drummer of the band “Stortregn” (technical black/death metal) who appeared on stage at the Wacken Open Air 2015, the biggest metal festival in Europe. The band released their fifth album on the well-known American label “The Artisan Era”; their sixth album is going to be released in October 2023. He also used to play in the band “Hypocras” (folk metal) from 2006 to 2016, with which he toured several times in Japan. He has already released more than 20 albums that appeared on labels like The Artisan Era, Non Serviam Records, Black Lion, Great Dane, VDE-Gallo and Urgence Disk. He toured in Europe (England, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Slovakia), North America (Canada) and in Japan. Stylistically very versatile, some of his main influences are Bill Stewart, Tony Williams, Merlin Sutter or Daniel Erlandsson. He collaborated or has collaborated with Johan Smith, Michel Wintsch, Moncef Genoud, Nicolas Lambert, Tommy Vetterli, Drop, Vladimir Cochet, David Weber, Michel Bastet, Xavier Dromard, Serge Morattel, Manu Gesseney, Cédric Gysler, Jean-Yves Poupin, Vic Pitts, Ian Gordon-Lennox, and Mátyás Szandai.
Digital release on the 14th of June 2024.
Track listing:
2: William Blake's Journey in Hell
3: William Blake's Ascension to Earth
4: Earth's Answer
Lyrics:
(Part A): SATAN’S FALL AND DISCOVERY OF HELL
(John Milton – Paradise Lost – Book 1 – Discourse of Satan) “Is this the region, this the soil, the clime,”
Said then the lost Archangel, “this the seat
that we must change for Heaven, this mournful gloom For that celestial light? Be it so, since he
Who now is sovereign can dispose and bid
What shall be right: furthest from him is best
Whom reason hath equalled, force hath made supreme Above his equals. Farewell, happy fields,
where joy for ever dwells! Hail, horrors! hail,
Infernal world! and thou, profoundest Hell,
Receive thy new possessor, one who brings
A mind not to be changed by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less than he
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice,
to reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”
(Part B): WILLIAM BLAKE’S JOURNEY IN HELL
(William Blake - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell)
As I was walking among the fires of hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius, which to Angels look like torment and insanity. I collected some of their Proverbs, thinking that as the sayings used in a nation, mark its character, so the Proverbs of Hell, shew the nature of infernal wisdom better than any description of buildings or garments.
When I came home, on the abyss of the five senses, where a flat sided steep frowns over the present world, I saw a mighty Devil folded in black clouds, hovering on the sides of the rock, with corroding fires he wrote the following sentence now perceived by the minds of men, and read by them on earth: "How do you know but ev’ry Bird that cuts the airy way, is an immense world of delight, clos’d by your senses five?"
Proverbs of Hell:
In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.
He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
The cut worm forgives the plow.
Dip him in the river who loves water.
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.
Shall never become a star.
Eternity is in love with the productions of time.
The busy bee has no time for sorrow.
The hours of folly are measured by the clock, but of wisdom: no clock can measure.
All wholesome food is caught without a net or a trap.
Bring out number, weight, and measure in a year of dearth.
No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings
A dead body revenges not injuries.
The most sublime act is to set another before you.
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.
Folly is the cloak of knavery. Shame is Pride’s cloak.
Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion.
The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
The nakedness of woman is the work of God.
Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword are portions of Eternity too great for the eye of man.
The fox condemns the trap, not himself. Joys impregnate, Sorrows bring forth.
Let man wear the fell of the lion, woman the fleece of the sheep.
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
The selfish smiling fool and the sullen frowning fool shall be both thought wise that they may be a rod.
What is now proved was once, only imagined.
The rat, the mouse, the fox, the rabbet; watch the roots, the lion, the tiger, the horse, the elephant, watch the fruits.
The cistern contains: the fountain overflows.
One thought fills immensity.
Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.
Everything possible to be believed is an image of truth.
The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the crow.
The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion.
Think in the morning, Act in the noon, Eat in the evening, Sleep in the night.
He who has suffered you to impose on him knows you.
As the plow follows words, so God rewards prayers.
The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
Expect poison from the standing water.
You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
Listen to the fool’s reproach; it is a kingly title! A kingly title!
The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the mouth of water, the beard of earth.
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the lion the horse how he shall take his prey.
The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.
If others had not been foolish we should have been so.
The soul of sweet delight can never be defiled.
When thou seest an Eagle, thou seest a portion of Genius, lift up thy head!
As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
To create a little flower is the labour of ages.
Damn braces. Bless relaxes.
The best wine is the oldest. The best water the newest.
Prayers plow not! Praises reap not! Joys laugh not! Sorrows weep not!
The head Sublime, the heart Pathos, the genitals Beauty, the hands and feet Proportion.
As the air to a bird, or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.
The crow wished everything was black; the owl that everything was white.
Exuberance is Beauty.
If the lion was advised by the fox, he would be cunning.
Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement are roads of Genius. Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
Where man is not, nature is barren.
Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not to be believed.
Enough! or Too much.
The ancient Poets animated all sensible objects with Gods or Geniuses, calling them by the names and adorning them with properties of woods, rivers, mountains, lakes, cities, nations, and whatever their enlarged and numerous senses could perceive. And particularly they studied the Genius of each city and country, placing it under its mental deity. Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of and enslaved the vulgar by attempting to realize or abstract the mental deities from their objects. Thus began Priesthood.
Choosing forms of worship from poetic tales. And at length the pronounced that the Gods had ordered such things. Thus men forgot that all deities reside in the human breast.
(Part C): INSTRUMENTAL: WILLIAM BLAKE’S ASCENSION TO EARTH
(Part D): EARTH’S ANSWER
(William Blake - Earth's Answer in Songs of Innocence and Experience)
Earth raised up her head,
From the darkness dread & drear.
Her light fled:
Stony dread!
And her locks covered with grey despair.
Prisoned on watery shore
Starry Jealousy does keep my den Cold and hoar
Weeping o'er
I hear the Father of the ancient men
Selfish father of men
Cruel, jealous, selfish fear
Can delight
Chained in night
The virgins of youth and morning bear.
Does spring hide its joy
When buds and blossoms grow? Does the sower?
Sow by night?
Or the plowman in darkness plow?
Break this heavy chain,
That does freeze my bones around Selfish! vain!
Eternal bane!
That free Love with bondage bound.
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