Kali and Urlagarne

During the summer of 2006, it happened that one day I got the feeling that I had to compose an album. It was simply necessary; I knew I had no choice in the matter, so over a period of a few days I wrote and recorded Kali. Never before had I been compelled to create an album spontaneously. Indeed, when I compose I plan out my compositions over periods of weeks, sometimes months, so it was somewhat of a surprise. Of course, I was pleased with the results, but I knew that the composition was an anomaly.

This is no longer the case.

In 2008 the phenomenon happened again with the result being an album of such similarity to the first, that their relatedness should not be overlooked. The album is called Urlagarne, and I have just recently learned that its proper release is finally being planned. In the interest of its release, and since I have not discussed Kali on this blog yet, I present the following notes.

The burst of inspiration that triggered Kali came to me as if the music was already written. The melodies and counter melodies of the soprano guitar lines had been waiting in the ether for me to seize them, and so yielded when I sat to compose. The progressions are simple, but the melodies are remarkably active in comparison. This is a stark contrast from the complex harmonic structures that frequent my work. Kali is also marked by subtle (and not-so-subtle) rhythmic variations, long repetitive passages, and intense emotional content. All in all the music is very different from my previous material, undeniably a result of it being the music of a spontaneous expression of a distilled feeling stemming from a potent idea.

The underlying theme of the album is the archetype of the terrible mother. The Life Force encompasses both birth and death, being that the creative and destructive elements of the universe are intertwined on the physical plane. Just as our planet is fruitful and provides us with nourishment and protection while simultaneously maintaining the power of the destroyer, so too is Kali a symbol of motherhood and fertility, yet as destructive as the quaking Earth and its overflowing molten underworld. This fundamental concept, which is ingrained into our psyche, provided the impetus for the whole album.

Similarly, the inspiration for Urlagarne is centered around a specific fundamental concept. For Urlagarne this concept is fate or destiny. The word Urlagarne means original law and is the ancestor of the word örlög. This original law is the Wyrd determined by the three Norns of the Teutonic mythos. The concept of a pre-determined destiny is an archetype of the human unconscious. It is an idea that appears again and again in our mythology and has been an important theme throughout western history. Carl Jung, with his Synchronicity, has expounded upon the phenomenon: synchronicity is the experience of the perception of the divine meaning of original law available only to those who are sensitive to it.

The music of Urlagarne is, as one would expect, similar to Kali in many ways. It is hypnotic, minimal, and emotionally charged. Like Kali, there are melodies and counter melodies interacting in soprano guitars and the arrangements are based on rhythmic variation. The composition also consists of three metal tracks with interludes in between, the same arrangement as Kali. These similarities are not the result of a calculated effort on my part, but simply innate qualities of the compositions themselves. Again, Urlagarne also felt as if it were pre-existent, with all of the material ready and waiting to be channeled like the requisite storm of a lighting flash. Thus is the nature of these compositions.

Of course, Kali and Urlagarne are also different in significant ways. The most obvious is the production. While Kali has more of a razor sharp, icy guitar sound, Urlagarne is crunchier and thicker. The drums in Kali have a super heavy kick, while the drums in Urlagarne are more balanced. In addition to these differences, Urlagarne will occasionally become drenched in a layered, psychedelic wash that Kali never had. This gives Urlagarne a cloud of mist where Kali is naked. The interludes also bear a mark of differentiation; for Kali they are ambient, for Urlagarne they are folk.

With the arrival of Urlagarne, there is the continuation of a fluid, inspired form of musical expression. These works are unique amongst the Eldrig repertoire. They only appear during the times in which there is music that has to materialize and does so suddenly without the composer having had any foresight of the act. It is my hope that such unpredictable compositions continue to periodically grace the Eldrig catalogue bringing with them a sense of musical clarity in the midst of the more complicated works I am always immersed in. That, however, seems to rest in the hands of the Norns.