Pagan Folk

I've come to enjoy folk music, in the form broadly categorized as neo-folk or apocalyptic folk. It's a very intruiging form of creative outlet evolved partially from european industrial music of the 1980's and 1990's.

While neo-folk artists such as David Tibet, who've I've briefly written about before, relies on incorporating a heterodox esoteric christianity in his music, other artists are more oriented towards paganism. Such is the case of Fire+Ice, who like most neo-folk artist seem to share a common denominator of portraying a sense of melancoly in their art.

Our lady of the Vanir a song to a godess, presumably Freya of norse paganism.The lyrics are poetic, melancholic yet hopeful in its praise of the natural world and the lady herself.

Véjopatis – Taskas (album)

This is another review written for VKRS that I choose to cross-post on this blog. This time of the mythical offering of Taskas. 

Cold tear records continues their strong form with a curious gem of melodic dubtechno by artist Véjopatis. An artist who just released the album Taskas.

Unlike the forms of dub-techno which goes into drone infused ambient territories, like with the excellent artist Mon0, here we get an artist who blend clear melodic structures mingling with some of the typical traits of the genré. What first struck me were the Lithuanian vocals, allegedly this being traditional folk singing which harmonizes perfectly with the musical world of Véjopatis.

I also enjoyed hearing some recurring themes in this work too, like the beginning track Apejo Saulite and its reprise Sauliute. It gives the album a thematic touch, making it more then the sum of its parts. Oft we have a bunch of tracks, hopefully great, but which seems like nothing linking them together. Not so this time.

As far as I have seen this is the début album of Véjopatis, which bodes well for this artist, and for us too, as we can hopefully look forward to more where this came from. While trying to learn more about the artist in question, I found out an interesting detail about the name Véjopatis, as it contains references to European mythology. A search for the name on Google generated a result in the book Indo-european myth and poetry, by author L.M West. In it, it is said that Véjopatis or Véjdievs were the name ascribed by Baltic pagans to their God of the wind.

We know from the world of music that inspiration drawn from myth can act as a powerful indigrient, and to find this in dub-techno is very promising. I can only hope that more artists let their own sonic experimentations mingle with myth and tradition. I enjoy the thought that the modern is combined with voices past sung. Especially when done in a honest and thoughtful way, such as it is with Taskas.

Véjopatis- Taskas

Ode to Anthony

One of my favourite singers and artists of all times might just be Antony Hegarty. Part of the group Antonty and the Johnsons. There is much to say about this man, his character and persona. Aside from stating the obvious, that his art is coloured by him being queer and sympathetic to transgendered ideas, he is quite the opposite of a simplistic character and artist.

That's probably what I like the most about him.

Perhaps he is mostly recognised by his seminal duet with 80's pop figure Boy George, but although You are my sister is a very beautiful portrayal of family love, the same album that saw that song also had songs about emotional abuse, all layered around deep anti-modernistic themes of spirituality. No wonder he attracted the attention of outsider art promoter and musician David Tibet, who released Anthonys first album through his own record label. This song below is not from that time though, but rather part of one of Hegarty's later albums, where he has matured into a artist of rare emotional impact.


The above video is very much open to interpretation. Not unlike his lyricism. To my eyes it's clearly about death. The time of tragedy and staunch opposition of the inevitable fact. The time where we see a complete absence of comfort. The words are mournful. What comes in the hereafter?

The second video I'd like to include in this very short blog-post is at least is a very strong combination of pagan and Christian imagery. It does however contain some nudity and the dance might be interpreted in a sexual way, which is enough to grant it a 18-year old recommendation by Youtube. If you ask me there is a whole lot of more destructive and violent videos out there that I'd rather not younger audiences see, which makes this danceful portrayal of nudity pale in comparison. I partially believe that the numbing pro-consumer culture is making us afraid the impact of art, the more mundane explanation though is that you can see a woman’s nipples (sort of).


To understand more about this man, one might want to read this interview in The Guardian from 2009. I like how he seems sincere and genuinely upset about what we are doing to the environment. Like we should all be. Judging by our inability to change our way of life into a more green and sustainable way of living, I believe that voices such as his are very much needed in the years to come.

Merry Christmas / Happy Solstice

Tomorrow day is Christmas Eve. The annual day of celebration. One day before Christmas day, which I have learned is the day Americans celebrate. Tomorrow is Julafton. Hence the popular saying: God Jul. Which in english would mean: Merry times of Yule. This is according to some referencing the pre-christian pagan way of life of northern Europe.

I am a firm believer that Christmas should not exclusively be about presents and gifts, at least not forcibly so. But I enjoy it if is done in the right spirit. It can bring us closer together, no matter what faith. Sweden is no different from other parts of Europe though in the sense that there is a lot of focus on shopping. Very much so. I don't particularly care for it.

Living in the northern hemisphere these are times which brings very little direct sunlight to us. We have been blessed with snow this year though, which makes the days much more joyful. It brightens the season and makes the long walks I enjoy taking enjoyable. Especially because I get to experience the snow in such a direct way. I had almost forgotten how lovely the sound is that it makes when trodden on by a pair of shoes. I do hope we get to keep it.

Even with the snow: were it not for electricity there would be only a few hours of sunlight for the moment being. Now many of us can take part in the luxury of doing what I do now, even write a blog-note in the middle of the night the day before Christmas eve.

This time of the year nearing the end of December is not only known as Christmas: but also as winter Solstice - the day when the axis of the earth is tilted so that we in the northern hemisphere have access to the least sun in the year. Both winter Solstice (vintersolståndet) and Christmas are two days of importance which coincide practically at the same time of the year.

Christ as Sol, found in necropolis under St. Peter's Mid-3rd century Grotte Vaticane, Rome.

Christmas signifies the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the messiah of the Christian religion. In some traditions both modern and antique Jesus is seen as corresponding to the sun. Which is found in the above image. Various strands of orthodox Christianity often downplay this connection, sometimes claiming that this leads to reducing Jesus to a pagan deity among other deities.

I don't care for theological fights of wits. Somewhere along those conflicts what should be important often is forgotten. The core message which the season is all about. Which according to Christianity would be summed up in the two basic tenets "Love the Lord your God" and "Love thy neighbor", according to Matthew 22:36-40.

I cherish synchronicity. The idea of seeing similarities and universal themes and connections in philosophy and religion. To me it allows me to open up my perspective to see the very open and dynamic process which our lives are a part of.

To some this time of the year signifies the birth of Jesus Christ, the benefactor of mankind. For others it is the time of the seasonal cycle which signifies the farthest point in which darkness will prevail under the current season. And the turning point in which the sun is slowly but steadily going to return into our lives. The birth of a new season. For some it is just a good time to spend with family and friends.

No matter which category you belong to, or if you would like to describe your view of the season in a totally different way: I am going to leave this blog post in the seasonal greeting which is often heard here in Sweden.

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

Which could be translated to:
merry Yule and a merry new years eve.