Musick and the Mobius Engine

Papillion for Poppy

I recently found that I could set up an artist profile in Last.fm and then went about setting up all my music files with them. It was a catalyst for me to finally sort out some of the collections of music in an official capacity and thus draw a line beneath those projects. It also helped define the nature of what I do for myself.

I consider the work I have created to be the output of a composer but the files as they stand are quite tough listening in any casual context... heavy with symbolism and cryptographic nuances but played back on some midi horror show (Monkies are Junkies, notwithstanding). Even so, go along and see if there is anything you like, if you like it, suggest a similar artist or shout about it.

Allow me to deconstruct some of the blurb I put together to explain myself, in an attempt to justify and possibly explain what I am on about.

Mobius Engine is the umbrella name for the most notable musical project by CatJuJu, also known as Curtis McFee; a welsh born artist, whose personal style attempts to create a meta-theoretical construction of music.

Creating a meta-theoretical work sounds a bit vague but does mean something significant for me. It is to create a work based on a theory of music that, at the same time attempts to look at the underlying theory of music.

All of his compositions exist as developments on musical theory in a pre-created state of flux, usually cut down to the bare, un-performed bones of a conceptual structure. This theory exists as a form of process music going under the developmental name of “Musick”, referencing both the sci-punk novel Vurt and the work of Alistair Crowley.

My problem/shyness concerning my own work has always stemmed from the fact that it was designed to played by an ensemble of real people, yet I only have my computer and have yet to convince enough performers to take on the task of recording the music ( Billy Cowie's rendition of 'Papillion for Poppy' being the exception - what a star). However, I do believe in the underlying musical journey itself, thus the construction of the Musick project, as a means to develop the concept formally.

“Musick” attempts to unify narrative, music and symbolism; this means that music can be successfully pinned to the esoteric details of Alchemy, Tarot, Divination Systems, Gematria and Numerology, Jungian Archetypes, Mythology, Gods, Animals, Plants, Precious Stones, Magical Artifacts, Perfumes, Astrological Symbolism, Elements, Runes, Colour and Direction. From this understanding a new way of looking at music can be discovered and employed in the study of musical composition and theory.

Here is a better explanation of Musick, I may incorporate it into the website but I will just experiment with my description for now.

Musick

By taking the twelve notes of the octave and arranging them in a circle, the interrelation of each note with all others can be analysed.

When the Circle of Fifths is also placed in a circle, a relationship can be seen between the chromatic scale octave and the octave of fifths. Half of the notes remain in position and do not alter their relation to each other, the other half swap places with their opposing note and so reverse their order around the circle.

Each of these two forms, or note collections, create the pattern of a hexagram and are formed from whole tone intervals. These shapes can also be four triangles formed from intervals of two whole tones. These four triangles correspond to the trine harmonics of astrology and planetary position.

By analysing all of astrological symbolism and meaning can then be applied to the chromatic circle by matching associated colours and astrological symbols to each tone.

Each tone will also correspond to a specific colour, forming a complete spectrum of the octave. Each colour can then be analysed in terms of our psychological reactions and with colour psychology can be matched to archetypal emotions or feelings.

Collected together, the associated symbolism of individual tones, scales and keys can be laid down. Once done, further sources of symbolism can be found by cross referencing early Greek esoteric music theory, Tarot, Qabalah and the interconnected knowledge of the Golden Dawn.

This means that music can be successfully pinned to the esoteric details of Alchemy, Tarot, Divination Systems, Gematria and Numerology, Jungian Archetypes, Mythology, Gods, Animals, Plants, Precious Stones, Magical Artifacts, Perfumes, Astrological Symbolism, Elements, Runes, Colours and Direction.

All of this is part of the overall Theory behind Musick and has all been catalogued and set down; a comprehensive study of all the relevant correspondence. There is another aspect, however, that begins with the astronomical analysis of time and date. It is another layer to the process that begins with a study of the positions of the planets in relation to place and time and forms connections with musical tones. By taking their apparent orbits around the earth, their relationships with each other form ratios, from which chords and keys can be extrapolated.

At least that is the raw idea anyway. It's not very eloquent and so far I have yet to explain the system to anyone without their eyes glazing over and a dark feeling welling up that perhaps, just maybe, I am actually as mad as a bag of baboons.