Albion, how fine your trees...

It's supposedly a common phenomenon with Neofolk fans: To start out by having problems with Ian Read's voice, but end up loving it.

Listening to Mr. Read's vocals on some early Death in June and Sol Invictus songs (Mr. Read has been a member of both projects), Lord Bassington-Bassington had reservations about Mr. Read's voice. And when the old Hound tried to listen to Mr. Read's own project, Fire + Ice, the problems were amplified. Perhaps it was the unschooled character of Mr. Read's voice? the then-young Hound thought. Later, he has come to realize that it has more to do the influence of traditional English folk singers on Mr. Read’s singing style.

However, after letting Mr. Read's voice crawl under his hide, Lord Bassington-Bassington's opinion of his vocal abilities changed radically. Meeting the most gregarious Mr. Read in person might have had some influence, but even if Mr. Read is both a very interesting modern mystic, humourist and all-round great fellow, that probably has very little to do with how Lord Bassington-Bassington thinks of his voice. His Lordship can think of several people he would probably want to bite if he ever met them, but whose voices he still appreciates, so a singer’s personality doesn't really count either way.

These days, Fire + Ice is amongst Lord Bassington-Bassington's favourite Neofolk acts. So when His Lordship stumbled upon these videos from Mr. Read's performance in Halle last year, he felt the need to share them with The Chronicles’ readers.

In these live videos, Mr. Read is supported by Barditus, the main project of Uwe Nolte, best known as one half of Orplid (more about them in some later post). Barditus' more aggressive approach to music really shows in these recordings, and give the Fire & Ice songs an extra punch that works great on the stage.

This is especially true for "Gilded by the Sun". This Spenglerian lament is one of the finest Neofolk songs ever written, but was a bit overproduced (hey, the '80s were barely over) when it appeared on the album of the same name. So the more stripped-down, rawer, live version really becomes it.

Albion, how fine your trees stand gilded by the sun
Across the land and in your fields the tree-lined waters run
But in your heart what light is there, what grows and comes to flower?
Does mind grow cold, do weakened hands let slip their ancient power?



And here's "Dragons in the Sunset" from the same concert.



This post is also a way to remind people that excellent label Trumpets of Doom still has copies of its excellent and luxurious re-release of the Fire + Ice album Birdking.

Elegant machinery, elegant neckwear

While this blog will continue to focus on Lord Bassington-Bassington's favourite musical genres, such as Neofolk and Dark Ambient, a bit of Synthpop is always good for lifting the spirit. Especially when the synthetic pop is done with such style and flair as Sweden's Elegant Machinery.

Not only do Elegant Machinery make first-rate pop music, they also occasionally come up with something that's interesting to look at. The lads have tried their hand at halfway ludicrous fetish fashions in the past, but their latest video shows them donning timelessly stylish outfits.




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As a canine given to reflections about religion and morality, Lord Bassington-Bassington is pleased that Elegant Machinery take the time to teach today's youth some important moral lessons. The lesson, in this case, being this: If you get in trouble, be sure to wear interesting neckwear, for then young ladies will help you. People without interesting neckwear, however, get locked into toilets.

"Words of wisdom", to quote one of Elegant Machinery's song titles.

Gods behaving badly: Candid Cthulhu Camera, part II

It's happened again.

Lord Bassington-Bassington thought it was safe to bring Great Cthulhu along to Trondheim for a conference and lecture on Lovecraft the following evening. He knew that is ended in disaster and debauchery last time he let Cthulhu out of the house, but he figured the Old One wasn't too old to learn from his mistakes (and the grounding that followed).

This evidence, captured by Candid Cthulhu Camera, shows all the sordid details from this visit. We apologise for the dubious quality of some of the shots, but it's hard to think about focus and lighting when an ancient God of evil goes on the rampage.

Here we see Cthulhu eating fatty foods...



...drinking Polish vodka...



...and we'd prefer to not even comment on what we think is going on in this picture.



Luckily, Trondheim's comics maestro Mads Eriksen was able to calm Cthulhu down by reading him a suitably Lovecraftian goodnight story. Thank you, Mr. Eriksen! You saved the day yet again!



Great Cthulhu should now consider himself grounded – for good.

Clean living under difficult circumstances

While the richest countries of the world increasingly worships "casual" style and pre-torn jeans, the spirit of style appears in some strange places.

As a Caninist, Lord Bassington-Bassington has mixed feelings about the new breed of Christian missionaries coming from the Global South to re-Christianize the West. But sartorial missionaries from the Congo would be welcomed with open arms.

After looking at renowned documentary photographer Héctor Mediavillas online exhibition of pictures of Congolese dandies, the so-called sapeurs, His Lordship simply had to share these pictures with his readers.

Not only are Mr. Mediavillas' pictures superb, his subjects are stunning. These African dandies maintain the best parts of European style, but, like many Africans, they excel in the use of colours that don't really look good on paler skins. Not only is the result a feast for anyone interested in style, the pictures also say something about a struggle for beauty and a faith in civilization that seems lost in the West.

Some background for this intriguring phenomenon is provided by the following text:

The arrival of the French to the Congo, at the beginning of the 20th Century, brought along the myth of Parisian elegance among the Congolese youth working for the colonialists. Many considered the white man to be superior because of their technology, sophistication and elegance. In 1922, G.A. Matsoua was the first–ever Congolese to return from Paris fully clad as an authentic French gentleman, which caused great uproar and much admiration amongst his fellow countrymen. He was the first Grand Sapeur.

Respected and admired in their communities, today’s sapeurs see themselves as artists. Their refined manners and impeccable style in their attire bring a little glamour to their humble surroundings. Each one has his own repertoire of gestures that distinguishes him from the others. They are also after their own great dream: to travel to Paris and to return to Bacongo as lords of elegance.

Read the rest of the text, and see many more pictures, here.

Gone away

Lord Bassington-Bassington has gone to talk about H.P. Lovecraft at Forum Nidrosiae.

And to attend a conference about contemporary Satanism.

So in the meantime, here's a rather Devilish Basset.

See you later!

Meetings with remarkable libraries*

Sometimes life is like literature - like a weird tale, or magical realism.

"Are you interested in Sufism?" asked The World's Coolest Librarian, one of the humans that Lord Bassington-Bassington really admires.

His Lordship's ears started flailing as he excitedly nodded "yes", his love of Islamic mysticism being hard to conceal, so The Librarian continued his tale.

It seems that an uncle of The Librarian had been a Sufi, a follower of Hazrat Inayat Khan. The uncle had now passed on, and his library was too large for even the Librarian to take care of. Could Lord Bassington-Bassington perhaps help in giving some of these tomes a new home?

So a sleeting, snow-covered morning, Lord Bassington-Bassington and Lady Mju found themselves outside a large and very normal-looking house in a normal-looking Norwegian suburb. Which is very fitting, of course: Sufi masters are supposed to be found in the unlikeliest places. They then spent a few hours rummaging through a large, cold house with bookshelves bursting with numerous volumes of esoterica. The house itself was a treasure trove, filled with traces of a life spent in the pursuit of mystical wisdom and transformative love.

Lord Bassington-Bassington would like to pay his respects to this remarkable man by printing some notes on the ideal life from Inayat Khan's In an Eastern Rose Garden:

"When speaking on the subject of ideal life, the words of the Prophet of Islam may be quoted, where he says, 'Every soul has its own religion.' This means that every soul has a certain direction, which it has chosen, a goal to attain during life. This goal is a certain ideal, which depends on the soul's evolution."

- Inayat Khan

Lord Bassington-Bassington sincerely hopes that this particular man, upon leaving this earthly existence, felt that his own soul had attained its goal, and would like to lift a glass of ruby-colored port to his memory.

And speaking of In an Eastern Rose Garden, an excellent edition of this book is now a part of the library here at Bassington Manor. Along with a box or two of other Sufi wisdom, Christian mysticism and Runic lore. To mentions some of the more mainstream subjects.

While books are always a pleasure to know, they are but earthly possesions. What Lord Bassington-Bassington and Lady Mju are most thankful for was the privilege of experiencing this strange house. The Chronicles would therefore like to share some pictures from the visit with its readers.

(EDIT: And as it turns out, it's The World's Coolest Librarian's birthday today. Congratulations, Sir!)







(* Apologies to Mr. Gurdjieff for the title of this post).

A Wicker Man passes

As The Dodologist reminded us yesterday, Edward Woodward, star of The Wicker Man, possibly the film that most influenced Neofolk, has just passed away. If you have not seen this superb thriller, featuring one of Christopher Lee's finest performances, and have any interest at all in Neofolk, modern Paganism, or film, you need to do so. Just take care to get the 1973 original, and not to confuse it with the recent remake (which Lord Bassington-Bassington considers an act of sacrilege).

About two decades ago, the young Lord Bassington-Bassington saw this film while sitting on the couch of the superb people behind Cthulhu Records. He has loved the film ever since.



So what better way for a Neofolk-advocating blog to mark the passing of Mr. Woodward than to publish two Neofolk bands interpreting songs from The Wicker Man?

Here is Nature and Organisation's cover of "Willow's Song".



And here is Italy's The Green Man playing "Corn Rigs".



Rest in peace, Mr. Woodward.