Secret Chiefs 3 — Book of Souls: Folio A (2013) |
Secret Chiefs 3 — Book of Souls: Folio A
Second part of the Book of Truth trilogy. Band formed in 1994.
Formed: 1994
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Album release: November 26, 2013
Record Label: Mimicry Recordings
Duration: 37:39
Tracks:
01 Balance of the 19 4:00
02 Nova IHVH 0:20
03 Potestas Clavium 5:34
04 Post-Identity Hour (AMS World Newscorp) 1:58
05 UR: Personae: Halloween 3:47
06 Utopian Weekly Update (HVHI Public Access) 0:35
07 FORMS: Scorched Earth Saturnalia 7:03
08 Full Spectrum Anamnesis 0:06
09 UR: Drive 4:28
10 Barzakh ID Markers (AIO Radio Narcissus) 0:44
11 Tradionalists: La Chanson de Jacky 3:37
12 Toy Soldier's Frontline Report (Faust Journal, DodecSMA Corp) 1:15
13 Ishraqiyun: Tistrya 5:42
Description:
θθ Book of Souls: Folio A is an album densely-packed with musical skyscrapers, Secret Chiefs 3's most elaborate work yet. Following the 7-band schemata laid out in Book of Horizons, Book of Souls establishes the depth of SC3's journey into otherwise lost musical possibilities. With productions based in studios in the SF Bay Area, NY, LA, Seattle, UK and France over the last 11 years, SC3 enlisted a small army of musicians — or actually not so small, since the orchestral tasks demanded by the music seem effectively unlimited in number. On "Book of Souls: Folio A," it is evident that Secret Chiefs 3 continues to operate in blissful ignorance of current musical fashions, remaining enchanted only by what can be unlocked in modern mediums by applying a specific recipe of pre-modern (often ancient) processes to them.
PRESS:
θθ "...an outside-the-box journey into sights and sounds from far and deep into the imagination, and a fascinating antidote to the often stultifying dearth of vision and ambition in so much rock music today." — Daniel Lukes, Lollipop
θθ "...Secret Chiefs 3 have existed in various incarnations over the course of the past eight years, and have served as the funnel for Spruance's remarkably far-flung studies of the hermetic mysteries and musical traditions of unknown and underappreciated subgenres. Album titles like Grand Constitution and Bylaws and Book M hint at the music's vaguely metaphysical bent. Over three years in the making, Book of Horizons is Secret Chiefs' most expansive and coherent statement, an alchemical fusion of Morricone-esque cinematic grandeur, midnight surf guitar, traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and time signatures, demonic death metal, and electronic deviance that yields a work of undeniable force." — Jonathan Zwickel, Pitchfork
θθ "Cast the clear light of alchemical truth through the graphically enhanced occult fog, and you'll find an album fluffed full of magick, mystery, and densely orchestrated mosque-rocking beats." — Richard Gehr, Village Voice
Satellite bands:
θθ In 2007, it was announced Secret Chiefs 3 has always been a general name for seven different bands, each representing a different aspect of Spruance's musical and philosophical interests. The seven bands are The Electromagnetic Azoth, UR, Ishraqiyun, Traditionalists, Holy Vehm, FORMS, and NT Fan.
θθ The albums Book of Horizons (2004) and Satellite Supersonic Vol. 1 (2010) were conceived as compilation albums featuring the satellite bands under their own names. All bands have appeared on at least one of these albums. Some satellite bands have also released records on their own. So far, five of the satellite bands have had tracks featured across a series of six 7" singles and Traditionalists have delivered a full-length album.
REVIEW
By Gregory Adams
θθ It's been a long time coming, but experimental project Secret Chiefs 3 are finally properly following up 2004's Book of Horizons (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7763-book-of-horizons/) with a new set called Book of Souls: Folio A.
θθ A press release explains that the new album, which arrives November 26 Web of Mimicry, is the second chapter of the metal- and world music-influenced band's proposed "mega-trilogy." The album has been a decade in the making, and found the Trey Spruance-led outfit tracking material in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, the UK and France.
θθ In addition to their leader, the "small army of musicians" involved with the LP include Timb Harris, Ches Smith, Shahzad Ismaily, Anonymous 13, Danny Heifetz, William Winant, with live-band initiates Matt Lebofsky, Kenny Grohowski and Toby Driver .
θθ Previews from the album have yet to be let loose, as well as the tracklisting, but the genre-defying musical weirdoes are said to "remain blissfully ignorant of current musical fashions" on Book of Souls: Folio A.
θθ Earlier this year, the Secret Chiefs' Book of M and Book of Horizons LPs were reissued through French label !aNGRr!, with both albums being made available in North America through Web of Mimicry. Fortaken: http://exclaim.ca/
Artist Biography by Greg Prato
θθ Since Mr. Bungle is notorious for taking substantial amounts of time between albums (it took them four years to follow up their 1991 debut), its bandmembers are left with a lot of time on their hands. Hence the members of Mr. Bungle use their off time wisely, by writing, recording, and touring with other bands or, often, side projects.
θθ First Grand Constitution and Bylaws The best side project of the bunch, Secret Chiefs 3, features Mr. Bungle comrades Trey Spruance (guitar/vocals), Trevor Dunn (bass/vocals), and Danny Heifetz (drums). If there are any remaining who think that the musicians in Mr. Bungle are just a vehicle for vocalist Mike Patton's singing talents, Secret Chiefs 3 is the ultimate proof that this is not the case. Trey Spruance gets a chance to be the leader, as he wrote every track on their 1996 debut First Grand Constitution and Bylaws, and was the record's producer as well. Before the full-length debut appeared, the group whet their fans' appetites by including a Secret Chiefs 3 single with vinyl copies of Mr. Bungle's 1995 magnum opus, Disco Volante, as well as recording a warped version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" for a Japanese Christmas compilation. They were also signed on to contribute a Beach Boys track to a Japanese Beach Boys tribute album, showing that they can tackle just about any musical form put in front of them.
Notes:
θθ Trey Spruance is one of the most underrated, versatile, and experimental rock guitarists of modern times. Born Preston Lea Spruance III in 1969 and raised in Eureka, CA, Spruance began playing in local heavy metal bands while in high school. θθ During 1985, the guitarist hooked up with some fellow high school musicians (including singer Mike Patton and bassist Trevor Dunn, among others), to form Mr. Bungle. During the late '80s, the group grew more and more musically schizo as they incorporated more and more varied styles into their compositions — all of which purposely didn't follow the traditional verse-chorus-verse song structure of most rock bands. When Patton landed a gig with Faith No More in 1989, he pledged to keep Mr. Bungle going, a promise he kept when he came off the road in 1991. The same year, Bungle signed with Warner Bros, and issued their self-titled debut. When Patton returned back to Faith No More later in the year, Spruance filled up his downtime by forming side projects, including the goof death metal outfit Faxed Head.
Philosophy:
θθ SC3's music, album artwork, liner notes, and lyrics feature theological and philosophical themes influenced by Henry Corbin, Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi, Aryeh Kaplan, Julius Evola, René Guénon, Hakim Bey/Peter Lamborn Wilson, Seraphim Rose, and many others. More on the Secret Chiefs 3 philosophy and influences can be found in the Web of Mimicry Museum Without Walls (http://www.webofmimicry.com/museum/) and the SC3 Myspace page (https://myspace.com/secretchiefs3). Secret Chiefs 3 : Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, May 30, 2009 / © Eric Krasno
Band members:
θθ Spruance formed the band in the mid-1990s with fellow Mr. Bungle members Trevor Dunn on bass and Danny Heifetz on drums. Some of the many musicians who have since recorded or toured with SC3 include violinist Eyvind Kang, percussionist William Winant, drummer Ches Smith, bassist Shahzad Ismaily, former Mr. Bungle member Clinton "Bär" McKinnon, and Estradasphere members Timb Harris, Jason Schimmel, and Tim Smolens. Musicians tend to float in and out of SC3, so the concept of "current" and "former" members isn't entirely applicable.
θθ Below is a list of past and present members, guests and collaborators:
θθ Trey Spruance — guitars (electric guitar, bass guitar, baritone guitar, microtonal guitar, 12-string guitar, sympitar, Pythagorean guitar), keyboards (keyboard, electric piano, acoustic piano, tack piano, clavinet, organ, celesta), percussion (dumbek, shaker, tambourine, glockenspiel, daf, etc.), santur, rabab, banjo, mandolin, zither, tar, cümbüş, saz, carillon, dulcimer, autoharp, trumpet, sheng, synthesizer, sampler, programming, Foley sound effects, electroacoustic treatment, vocals
θθ Lucas Abela — power drill
θθ Dave Abramson — drums
θθ Laura Allen — vocals
θθ Anonymous 13 — viola, vocals
θθ Jennifer Cass — harp
θθ April Centrone — drums, percussion
θθ Matt Chamberlain — drums
θθ Paul Dal Porto — sitar
θθ Mike Dillon — vibraphone, tabla
θθ Rich Doucette — sarangi
θθ Toby Driver — bass guitar
θθ Trevor Dunn — bass guitar, vocals
θθ Phil Franklin — drums, percussion
θθ Laurie Goldstein — cello
θθ Jesse Greere — vocals
θθ Kenny Grohowski — drums
θθ Timb Harris — violin, viola, trumpet
θθ Danny Heifetz — drums, percussion (riq, zil, tambourine, shaker, dumbek), trombone
θθ Kris Hendrickson — autoharp, vocals
θθ Bill Horist — prepared guitar
θθ Shahzad Ismaily — bass guitar, percussion (dhol, mridangam, ghatam, zil, etc.)
θθ Eyvind Kang — violin, viola, cello, erhu
θθ Fatima Khanoam — santur
θθ Jai Young Kim — keyboards, B3 organ
θθ Jessica Kinney — vocals
θθ Kevin Kmetz — shamisen
θθ Ursula Knudson — bowed saw
θθ Peijman Kouretchian — drums
θθ John Wayne Law — bass guitar
θθ Matt Lebofsky — keyboards
θθ Clinton "Bär" McKinnon — saxophone, flute, keyboards, percussion
θθ John Merryman — drums
θθ Mike Patton — vocals
θθ KT Pierce — vocals
θθ Jesse Quattro — vocals
θθ Jason Schimmel — acoustic guitar, fuzz guitar, cümbüş mandolin, vocals
θθ Monica Schley — harp
θθ Shamou — percussion (darbuka, riq)
θθ Ches Smith — drums, congas
θθ Tim Smolens — bass guitar, upright bass, cello, contrabass, cello
θθ Adam Stacey — clavinet
θθ Hans Teuber — flute
θθ Gregg Turkington — vocals
θθ Unhuman — vocals
θθ William Winant — drums, percussion (frame drum, tabla, marimba, vibraphone, shaker, glockenspiel, gong, tubular bell, kanjira, timpani, cymbal, bell, zil, hammered dulcimer, etc.)
Website: http://www.secretchiefs3.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/secretchiefs3
Web: http://www.secretchiefs3.net
Label: http://www.webofmimicry.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secretchiefs3
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Secret Chiefs 3 — Book of Souls: Folio A (2013) |