Moving Between Worlds
Dear Readers,
We try to frame our news in a message for our times and this always poses a challenge. For this week’s newsletter, I wanted to focus on the perception that we are living in a time where decisions we make matter, but I worried that the message might be viewed as too political. Not that politics are irrelevant here, but at Metapsychosis we like to situate our day-to-day lives within a broader, more cosmic focus. So I thought to focus on the idea of moving between worlds instead, which encompasses our daily decisions but also offers a perspective, even a panorama, beyond.
There is, however, no denying that we live in a crux time. While most of us may have believed we had little influence over history, today, that is, this year, this decade, the actions of individuals have the power to reshape the world. Our planet is creaking at the seams, and so acting responsibly towards the natural world has become a priority. Our social and political acts also have far-reaching consequences. We are on the cusp between eras, spaces, worlds and systems.
Being between, however, is not comfortable. In her essay, “The Backrooms: Navigating the Liminal and the Uncanny“, Brigid Burke explores this unsettled experience of the liminal, the between spaces. Likewise, David Kramer‘s poem “She Sails Our World” explores the dissonance between the real and the fantastic. “We feel her anger and go a little mad.”
We also adventure into a “Mystic Cartography: Mapping the Sonic Unseen“, another dive into the liminal space of Acousmatic Music. Composer mc.genderpresents us with “Scintillation”, a 16-minute journey through sonic architectures that touch on the spoken word in unexpected ways. This is a perfect example of how the non-verbal, or should we say the “near verbal”, can also induce change and transformation in our experience of the world.
For readers in Colorado, you are invited to attend a live music event at The Muse in Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 1st. Cosmos Co-op member Sheela Bringi and her Bird Clan Quintet will play South Asian spiritual jazz featuring Sheela’s hindustani-inspired vocals along with her rāga harp and bansuri flute. Get tickets here.
For those who would like to take part in more of the creative fun of Cosmos Co-op and the Metapsychosis community, on June 4, at 1 pm MDT (convert to your time zone), we’ll be hosting our first live session of listening and discussion in the Acousmatic Music series. This event series is for everyone who has enjoyed the Acousmatic Music series on Metapsychosis and wants to learn more and connect with practitioners of this unique music genre. Our June meeting will feature special guests Leonie Roessler and Paul Dolden.
Note: This is a free preview event open to all. (Future events will be limited to Metapsychosis Patrons, Cosmos Co-op members, and any composers who wish to join in.) Please register here to receive the connection info.
If you find any of our pieces on Metapsychosis moving or thought-provoking, please leave us a comment to keep the conversation going. Our contributors greatly appreciate the feedback.
Liminally yours,
Geoffreyjen Edwards
Senior Editor, Metapsychosis journal
@geoffreyjen.bsky.social
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