©2017 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). As always, Crafted Recordings is about stories. If you have a story you’d like to tell, get in touch, yeah?

Episode Notes

First off, apologies for the long delay between episodes. Producing this episode was a struggle on many levels; Heidegger readers will not be surprised. Thinking about Heidegger evokes numerous struggles, one of which is Heidegger’s relationship with fascism and anti-semitism. Despite this history, interest in Heidegger’s thought remains strong. To find out why, and to more closely examine Heidegger’s (probably quite short-lived) seduction by fascist ideology, we interviewed three Heidegger scholars (in order of their appearance in the episode): Jeremiah Conway, philosopher, teacher, and author of The Alchemy of Teaching; philosopher, teacher, and Gods & Radicals writer Kadmus Herschel; and Susanne Claxton, philosopher, teacher, and author of  Heidegger’s Gods: An Ecofeminist Perspective.

Music for this episode came from Gin Mill Julep and Lani Thompson. Gin Mill Julep, at the time of this recording several years ago, consisted of Greg Bjork on mandolin, Ann Murray on accordion, and Paul Mattor on upright bass. The song in this episode is called “Mettsa Kukkia,” which is a single live performance (no overdubs) recorded in an old church building alongside the Saco River in Maine, and was remixed and edited for this episode. Lani’s performance of “Song Of The Nesting Bird” is on the kantele, an 11-stringed Finnish instrument that reminds me of a dulcimer with an utterly enchanting sound. Other background drone sounds and percussion were also added throughout the episode.

Translations

In the episode, there are three excerpts of Heidegger himself speaking in German. I found the following translations for them, but since I do not speak German I cannot vouch for their accuracy. They seem coherent to me, and are consistent with my very cursory understanding of Heidegger’s thought:

0:17 – 0:30

“The relation of human beings to language is undergoing a transformation, the consequences of which we are not yet ready to face.”

23:55 – 24:38

“I would say that men – for example in communism – have a religion, because they believe in science. They believe unconditionally in modern science. And this unconditional belief in science, that means the confidence in the certainty of the results of science is a belief and is, in a certain way – something that exceeds the existence of a single person, and is therefore a religion. And I would say: no one is without a religion, and everyone is in a certain manner transcending themselves.”

36:07 – 37:09

“The decisive experience of my thinking and that means at the same time for western philosophy the meditation on the history of western philosophy has shown me, that in the past one question did never appear: the question of being. And this question is relevant because we determine, in western thinking, that man is in a relation to being and that he exists by corresponding to being.”

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©2017 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

A Love Song To Sacred Wild Water

This episode came together out of love and gratitude. Quite literally, the piano music by Zoe Knight comes directly from a love song, and provides the musical structure of this episode. In working with the elements, my favorite Water devotional practice is gathering my own drinking water at a spring near my home, where the cleanest, most refreshing water Iâ€ve ever tasted flows like love from the ground. I recorded the sounds of the spring (and a water blessing) on one of my recent trips, and itâ€s a perfect sonic backdrop for this episode.

The brilliant “Like A Dragon Newly Woken” poetry & performance narrative comes from Guests of the Earth, a performance group in the UK consisting of Nicolas Guy Williams, Peter Dillon, and Gods & Radicals writer Lorna Smithers. They were kind enough to send me an original sound recording of their performance by Terry Quinn.

The music in this episode is piano and vocalizations written & performed by Zoe Knight, with bass, guitar, drums, spring field recordings, production, and mixing by James Lindenschmidt. Sound recording ©2017 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

This episode is dedicated with love and gratitude to the Aquifers and Water Protectors across the planet.

Like A Dragon Newly Woken

Red River Rushing

by Nicolas Guy Williams

deep in the heart ran the rusting river red earth mother rushing //
under bridge leaping stone past old dripping wood bones //
carrying the water out to far ocean earth bearing shoulder touching the knowing //

cold as a whisper over grass leaping twilight ground keeping //
hard the rain’s weeping stand upon cloud drenched land moans //
deep in the heart ran the rusting river red earth mother rushing //

through city’s soul shivers drenched by the cleansing //
left handed path bouncing and bounding echo of rain on glass making tones //
carrying the water out to far ocean earth bearing shoulder touching the knowing //

the mud brown sliver shivering river bed broken and hushing //
ocean’s demand to break over land like ice creaking over glacial stones //
deep in the heart ran the rusting river red earth mother rushing //

through moist eye surface oh come hither dry wither cease thy shivering //
upon soaked sand ending dry land’s hold upon songs long forgotten by the wisdom of crones //
carrying the water out to far ocean earth bearing shoulder touching the knowing //

the feet of old mister dark coat floating memory of boating //
through hardship unplanned by death and the sound of ships and their bones //
deep in the heart ran the rusting river red earth mother rushing //
carrying the water out to far ocean earth bearing shoulder touching the knowing

Spirit of the Aquifer

by Lorna Smithers, voiced by Lorna and Peter

In eighteen eighty four
a monolithic feat of engineering
shifts the Ribble’s course:
no water to the springs.

From the hill’s abyssal deep
a rumbling of the bowels,
a vexed aquatic shriek:
no water to the wells.

Breached within the chasm
a dragon lies gasping
with a pain she cannot fathom:
no water to the springs.

Water table reft
her giving womb unswells,
surging through the clefts:
no water to the wells.

Unravelling inside
her serpent magic streams
to join the angry tides:
no water to the springs.

Culverted and banked
her serpent powers fail,
leaking dry and cracked:
no water to the wells.

The spinning dragon-girl
tumbles from her swing
and slips to the underworld:
no water to the springs.

Her spirit will not rise
through the dead and empty tunnels,
disconsolate we cry:
no water to the wells.

The hill, no longer healing
stands broken of its spell,
no water to the springs,
no water to the wells.

Four Wells

by Lorna Smithers, voiced by Peter and Nick

Four wells at Little Plumpton.
Four wells at Roseacre.
Four wells in the darkness
between drilling and decision.

Four wells of steel meets shale.
Four wells boring into the mind.
Four wells of screaming poison.
Four wells of deadly sands of time.

Four wells? A gaseous question
scorches ears of invisible skies.
Four wells? An uneasy whisper
from underworld gods.

Four wells to decide the future.
Four wells of choice. Four wells of trembling.
By word on four wells our land
will be saved or destroyed.

Drill Rig

by Nicolas Guy Williams, voiced by Nick and Lorna

it is like a metal horse
eating the earth
that drill
stood still
and chewing
through layers of my stone skin

it is like a robot mosquito
sucking the earthblood
that drill
stood still
and sucking
through the veins of my flesh

it is like a metal tick
consuming the lifeforce
that drill
stood still
and feeding
all bloated on the stuff of my soul

it can’t hear me screaming
it can’t hear me screaming
it can’t hear me shout
it can’t hear me shout
it can’t hear its poison
it can’t hear its poison
dissolving me out
to a gas not worth breathing
it’s burning
it’s burning
i’m screaming
i’m screaming
its waste is my doubt

Anti-fracking Soliloquy

by Nicolas Guy Williams, voiced by Peter

the time of winter’s love does come
upon the hearth and on the stone
it creeps in moss and through the trees
the portal of the dead to see
the whispering wind doth stretch its hand
to claim the passion of the land and thus
curl around lost summer’s leaves
to shake the branch the sun to breathe
and pierce the bones of all the folk
of forest fell of hill and mount
the love of ice the love of frost
whose cold caress creeps in the dark
around the house around the hill
the rivers rise the rain comes down
the sun grows pale the moon demands
that earth to cold doth turn its hand
but summer spirit seeks still its turn
the air may learn the air may learn
that by the hand of man and sun
the atmosphere alerts
as do the chemicals in the earth
and now they seek
oh yes they seek
to gather more unto the bleak
they seek to frack
the hypodermic toxic jack
and spill the winter’s love
but spring is strong inside our hearts
and the fight against fracking is our fire
as deep as our old sun
we start
in the love of winter
in the love of glistening mother earth
and from our heart we start

Proud of Preston

by Lorna Smithers

The voice of Belisama, goddess of the Ribble:

Proud of Preston heed my entry
Hear the call of ancient memories
Hearts purloined by Roman sentries
Like a river shining bright.

Proud of Preston born free traders
Made by commerce and hard labour
Merchants gilded artists favored
Like the Brigantes warred in tribes.

Mechanics shift the scene of battle
Raise the red brick smog industrial
Cording hearts like twisting material
On the wheels of the cotton lords.

Step the Chartists to the engines
Pull the plugs release the tension
The rioters face the sentries
Dye the river dark with blood.

Grey arise the business faceless
Fake fulfillment for the faithless
Mass the market for the tasteless
Selling life for capital.

High in the stone fortress
The sentries hold their rule
Beyond the mall and office
Do you hear a river call?

Proud of Preston I have carved you
In my sweeping spirit formed you
Through your veins floods dazzling water
My Setantii shining bright.

Will you hearken to my entry
Drown false dreams in ancient memories
Will the proud of Preston
Like a shining river rise?

The Activist Said

by Nicolas Guy Williams, voiced by Nick and Peter

is like a bush-break-bead-bone born from what the hurricane missed

this oh so nonchalant idea of distance
sun seared so cerebral tone that crone-corn in the drying field a fist ferocious free fall frozen in street moments

gaze grown atonements of a prize-praised eye

oh so diligent in polite society

here is the bombchord the cold ordered class called

what pierceth earth doth pierceth heart like broken glass like broken glass

do i have to ask which Herculean task this voice must break over the record of a snake sneered volatile habit of wrong thought

ain’t no money-honey in the poor in the poor

and whilst virgin forest is persecuted for gold
whilst industry doth chemical-rape our innocent earth
and whilst bankuponbank can take from folk both home and hearth for their false wealth
we will live in the fierce dawn like that first fire
draw line-carved dont’s across their most hearted won’t-stops
and be in our strong silence stoic grim
where thought and voice are force are force
and revelation is a choice a choice

and stand on stone with stone born mind
with eyes that set their worlds on fire

like a dragon newly woken

The first book published by Gods & Radicals was the very worthy Pagan Anarchism by C.S. Thompson. This episode features an interview with the author, discussing the context of his book.

“What I see as the crisis of the modern world is that we are trained, if not brainwashed, to see the world as being dead. Dead matter. Not infused with spirit. And so, because of this mentality which was shared by both the capitalist world and the authoritarian communist regimes… we have done so much damage to the environment that Earth won’t be able to sustain a complex civilization like ours for much longer if we don’t change course. So my argument is that we need to return to a conception of the world as being absolutely filled with spirit, an animistic conception of the world, which is the core idea of pagan religion.”
–C.S. Thompson,

There are several poems in the book, two of which, “To The Goddess Of The City” and “To The God Of The Wood”, were performed by Joie Grandbois for this episode. Music here is “Thieves Oil” by the fabulous Disemballerina.

Audio recording produced by James Lindenschmidt. ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

“We have what we’ve always had, which is each other. We have the ability to come together.”
— Shane Burley

“Pushing back against the atomization of the individual is the bedrock of … solidarity. Once we have that, it’s possible to really push back.”
— Ryan Smith

“A fertile and new American resistance is blossoming, and it needs a magical edge.”
— Dr. Bones

This episode has a lot of fun stuff in it. It begins with an automated recital of the 14 characteristics of fascism. Next, is an invocation by Kiarna Boyd, performed by Cassandra Boyd, “To Thems What Practice War Magic.”  After that is excerpts from a discussion on fascism with Shane Burley and Ryan Smith. Dr Bones also has an an inspiring sermon about the importance of the magical edge of resistance and linking up with people around you.

Music from this episode is “Inside The Forest,” from Eddy Dyer‘s new album, Love Is At The Heart Of This Thing, Right? This album was just released and I’m very excited about it, since I was involved as a producer, recordist, and mixer. It was a pleasure to work with Eddy, and this track had the perfect vibe for this episode. Drums by Charles Greenwood, piano by Zoe Knight. Vocals, synthesizers, and theremins by Eddy Dyer.

Kiarna Boyd is an author, a practicing Geomancer, and a System Administrator. More info: www.blessedandcursedalike.com.

Shane Burley is a journalist and filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon.  His work has been featured in places like ThinkProgress, In These Times, Waging Nonviolence, Labor Notes, Roar Magazine, and Make/Shift.  He has provided interviews and research on fascism and the far right to places like The Guardian and the Huffington Post, and is currently working on a book on neo-fascism for AK Press.  His work can be found at ShaneBurley.net and at Twitter at @shane_burley1.

Ryan Smith is a Heathen devoted to Odin living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the co-founder of Heathens United Against Racism, a founding member of Golden Gate Kindred, is active in the environmental justice and anti-police brutality movements, and recently completed his Masters in modern Middle East History and economics.

Dr. Bones, as always, can be found at The Conjure House, on Gods & Radicals, and on Disinfo.

Audio recording produced by James Lindenschmidt. ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

 

October 31st is a good day to tell tales of the dead. For this episode, I recorded Pete Witham & The Cozmik Zombies doing their song “Dancing With The Dead.” Thanks to Jon Wyman and the guys at The Halo for the recording space. Pete Witham wrote the song, sang it, and played lead guitar. Drew Wyman played upright bass. Steve Dunphy played acoustic guitar and sang backing vocals.

Spoken word contributions came from several of my favorite Gods & Radicals writers. In order of appearance, they are:

• “Clear The Way” by C.S. Thompson
• “Prayer for Nos Galan Gaeaf” by Lorna Smithers
• “Rattling At The Gates” by Sean Donahue
• “What They Do Not Tell You” by Rhyd Wildermuth
•  “Mirror“ by Yvonne Aburrow
• “I Have Seen Death, and She Plays Harmonica” by Dr. Bones
• “That’s What Old Houses Are Like Sometimes” by Alley Valkyrie
• “Things We Owe The Ghosts” by C.S. Thompson

The background sound on this podcast is a result of an accident with a campfire, a time machine, and a cave. It’s a long story.

Artwork in the image above is “Hornblower” by Danial Ryan. Used with permission.

What is remembered, lives. Hail the Dead!

Audio recording produced by James Lindenschmidt. ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

In this episode, I spoke with recording engineer, music producer, and practitioner of Thelemic magic Oz Fritz. Oz has an extensive credit list in recording, having worked with Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Tom Waits, Oysterhead, Primus, Hakim, Bey, and many, many others.

We spoke about creating space in magic & music, consciousness, brain change, quantum physics, and quite a bit about recording and mixing music and audio.

All the music heard in this episode was recorded & mixed by Oz, and performed by Bernie Worrell, used with permission. Songs include:

• Revelation in Black Light
  from Blacktronic Science
• X-Factor
  from Blacktronic Science
• In a Silent Way
  from Elevation (The Upper Air)
• Blood Secrets
  from Blacktronic Science
• Revelation in Black Light
  from Blacktronic Science

Audio recording produced by James Lindenschmidt. ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Never let it be said that one cannot glean political insight from astral projection. This podcast contains 4 astral encounters.

Music is “Seems Like” by Freakwitch; Matthew Shields lyrics & vocals; James Lindenschmidt music, guitars, & production; Yo Bassman acoustic bass guitar; Alfred Lund drums.

Audio recording produced by James Lindenschmidt. ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

“The Storming of the Bastille”, by Jean-Pierre Houël. Public Domain.

This episode was a treat. I was lucky enough to interview A Peoples’ Remembrancer, Peter Linebaugh, on Bastille Day. These comments are taken from that conversation. We spoke about a lot of things, including Bastille Day; the Green and Red struggles of May Day; prisons, plantations, & the factory as locations of struggle; coal miners; the lungs as part of the nature; rewilding the cities; welfare as referring to wellness; how the magical Will is a social creation and becomes more powerful when shared collectively; and revolt as a Peoples’ Magic.

The excitement, the joy, the emotions, and the will is collective when it becomes powerful, and then it produces events that are totally unthought of. Who could have possibly imagined that a wall 90 feet high, in parts 30 feet thick, surrounded by a moat deep enough to drown in, who would have thought that such an edifice which had remained for centuries could be brought down in the space of less than 24 hours. Thatâ€s what weâ€re celebrating on the 14th of July, 1789. This edifice of tyranny, this edifice of repression, this action of people who are rewilding it has provided inspiration for every urban revolution that has ever taken place, and it provides us inspiration now that the carceral archipelago, the huge military prison complex of the USA, can be brought down in a twinkling. These are the miracles of history, but itâ€s just as accurate to say these are peoples†magic.â€
–Peter Linebaugh

Several months ago, I had an opportunity to record Moore, Wild, & Lynch in a living room in Maine. The music in this episode, an instrumental called “The Jig,” is from that session, along with several ambient recordings of city people celebrating and the ocean.

Audio recording ©2016 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

“The son of a farmer holding seeds” by Jonathan McIntosh – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0.

After a much-longer-than-I’d-like break, we are finally back with another episode of the Crafted Recordings Podcast. This episode is an extended discussion of the Commons, with contributions from David Bollier, George Caffentzis, Massimo de Angelis, Peter Linebaugh, and Dr. Bones.

The music came from several sources. Thanks to The Droimlins — Eddy Dyer on guitar and Jimmy Otis on accordion — with their songs “Horse Hooves on the Steppes of Eurasia (765 AD)” and “Tenement Polka.” Also thanks to Eddy Dyer for his vocals and Ethan Winer for his bass on our punk-tinged cover of “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got” by Ral Donner. Above all, thanks to the birds in the forest for allowing me to record their conversations one morning.

For a detailed discussion on the content of this episode — both on what The Commons is and why I am using the term “magic” to describe it — is available on the writeup over at Gods & Radicals.

 

In general, I’m not a huge fan of allegory. But I loved Rhyd Wildermuth‘s The DisEnchanted Kingdom when he wrote it several months back. When he told me he wanted to do a reading of it for the podcast I was excited. And it came out even better than I hoped it would. This one is really fun to listen to.

In addition to Rhyd’s superlative narrative, we have commentary from Dr Bones of The Conjure House.

Music for this episode was provided by Dark Follies, taken from recordings I did with them a few years ago. Songs performed, in order of appearance, are called Jovano Jovanka, Uskadar, and Dobriden. Violin by Carson Lynch, accordion by Ann Murray, acoustic guitar by Larry Averill, percussion by Stephen Carpenter, Nikki Shields, Brent Nelson, and Joie Grandbois.

The background sounds you hear were recorded on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine, on a point overlooking Portland Harbor. If you listen closely, you will pick up one of the neighborhood cats who had something to say.

©2015 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

The weather here has been very unusual. The abundance of moisture isn’t, but it’s about 20 degrees warmer than average for December. There’s been a lot of rain and fog, and almost no snow or ice thus far. It reminds me of early spring weather, when the thaw is underway and mist lingers in the air. The sounds of moisture in this episode come from both this past week and last spring.

In previous episodes, all the background music was something I’d recorded or mixed, but for the first time here I am including music I had nothing to do with recording. Disemballerina’s music is excellent, and creates a lovely mood for this episode. They were kind enough to let me use their songs Black Angel Trumpet, Two Crows, That is the Head of One Who Toyed with My Honor, and Year of the Horse. These songs are available on their bandcamp page more or less as you hear in this podcast, with a few volume & EQ adjustments to fit the music in with the rest of the recordings in this episode.

Dr. Bones gives us another sermon this episode, on the fractured relationship between domesticated primates and the natural world around us.

Lastly, Kirsten Hale, the Crazy Herbalist, tells us the story of when she met rosemary. Turns out she’s one empowered bush.

Thanks to the rains of winter and spring, and especially to Disemballerina, Dr. Bones, and The Crazy Herbalist for being awesome.

©2015 Crafted Recordings. Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).