Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Arcana V: Musicians on Music, Magic & Mysticism

New Anthology on Music, Magic & Mysticism 

Edited by John Zorn.


For centuries musicians have tapped into mysticism, magic and alchemy, embracing ritual, spell, incantation and prayer, and experimenting with esoteric approaches to harmony, pitch and vibration. In recent decades, avant-garde musicians have rediscovered these overlaps, as occultism has reinvented itself--through Buddhist and other Asian influences, Thelema and Chaos Magic--to accommodate cultural strains from psychedelica through Punk and Industrial music. 

This special edition of John Zorn's much acclaimed Arcana series focuses on the magical aspects of the act of making music. Neither historical overview nor musicological study, it illuminates the sympathies between music and the esoteric tradition with the help of today's finest experimental musicians and occultists. Among these are William Breeze, Gavin Bryars, Steve Coleman, Alvin Curran, Frank Denyer, Jeremy Folgel, Fred Frith, Sharon Gannon, Peter Garland, Milford Graves, Larkin Grimm, Tim Hodgkinson, Jerry Hunt, Eyvind Kang, Jessika Kenney, William Kiesel, Yusef Lateef, Frank London, Dary John Mizelle, Meredith Monk, Tisziji Munoz, Mark Nauseef, Pauline Oliveros, Genesis P-Orridge, Terry Riley, Adam Rudolph, Trey Spruance, David Toop, Greg Wall, Peter Lamborn Wilson and Z'ev.

Ouroboros Press publisher William Kiesel has an article in this integral book entitled 'Musings on the Hermetic Lyre'. Kiesel gave a recent interview on the Thelema Now podcast where he talks about the book.



Large Octavo. Sewn softcover volume.
459 pages with illustrations, 
notes and biographical information.
$40.00 postpaid [worldwide].

Ordering Instructions


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