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Subtitled "Electronic Musical
Impressions of the Occult", this album by Ataraxia (meaning: "A spiritual balance, the synonim
of a state of perfection that is not possible to be reached by human
beings entirely, Ataraxia becomes a state of tension and we try to open
our minds to be receptive and perceptive towards the occurings of life.")
was an idea to designing music to accompany meditations to the mantra
of the listeners choice. This concept became the album The Unexplained.
It was the Moog-wizard Mort
Garson himself, who followed up his Black Mass album from 1971 with this
strange opus. But Garson changed his pseudonym from "Lucifer" to "Ataraxia",
and this, his second (and last) occult-themed instrumental Moog-album, was released
by RCA in 1975. The result was another great piece of Moog-music much in style with his previous album, mainly less sinister but more melodious, and it also had better and more complex drumbeats. Each title was named after an occult phenomenon or theme, and this time the titles seemed to suggest that the lighter side of occultism was in focus. Even the cover featuring a mystic but calm "aura" face was very fitting to the album's contense. |
| The enigmatic Mort Garson
touched down on only a handful of records, but they where varied and
splendid wonders. In his specialty, occult Moog, Garson's work is unrivalled;
Ruth White was the only other to make more than one occult-Moog LP (although
those where not as occult as their rumours said). Unfortunately, most of
Mort Garson's greatest records came late in his career; the liners yield
little if any insight into the man behind the music. After this album Garson
left occult-themed music behind, recorded one more album; Plantasia
in 1976 (an album with the goal of helping plants
grow with the aid of the soundtrack music!) and then seemed
to just vanish out of the public eye... Apperently
now living in San Francisco and still composing, he declines to be interviewed,
preserving some of the mysterious aura that has surrounded his albums since
their release. Mort Garson, a really strange but amazing composer
and conducter, ranks as one of the real geniuses of 20th century music. |
| Tracks: 1. Tarot (4.16) 2. Sorcerer (3.48) 3. Deja Vu (3.18) 4. Astral Projection (5.08) 5. Sceance (4.14) 6. I Ching (3.50) 7. Cabala (3.26) 8. The Unexplained (3.05) 9. Wind Dance (3.20) (Instrumental album, no lyrics.) |
Line-up:
Mort Garson - Composer and conducter --- |
| Release info: Released by RCA 1975 - Ataraxia - The Unexplained (LP) (Victor APL1-1217) |
Note: I am well aware of the fact that this record ain't "rock", but
since it's from the very
exprimental music-era of the early 70's and occult themed, I feel it must
be mentioned here.
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