Kodama and The God Within
Kodama and The God Within are two works which follow consecutively my journey from the Ayahuasca awakening of Pineal to the search of my Eternal Self or God Within.
Kodama is completed and The God Within is on the writing process. Kodama has taken its title and inspiration from the spirits that, according to Japanese folklore (and the Greek tradition, as Dryads), inhabit a number of old trees in the forest. These trees are said to possess supernatural powers, they are often protected and there is mystery surrounding them to this day. When they are cut, their painful cries can be heard across the forest.This album is a reflection on our relationship with the natural world, our Spirit and our ability to let go, with tracks such as ‘Father’, ‘Mother’ and ‘Limitless’ being some of the most personal works I have written to date.
The God Within began forming while working with Wolfgang Tillmans for our show at The Tate Modern in March and since then I have been returning to it whenever I had the time and space. My wish with this project is to strip further myself and my sound and create a fluid and intimate album in which one piano song is mixed into the other (much like a DJ set). Here, the ‘Soul Sailor’ sails into the depths of the inner sea in search of the lighthouse that can rescue him and bring him ashore. The songs are joined with passages of meditative or ecstatic improvisations, a technique I explored for the first time at the Tate concert. This allows me to create music and explore transcendental states in one unifying creative activity and demands my controlling conscious personality to subside to allow for the Higher Self create its own magic.
The two albums share much on their energies; they are both centered around the piano. They are also highly visual, dreamy and evocative, and on each one I am experimenting subtly (or not so subtly) with electronics and recording techniques in order to create the right environment, pulse, or atmosphere. But whereas with Kodama I am still journeying, albeit with a clear sense of direction, with The God Within I feel I am a little closer to arriving.
A Collaboration with Artist Dan Hillier and with String Performances by The McCarricks
I am very honoured and humbled to be collaborating on this project with one of my favourite living artists. I have been a fan of Dan Hillier’s work for many years and his beautiful limited edition prints grace our home. Dan's work has been shown in galleries as diverse as the Louvre in Paris, the Think Conservatory in New York City and The Giant Creator show in Beijing, China. His most recent solo show, 'Ceremony', was at Saatchi Gallery in London in December 2016 to January 2017. He occasionally collaborates with others, most recently with the UK Brit Award winners Royal Blood, providing artwork for their eponymous number one album, and with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London where his work themed the 'Wonder' season of 2016 - 2017. Dan will be creating original artwork for both albums.
The McCarricks are the combining force of cellist/multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick and violinist Kimberlee McCarrick. They have been creating their own otherworldly work as well as collaborating with Marianne Faithfull, Gary Numan, Sinéad O’Connor and other legendary artists. They were my special guests at the ‘Kodama’ (work in progress) concert at SPILL Festival and worked with Marc Almond, Jeremy Reed and I on the project Against Nature. Martin was a long-term member of Siouxsie and the Banshees and a member of This Mortal Coil and has performed with Dead Can Dance and other 4AD bands.
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Dan Hillier's 'Field' with gold leaf and drawing by the artist (2016)
Your Help, Levels of Support and What’s Next
There is something really beautiful about doing a crowd-finding campaign. Being a composer is mostly a solitary work and is just so much nicer to share the journey, to communicate my thoughts to you beyond sound! As for this combined double project, I also feel a calm but driving urgency; I do not wish to wait another year or two to start recording The God Within, praying that a big enough label will arrive with a fat cheque to help me do so. I rather use the funds from this campaign to start the process straight way, while the iron is still hot. For whereas with Kodama I am happy to keep things small, with The God Within, I want to ‘sing’ to the world at large and your help, be it with your sharing, youtube comments and buzz-creating enthusiasm or by providing me with the funds to get a PR on board, would be just what I need to share the gift I have been given with whoever wants to receive it.
Where Your Money Will Go
Though I am asking for the minimum of £8,000 for a basic recording & mastering of The God Within, anything extra would go towards adding finishing touches, lush and beauty to the album. If there are still funds left, PR and marketing would be my next priority. I cannot foresee the future but what I know is this; that with these works I have been moving with deeper clarity towards my centre and for that reason they are more Othon than anything Othon has created so far.
Just for You
For now, I am not planning to release Kodama ‘officially’, even as a ‘self-release’ on iTunes, Amazon and other digital stores. The only ‘Kodama platform' will be my own Bandcamp page, where fans would be able to purchase the digital album and (potentially) any remaining copies of the Limited Edition Kodama Boxes, in collaboration with Dan Hillier, directly from me. On the same page, fans will also be able to find credits and information about the album. In this way, I will keep this release really special & intimate and focused on you. Later on, an official release of Kodama is possible, but even so, I am not planning on creating any Kodama Boxes again EVER in the future.These will be limited to the numbers described in the Perks and will be connected exclusively to THIS campaign.
Thanks to
Owen Pratt for the video and his generous technical help with everything. David Sayers and Graham Rutter for financing towards equipment necessary to mix Kodama at home, in my own time. Dan Hillier and The McCarricks who are bringing their wonderful worlds and artistry into the project. Marlena Giersz for the campaign photo. Gabriel Toso, Christoph Bracher and Hector de Gregorio for their advice and help on many different levels.
A vision shared is a vision worth having. Thank you all for being part of It.