Disquiet Junto Project 0628: Alchemical Brothers
The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music.

Step 1: There are, we’re told, seven stages of alchemy, the ancient occult science concerned with the transformation of matter. The third of these stages is “Separation,” which is symbolized by the element of air. Since air is closely associated with the transmission of sound, Separation suggests itself as a stage of alchemy that might be explored through music. Read up a bit on alchemy.

Step 2: Produce a piece of alchemy-inspired music that explores the concepts of “transformation” and “separation” as you interpret them.

. . .

Deadline: This project’s deadline is the end of the day Monday, January 15, 2024, at 11:59pm (that is, just before midnight) wherever you are. It was posted on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

. . .

More on this 628th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Alchemical Brothers — The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music — at: https://disquiet.com/0628/

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0628-alchemical-brothers/

The image associated with this project is a detail from a 16th century alchemical text in the public domain.

Disquiet Junto Project 0628: Alchemical Brothers

More on this 628th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Alchemical Brothers — The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music — at: https://disquiet.com/0628/

In line with the third phase of the alchemical process ... all the sounds used to develop this piece come from breaking eggs ... see the accompanying video @ https://youtu.be/2SJWl-c4LOQ 

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0628-alchemical-brothers/

visuals (YouTube)

halF separatioN [disquiet0628]

In response to the prompt I did a quick search on alchemy and found George Ripley's description of "separation" from his Compound of Alchemy, 1471. I recorded myself reading portions of the text, which I then "separate" into random chunks and then layered and switched them around over a couple of tracks. Towards the end the tracks eventually merge together and become unified into a singular, comprehensible account. Beneath the spoken elements I created a drone using an Arp 2600, with some reverb and cosmic magic from my trusty Cosmos.

Disquiet0628

Fresh from the cauldron, I present a corrosive transmutation from silver to gold! You can even hear the ingredients crack, pop, and sizzle during the process.

What's the recipe? I used two takes from an old session (called Silver and Gold) with my beloved Cocoquantus (hence the crack, pop, and sizzle). A new plugin called Secta can split an audio file dynamically into different frequency ranges - it works nicely on some material but not on others. I managed to extract a low-frequency version ("copper"), some high mids ("tin"), and an envelope-gated version ("sulfur"), the latter. 

My initial idea was to phase-cancel the generated parts with the original track. That didn't work, as I was too stupid to apply the technique on a stereo track. So I faded out the original loop, built a transition with copper, lead, and sulfur, and ended with the gold track. 

Magic.  

* * * 
Disquiet Junto Project 0628: Alchemical Brothers The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music.

Step 1: There are, we’re told, seven stages of alchemy, the ancient occult science concerned with the transformation of matter. The third of these stages is “Separation,” which is symbolized by the element of air. Since air is closely associated with the transmission of sound, Separation suggests itself as a stage of alchemy that might be explored through music. Read up a bit on alchemy.

Step 2: Produce a piece of alchemy-inspired music that explores the concepts of “transformation” and “separation” as you interpret them.

(...)

More on this 628th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Alchemical Brothers — The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music — at: https://disquiet.com/0628/

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/ 1
Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/
Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0628-alchemical-brothers/

Trying To Find Gold In The High Mids [disquiet0628]

A response to Disquiet Junto 0628: Alchemical Brothers, in which we are asked to contemplate the alchemical process of separation, and its related element of air.

As with fire, water, and earth, the alchemical symbol for air is a triangle— in its case, pointing upward and bisected by a horizon line. This composition is made from triangles, expressed through tritones, rising thirds, triplets, and meter. My daughter called it "structural creativity".

NOTE: Some triangles require headphones to detect. You do not want to leave triangles undetected. Triangles are the most dangerous of shapes.

The vocals were created with AI-enhanced text-to-speech, with a script adapted from "The Visions of Zosimos".

Recorded and produced at NOSIGNAL Multimedia Labs, The Shambles, Chicago, IL USA.

About Disquiet Junto 0628: https://disquiet.com/2024/01/11/disquiet-junto-project-0628-alchemical-brothers/

Disquiet Junto

Aerial (disquiet0628)

A sequence of recorded sounds transmuted using occult practices.

More on this 628th weekly Disquiet Junto project, Alchemical Brothers — The Assignment: Explore an aspect of the ancient occult science using music — at: https://disquiet.com/0628/

About the Disquiet Junto: https://disquiet.com/junto/ 1

Subscribe to project announcements: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0628-alchemical-brothers/

The image associated with this project is a detail from a 16th century alchemical text in the public domain.

Occult Transmutation (disquiet0628)

Anatol Locker
Ambient | Electronica | Experimental
also plays in Lucid Grain, MOC and Spheric Lounge

Feel free to download everything here for personal use

Trying To Find Gold In The High Mids [disquiet0628]

analoc