Commentary On "The 'Myth' of Bestia Centauri"

The essay posted immediately below, "The 'Myth' of Bestia Centauri", had its genesis in e-mail correspondence with one or two individuals who expressed interest in the project following the release of Ubbo-Sathla. The material dates from ca. 2002. I later expanded my ideas into a formal essay, which has since been taken, willy nilly, as a sort of "programmatic" statement for the project.


It now seems appropriate to re-publish the essay here. Of course, as anyone might expect, after a period of ten years, there is much that I would change if I were to write such a piece today. Because this is an archive of material related to Bestia Centauri, however, I shall let it stand unrevised, for others to make of it what they will. Is it a product of illumination, a visionary statement? Is it a load of pretentious bollocks? Is it an elaborate joke? Is it, in some measure, all three, simultaneously? Again, I leave this for the reader (and listener) to decide.

The "Myth" of Bestia Centauri

Bestia Centauri is Latin for "the Beast of Centaurus" (hereafter, "the Beast"), an old and obscure name for what is now called the constellation Lupus ("Wolf"), near Alpha Centauri. The common tradition holds that the beast in question is a prey of the Centaur. This interpretation is, of course, incorrect. It is a sort of Christian-like of sanitization of the real meaning of the actual tradition, which links the Beast and the Centaur with what the writer and visionary Arthur Machen called, in a famous tale of his, "The Great God Pan". This "god" is not some benign, "New Age" pagan nature spirit: It is the totality of all that is. Those few who perceive the Beast in rare moments usually go mad: The English word panic derives from the Ancients' understanding of this idea.

I locate the "physical" matter of the Beast in the aforementioned constellation. It lurks there, an indescribable force, in its lair of dark matter. Certain artists and poets have periodically been inspired, wittingly or not, by this force, and have described elements of it and its influence in pictorial, poetic, and fictional works. Certain of these artists include H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood, William Hope Hodgson, John Martin, and many others.

My aim is to understand and channel the Cthulhu-like emanations of the Beast consciously, as a sort of "priest", or Earthly avatar or representative. The Beast is akin to Lovecraft's fictional Cthulhu, in that it "calls" those who are receptive to its nature. (The figure of "Satan", by contrast, is a mere acolyte at the altar of the Beast, which is, in itself, far from such a human conception.) In fact, the Beast is utterly beyond any human conceptions; one can, at best, use figurative and poetic language to capture its attributes. At the same time, however, attunement to the Beast is a means of transferring to oneself acausal energy from the outer spheres, in order to increase chaos and "presence the darkness" on Earth. The diffusion of such energy is necessary to the transformation of an elect few (those who appear to be like other humans, but who are, in fact, demonic intelligences bearing the human form) into what Nietzsche referred to as the Superhuman, a new sort of race--or, ultimately--species!--altogether.

Of course, the Beast itself cares nothing for the humanoid species or any other: It merely emanates the energy that enables certain inhabitants of the cosmos to "raise the sail", if you like, and harness this energy in a sort of self-directed evolution. As is stated in the esoteric tradition of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, the majority of the human race are, despite appearances, mere unconscious automata. They exist only to provide "food for the moon"; that is, to provide energy off which other bodies in the cosmic economy may feed. For those who wish to escape the general law, such conscious, self-directed evolution offers the only hope. Invariably, this evolution takes the form of what the uninitiated would call monstrous, in the original sense of the Latin etymology for the term monster: a prodigy, something outside nature.

In sum, tapping into the "crawling chaos" of acausal energies, such as the Beast emanates, is the pathway to the Superhuman. This is why the music mediated through the inspiration of the Beast is so unhuman; in its small way, it spreads acausal energies that will affect those who hear it either positively or negatively. For those who resonate to primal myths of chaos, to Lovecraftian vortices, to visions of icy planets whose volcanoes weep tears of blood, to the secrets of dark matter, or to the interstices of interstellar chaos, the music of the Beast will infuse them with degrees of acausal energy. To those who are not attuned to these mysteries, however, the music will sound like mere noise, or will even cause or exacerbate physical illness. For example, in the one negative review that my music has received so far, the reviewer complained that the music was similar to the effects of a stomach virus from which he was suffering! This is wonderful; it is exactly the sort of effect that the music should have on such persons! This music is intended to be dynamic and, most of all, disorienting, like the strange angles of the architecture of R'lyeh.

One should also note that it is electricity that best bears this force, which is why electronic music, with its ability to replicate and create such strange sonorities and frequencies, is also the best means of propagating this form of acausal energy. As a concluding note, it is also worthwhile to mention that, if others wish merely to interpret the above as an allegorical or metaphorical evocation of Rudolph Otto's concept of the Numinous (Mysterium tremendum et fascinans; "a fearful and fascinating mystery"), then they are welcome to do so!

A Bestia Centauri Chronology

1999-2000:

The Bestia Centauri project begins. Initial works are composed using music hardware, and recorded in a professional recording studio. Although these efforts provide a worthwhile learning experience, the results do not meet the artist's standards, and therefore they have never seen release (nor shall they).

2000-2001

    •    Discovery of computer software tools for sound design and music composition. Initial experiments take place using Audio Mulch and ChaoSynth, in particular. The Virtual Waves program, which Bestia Centauri dubs "IRCAM Lite", offers tremendous inspiration, and serves as the primary source for Bestia Centauri's first proper composition, The Night Land, in mid-2001.


    •    The pieces entitled The Catacombs of Ptolemais, Ubbo-Sathla, Transition X, and The Measureless From Caverns Rise follow in quick succession. Some music material that was later to appear in the pieces Caligula and Teratogenesis is composed during this time, as well.


    •    Andrea Marutti of the Italian label Afe Records offers to release The Night Land on a compilation CD-R, to be entitled No Abiding Places. Though originally projected for release in late 2001 or early 2002, this compilation does not actually appear until mid-2006.

2002

    •    A steep software learning curve ensues. Considerable study and experimentation with music software. The Composers Desktop Project proves a particular revelation, and inspires the composition The Night Land II in January.


    •    C. Donovan founds the Somnambulant Corpse Recordings label, and offers to release a CD-R by Bestia Centauri. C. Donovan will also provide all of the artwork for this and future Bestia Centauri releases, with the exception of the Self-Immolation Rite "gates" artwork.


    •    Release of Ubbo-Sathla—EP CD-R (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, March 2002; SC002)


    •    Following the release of Ubbo-Sathla, there is another flurry of composition: Colours Out of Space, Nyarlathotep, The Antediluvian Earth, Ambulant Shadows, and Beneath Exsanguinated Suns all take shape during this time.


            (Bestia Centauri belatedly apologizes to its listeners for the clunky title of Beneath Exsanguinated Suns, which reflects far too much reading of the tales of Clark Ashton Smith at the time!).


    •    C. Donovan approaches several artists, including Bestia Centauri, and asks them to contribute to an H. P. Lovecraft-themed compilation on Somnambulant Corpse Recordings.


    •    Spring: Interview with the Swedish Web site/'zine Ortus Obscurum appears.


    •    Release of The Outsider: An Aural Channeling of H.P. Lovecraft—CD-R compilation by various artists (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, May 2002; SC004)


           Bestia Centauri tracks:


    1. Colours Out of Space
    2. Nyarlathotep


    •    The University of Toronto Electronic Music Studio requests a copy of Ubbo-Sathla for its music library.


     •    Afe Records offers to release Bestia Centauri's first full-length work, to be titled The Antediluvian Earth, the following year.

2003

    •    First half of the year: Composition begins on the most of the works that are eventually to appear on Bestia Centauri's final CD, Teratogenesis.


    •    Release of The Antediluvian Earth—CD-R (Afe Recordings, February 2003; AFE048LCD--limited to 150 copies)
    •   
            Bestia Centauri wryly notes that it takes several years for this limited edition of 150 copies to sell out completely.


    •    Mid-year: The Bestia Centauri Web site (now offline) is launched.


    •    In July, KUNM-FM, a National Public Radio station affiliated with the University of New Mexico, plays The Antediluvian Earth on its "Other Voices, Other Sounds" program alongside a piece by Steve Reich and computer music works from the CDCM/Centaur label.


    •    C. Donovan approaches several artists, including Bestia Centauri, and asks them to contribute to a themed compilation on the newly re-christened Somnambulant Records label. The concept is inspired by Suetonius's Twelve Caesars. Each artist will musically depict one of the twelve Roman Emperors of the House of Caesar. Bestia Centauri is asked to depict the Emperor Caligula (12-41 CE).


    •    In October, a representative of a so-called "Satanic" group  contacts Bestia Centauri and suggests that Bestia Centauri undertake a re-mix of a work of one of its members, called The Self Immolation Rite. Bestia Centauri counter-proposes an entirely new work based upon this concept (which will include a tacit critique of it, and which few will ever notice). Composition of the new Self Immolation Rite begins; the Teratogenesis material is put on hold, for the moment.

2004

    •    Composition of The Self Immolation Rite continues. C. Donovan plans to release it as the first glass-mastered, Red Book-standard CD on Somnambulant Records.


    •    Spring/Summer: Interview with the French 'zine Necrophonie appears.


    •    Release of XII Caesars: A Psychoacoustic Investigation of "The Twelve Caesars" As Immortalized by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus—CD-R compilation by various artists (Somnambulant Records, April 2004; Somnambulant SOM001)


           Bestia Centauri track:


              Caligula


    •    Release of The Self Immolation Rite—CD (Somnambulant Records, August 2004; SOMCD001--limited to 500 copies. "Gates" artwork by Von Sanngetall)

2005

    •    Mundane affairs, such as the completion of graduate school, job-searching, and geographic relocation occupy most of this year, and Bestia Centauri-related activities are minimal during this time.


    •    Spring: Interview with the German Web site Neo-Form appears.

2006

    •    Further work on the pieces to be included on the next Bestia Centauri CD, Teratogenesis, continues, as does the search for a label on which to release it. Justin of Cold Spring Records in the UK is among those who refuse it, in this case because it is not "ambient" music.


            Justin is also one of the few listeners who are perceptive enough to observe that Bestia Centauri's music is indeed not ambient music of any kind, "dark" or otherwise.


    •    April: Teratogenesis is completed.


    •    Release of No Abiding Places--CD-R compilation by various artists (Afe Records, April 2006; AFE030lcd--limited to 200 copies)


            Bestia Centauri tracks:


           1. The Night Land
           2. Transition X


    •    Andrea Marutti of Afe Recordings graciously consents to release Teratogenesis. He approaches Mauro Berchi of Eibon Records, also in Italy, who agrees jointly to release the CD with Afe.

2007

    •    Release of Teratogenesis—CD (Eibon Records/Afe Records, May 2007; BES073/AFE093CD)




                                                                            2008

• The Bestia Centauri project and experiment conclude.

BESTIA CENTAURI DISCOGRAPHY

Below is a complete discography of Bestia Centauri's works, in chronological order.

SOLO WORKS

1. Ubbo-Sathla—EP CD-R (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, March 2002; SC002)

   Tracks:

    i. The Catacombs of Ptolemais
    ii. Ubbo-Sathla
    iii. The Night Land II

2.  The Antediluvian Earth—CD-R (Afe Recordings, February 2003; AFE048LCD--limited to 150 copies)

     Tracks:

    i. The Antediluvian Earth
    ii. Ambulant Shadows
    iii. Beneath Exsanguinated Suns
    iv. The Measureless From Caverns Rise

3.  The Self Immolation Rite—CD (Somnambulant Records, August 2004; SOMCD001--limited to 500 copies. "Gates" artwork by Von Sanngetall)

     Tracks:

     i. (untitled)
     ii. (untitled)
     iii. (untitled)
     iv. (untitled)

4.  Teratogenesis—CD (Eibon Records/Afe Records, May 2007; BES073/AFE093CD)

     Tracks:

     i.  X
     ii. Teratogenesis
     iii. Spores
     iv. The Shaping of the Nucleus*
     v. Nebular Embryo
     vi. E Faucibus Draconis, E Profundis Barathri

    *(incorporating a revised version of the previously released piece "Nyarlathotep", from the Outsider compilation; see below)

Compilation Appearances:

1. The Outsider: An Aural Channeling of H.P. Lovecraft—CD-R compilation by various artists (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, May 2002; SC004)

           Bestia Centauri tracks:

             i. Colours Out of Space
             ii. Nyarlathotep

2. XII Caesars: A Psychoacoustic Investigation of "The Twelve Caesars" As Immortalized by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus—CD-R compilation by various artists (Somnambulant Records, April 2004; Somnambulant SOM001)

           Bestia Centauri track:

              i. Caligula

3. No Abiding Places--CD-R compilation by various artists (Afe Records, April 2006; AFE030lcd--limited to 200 copies)

            Bestia Centauri tracks:

               i. The Night Land
               ii. Transition X

Welcome To The Bestia Centauri Archive

Bestia Centauri is an electronic/electroacoustic music project that was active from 1999-2008. It has finished its mission, and no new music under that name will be forthcoming.

Note that this is not a proper Web log, as comments are not permitted. It is, instead, an irregularly updated archive of material related to Bestia Centauri. The primary aim is to preserve historical information about this project.

Content will be added haphazardly and at whim. The artist hopes that the material here will be of interest to those who followed Bestia Centauri during its years of activity.