- Gothick
- Artist, poet, storyteller and musician Sean Woodward has a wealth of experience exploring the dark and mysterious aspects of being, and translating them into creative media that speak to the inner core of the receiver. I spoke with him on the tail of the release of "Convokation of Ra-Hoor-Khuit", a tricky, ambient, guitar-driven album with incredibly varied influences and a ritualistic feel. This was the third instalment of a trilogy based on Aleister Crowley’s "Liber Legis", a work that has fascinated Sean for a number of years, and has clearly proved to be a fruitful and deep source of inspiration.
- Hierophant Nox: Hail Sean, how are you doing?
- Sean: I'm great
thanks and its good to talk with you today!
Hierophant Nox: We've come together primarily to discuss the release of your album "Convokation of Ra-Hoor-Khuit", which occurred at the winter solstice. How do you feel about this album now that it is out in the public domain? Was there anything you wanted to do differently? And how have the responses been from those who have heard it?
Sean: Well the self-imposed winter solstice deadline provided some potent focus - the majority of the album was recorded in just over a week! Subsequently there are a couple of things I'm tempted to change – "Convokation" has the most number of tracks and there are a couple that don't quite fully match the expectation I had of them. Responses have been very positive. One listener recently wrote "Absolutely kick ass musick! Thank you for the free download. You are very kind!" The subject matter and style are quite niche so it’s encouraging to get these kind of responses.
Hierophant Nox: Your style is eclectic and self-defined; how would you describe your musical approach? What have been your major influences? A number of commentators mention Coil when discussing your material- is this a fair comparison?
Sean: My approach has always been to start with music that seems to work and build upon that. As you say, my influences are eclectic. Key influences would be guitarists like Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi but also people like John Martyn and Bob Dylan. Add to that a mix of 80s Goth - I'm thinking The Mission, Fields of the Nephilim and The Cult and you can see some of the different strands. I always find Coil an interesting comparison. When Johnn Balance of Coil died I was able obtain a book from his personal library. It was almost totemic in the way it got me looking into Coil, whom I had never previously heard of. Their album "Ape of Naples" went onto constant rotation in the car for about 3 months! This trail led me to Throbbing Gristle and Genesis P-Orridge/Psychic TV who I recently saw in Brooklyn.
Hierophant Nox: How does the writing process work with you? Do you gather ideas over time, or work intensely in bursts? Are you primarily a guitar player, or do you put songs together in a different way?
Sean: The guitar has always been my first love although as a poet I find the lyrics to be the starting point of many songs. Sometimes the words can be sitting around for a long time waiting for their moment - as in the case of the song "Ov Thee" which is coming out on the Russian new folk label Lomeanor in spring 2009. Creating everything myself - playing guitar, bass, drums, Kaoss pads, midi instruments and vocals means you also become something of a sound engineer as well as composer/performer! So really it's a mixture - I do have intense bursts but then there are other times when I'll be building drum structures or looking for the right sounds. This has recently become addictive with the addition to the studio of a Korg Kaoss Pad!
Sean: Yes, definitely a trilogy. It is an exploration of Crowley's Liber Legis with each album relating to each of the three chapters.
Hierophant Nox: What was it about this particular Crowley output that grabs your attention? You have been investigating this work for many years- what are the goals your research, or what questions do you approach it with? How has your understanding of the book developed over the years?
Sean: "The Book of the Law" encapsulates the tenets of the philosophy of Thelema. It was dictated to Crowley by an entity called Aiwass in1904 as a result of workings he had done to contact his higher self or Holy Guardian Angel. This magical link gave the work an authority above and beyond Crowley's own numerous works of exegesis on Magick and pointed the way to a spiritual path more in keeping with today's modern aspirants. There is a tradition that very negative energies are unleashed whenever the book is published so I was a little wary (and I did experience some of it) but I wanted to create something to complement a small book which has been a personal inspiration for over thirty years.
Hierophant Nox: Are you a Thelemite yourself, or an interested outsider? Does "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" correspond with your own personal and artistic philosophy?
Sean: More than an interested outsider but not willing to be labeled so easily! I have a strong Thelemic core which is in harmony with the principles of following one's Will, of the notion that "every man and woman is a star" and the practice of Magick but I have also studied Tibetan Buddhism, Chaos Magick, Sufi and Wiccan philosophies. The ascendance of each tends to fluctuate over time as does my choice of artistic output - be it music, writing or art.
Hierophant Nox: Crowley is one of these interestingly multi-faceted characters, about whom there are many contentions and mysteries (many self-perpetuated). What view do you take of him and his claims and studies? Clearly something about his work has resonated seriously with you, so what is it that causes you to believe in him?
Sean: Well, here was someone who inherited a vast fortune at an early age and was prepared to spend it in the pursuit of Magick. He self published sumptuous first editions of his works and travelled the world seeking answers to the mysteries his Plymouth Brethren upbringing could not give him. Certainly he was never in need of a publicist, but then he believed he had a duty to illuminate or wake up others from the sleep of the mundane- and in his day his shock tactics were very effective! Having followed his trail throughout the Middle and Far East as well as North and South America it’s easy to still see some of the mysteries he would have encountered and understand how he was able to combine them with studies of Tantra and Kabbalah.
Hierophant Nox: Reverting to the release; the album is available freely on the internet- what made you take this route? Was it due to beliefs about art, or did you seek a commercial label but just get the stage where you wanted it released in any way?
Sean: It has a lot to do with artistic freedom and giving something to the community. I was also inspired by Trent Reznor's release of Ghosts by Nine Inch Nails.
Sean: Once I had decided that I wasn't going to release any of these albums on my own label I started looking for labels which would have a synergy with the work. Bernhard at Bleak was very patient as it ended up taking a few months longer than I had anticipated to get started!
Hierophant Nox: You are an artist in many mediums- does your other work feed into and overlap with your music?
Sean: Absolutely! Creating music has become the ultimate synthesis. As a poet, the lyric writing comes instinctively and as an artist I'm able to design the packaging of the music. Some of the themes by their size are more suited to short stories so its rewarding to be able to use whatever medium best suits a project.
Hierophant Nox: What made music the medium of choice for exploring the "Liber Legis"?
Sean: Well, the words of the text are all there already! I wanted to explore some of the themes in different, atmospheric ways and expressed in different words. There's an instrumental track on the first album called Aleister's Amazing Bookcase which comes from the fact that he used to take his core library of Magick books everywhere - even when climbing mountains in the Himalayas! With "Convokation Ov Ra-Hoor-Khuit" there is a major theme of war and the destruction of the old ways of thought. I wanted to reflect this in the much more guitar-orientated and heavier nature of the songs.
Hierophant Nox: Even the most pragmatic of artists finds something a little special about creation; I know a very down-to-earth gentleman who gave himself the spooks recording in the dark the other night, and who believes this has translated into his music. Do you find there to be a ritual or mystic value in the writing, recording or performance of music?
Sean: In many ways it’s like writing poetry. There is mystery afoot. Sometimes you can spend hours trying to find the moment where the Muse can enter and other times she just flings open the door and you have three songs finished! There is also the atavistic element to it. There are times when the groove becomes all consuming and you are locked into this other place. At those times it is very ritualistic, very shamanistic. When you look at the history of music it’s also obvious that there is something in these combinations of vibrations that humans find at times elevating.
Hierophant Nox: Are you currently working on any other projects, musical, artistic or poetic? Do you tend to be constantly active with different creations?
Sean: Yes - I have a number of songs for compilations and am contributing short stories to Estronomicon magazine. I find creativity to be wrapped around my very being, it’s just something you have to do. It's always been a desire to wake others to the beauty and mystery in the world and so it's easy to emphasise with characters like Crowley!
Hierophant Nox: What are your plans for Gothick? Are there any objectives you have set yourself which you would like to meet in 2009?
Sean: I'm planning a physical release of the trilogy with extra material on my own label, Zos House and the album "The Machine Ov Illumination" which was stalled by this work. I'm also planning to work with a number of other musicians including Steve Rogers and George from Kristus Kut.
Hierophant Nox: Many thanks for finding the time to talk with us, Sean; if there are any further messages you would like to spread to the world, please go ahead:
Sean: Thanks, It's been fun. Just the usual plug for www.gothick.co.uk where you can pre-order the trilogy and my blog at www.seanwoodward.com !
