Acousmatic Crossings: Cinema for the Ears—and An Epiphany of Spheres
Dear Metapsychonauts,
This week we bring you a special edition of our newsletter, which is longer than usual as we introduce not one but three significant new publications. If you want to cut to the chase and see what’s new, you can visit these links directly:
- Acousmatic Music as a Divine Map: Lost and Found in the Mundus Imaginalis
- An Epiphany of Spheres: The Paintings of Jane Hudson
- A Sonic Deluge of Transformation
But for those who appreciate the fuller context, read on!
An Epiphany of Spheres
In delightful synchronicity with our Acousmatic series, Jane Hudson’s paintings speak to us through a vocabulary of geometric forms and cosmic energies. As Hudson explains in “An Epiphany of Spheres,” her work integrates influences from early European Modernists like Hilma af Klint and Vasily Kandinsky with American Minimalists such as Ellsworth Kelly and Agnes Martin.
Hudson’s work explores the mystical dimensions of geometric forms, particularly what she calls “Orbs”—spherical figures that serve as surrogates for cosmic energies. During the pandemic, she created a complete series of paintings depicting the 22 characters of the Major Arcana from the Tarot, which deepened her spiritual practice and understanding of these archetypes.
“I have had what you might call an epiphany!” Hudson writes. “Once separate spheres began to sing together.” Her works vibrate with this sense of revelation, whether in her Tarot-influenced pieces, her “Room” series with their mysterious cauldrons and open ceilings, or her “Vortex” paintings inspired by W.B. Yeats’ “A Vision.”
We invite you to explore the full gallery of Hudson’s work and experience these luminous portals for yourself.
Introducing Acousmatic Crossings
Metapsychosis is about to embark on a long series of sonic explorations deep into the world of the Acousmatic. Starting on March 24th, we will begin a nearly two-year project of examining a genre of music that is about as niche as niche can be. Before I get into the details of what’s on the horizon, it’s probably a good idea to start with a simple definition of Acousmatic music and why I believe it’s a compelling art form.
Acousmatic music is simply the creative act of organizing sound into a coherent work of sonic art. You may be wondering (and rightly so), isn’t that a very general statement about any kind of music? Well, no, not really, not when it comes to the Acousmatic. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that, unlike music that is commonly heard in the concert hall, bars, on the radio, on streaming services, ad’s, TV, movies, etc., Acousmatic music is not beholden to any harmonic or rhythmic rule sets.
Sounds are recorded, (and these sounds can come from anywhere—nature, industry, human voice, animal life, insects, mushrooms, rocks, slime molds, clacking ping pong balls… yes, anywhere) then they may be transformed electronically (or not) and then…
what… is that it?
Almost, but here’s the important part. The recorded sounds are shaped into larger “sound objects” which can be connected like Lego blocks—forming elegant sonic structures that are both beautiful and sublime in their logic. For the engaged listener, skeins of thought begin to materialize. Figurative narratives arise from the void bequeathing mind stories. Abstract entities spawn from an electronic transformation of events in a reality that may or may not be corporeal. A myriad of potentialities opens up. All of the above coalesce into the uniquely singular imaginal reveries of you, the listener. Frances Dhomont, one of the premier creators in this field called it Cinéma pour l’oreille—Cinema for the Ears.
So, just in case the above isn’t enough, what’s the appeal? Here is where it gets interesting. You can say Acousmatic music is music for loudspeakers. The sound objects that make up the greater whole are sui generis, existing independently of their sources and detached from any recognizable origin. This veiling of causality allows the listener to experience the sound in its purest form, as an emergent phenomenon rather than a traceable event.
And herein lies what I consider the music’s spellbinding essence. The Acousmatic plays very well with the concept of the Imaginal. The Philosopher Henry Corbin talks about the Mundus Imaginalis or the Imaginal World and I took some baby steps into this concept and how it corresponds to Acousmatic music in my essay from last year. The short of it is this: this music not only allows but even incites the subject to imagine. Without any kind of visual or gestural distractions, the door is kicked wide open for the listener to bring into being their own personal Mundus Imaginalis!
Admittedly, I’ll say right now that this music may be rough going at first. You might call it noise, or you might consider it a highfalutin academic experiment that has no purpose whatsoever in bettering the human condition.
To those criticisms, I’d argue the following. Acousmatic music can disrupt dominant modes of perception and challenge ingrained and outdated hierarchies of meaning. In an era where media is highly visual, curated, and often politically charged, the Acousmatic provides an alternative space, one that resists direct representation and refuses to be easily categorized. By detaching sound from its source, it undermines preconceived notions about authorship, authority, and even identity, inviting a more decentralized and democratized form of engagement.
This also aligns with broader discussions on surveillance, mediation, and the politics of listening. Let’s face it, in today’s world, sound is weaponized—through propaganda, advertising, and algorithmic control. Acousmatic music fosters deep listening and critical awareness. It forces the listener to navigate ambiguity, to confront the unknown, and to develop an active relationship with sound rather than passively consuming it. In doing so, it cultivates a form of sonic agency, offering a counterpoint to the increasingly homogenized and commodified soundscapes of modern life.
So, if I were to ask something from you, the listener, it would be to simply hear these sounds without distractions (make friends with your headphones). Allow your imagination to be the image maker. Create your own reality, your own meaning, your own cinema for the ears.
I’ve had an intense relationship with this music for over 25 years, but as a listener only. I’m not a creator, just a seeker who uses sound as my primary medium for imaginal perception. About four years ago, I had this idea that Acousmatic music connects and corresponds very well with Henry Corbin’s notions of the imaginal within medieval Islamic mysticism.
So, I ran with this. Several of my write ups for the Avant Music News site experimented with this idea, and I decided to submit a longer-form essay to Metapsychosis. They were kind enough to publish it, and it even prompted one of the artists who we are featuring in this survey to submit a musical piece for consideration.
Based on this, editor-in-chief Marco V Morelli asked me for some ideas on how to feature it in the journal. That’s when I suggested doing a call for submissions.
When he asked if I would curate it, I wasn’t going to say no! It’s been a long-term project of mine to try and drag this music, regardless of how much kicking and screaming it does, out of its academic walled garden and into the public hearing space. I’m truly honored that Metapsychosis has given me this opportunity, and I’m forever thankful to the artists that have submitted works.
The creative artistry in all the pieces that we will be presenting is off the charts.
Finally, it’s my sincere hope that the suggestions (and they are ONLY suggestions) I’ve given on how to engage with, and enjoy these strange and wonderful sounds will in some small way beckon you to become a listener. If you have any questions or feedback, I’ll be watching the comments section of each published piece with eagle eyes and will gladly respond.
So, headphones on and roll the film. Here be dragons!
—Michael Eisenberg
With these two major features launching simultaneously, it feels like a particularly auspicious moment at Metapsychosis. The explorations of the Imaginal through both visual art and sound create fascinating resonances between Hudson’s spheres and orbs and the sonic objects of Acousmatic music.
As always, we welcome your comments and invite you to become a patron if you wish to support our creative mission. Starting this spring, senior editor Mary Thaler will offer a writing circle with the first session beginning April 14. This circle is open to Metapsychosis patrons, supporting members of Cosmos Cooperative, and to anyone who wishes to join for a one-time fee. With only 4 spots left in this intimate gathering, register soon to secure your place.
Thank you for reading and listening! Feel free to be in touch. And stay tuned for more from our Acousmatic Crossings series in the coming months. This landing page will be home for the entire series, so interested listeners may want to bookmark it for easy access to all future installments.
Stellar wishes,
Marco V Morelli
Editor-in-Chief, Metapsychosis journal
Co-Creator, Cosmos Co-op
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