Horse Lords - Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! - Japan CD

Credits:

Horse Lords

Description:

Intricately interwoven rhythms and repetitions guide the listener into a state of ecstatic elation. HorseLords’ latest release—a true culmination of their artistry. Repetitive rhythms, undulating ensembles, and meticulously crafted structures. All of these elements are organically intertwined in HorseLords’ new album, radiating both sharpness and intensity. Rich in experimentation yet never confined by obscurity, this powerful work possesses a driving force that draws the body in and a depth that makes you want to listen to it over and over again! HorseLords view their music not merely as an experiment or a presentation of structure, but as a “tool for shifting perspectives.” In their own words, it is “something that rotates ideas, allowing you to see, hear, and feel them from a different vantage point.” Alternatively, the expression attributed to Swami Satchidananda Saraswati—"To understand is to stand beneath the place where you already stand"—also aptly captures the essence of this work. In the opening track, "Eureka378-B," 19th-century Sacred Harp music is guided by the vocals of Guo and Saylor; as the melody blossoms outward, it establishes a tonal starting point for the tracks that follow. The short “Rotations” segments interspersed throughout the album are fragments extracted from other tracks, and it is said that transformation algorithms were even used on parts of the title track “Brain of the Firm” and “Second Galactic Utopia.” Through such recursive techniques, the tracks influence and interconnect with one another, blurring and expanding the very scale of the composition. The words used in the title also carry significant meaning. As the name *Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!* suggests, this work is deeply imbued with an aspiration toward transcendence and exaltation. If all art is political, then HorseLords’ art is optimistic and open to the community. Transformation and reinterpretation are not merely compositional methodologies; as evidenced by “ACityYetToCome,” the title track, and references to utopia, they also represent a philosophical stance for the band. As they themselves state, “We aim to create music that challenges the status quo and shows listeners the path to liberation.” There is a spiritual and ecstatic dimension to the exploration of sound and music, and they hold deep respect for the impact that power has on individuals and the world. At the same time, this work does not merely aspire to something beyond reality. “After the Last Sky” is a track inspired by the poet Mahmoud Darwish’s “The Earth Is Closing In on Us”; by referencing the reality of Palestine, it reexamines how their own utopian quest is built upon a foundation of safety and stability that remains out of reach for many. Though the work possesses multiple layers both sonically and conceptually, what cuts through its complexity is the undeniable power and humanity inherent in this music. It is rare to find a record that delivers a shock that grabs the listener by the collar, yet forms an entirely new image with every listen. Horse Lords’ latest release is precisely such an album.

Tracklisting:

1.Eureka 378-B
2.Brain of the Firm
3.Rotation I
4.Playing and Reality
5.Rotation II
6.First Galactic Utopia
7.Rotation III
8.Before the Law
9.After the Last Sky
10.A City Yet to Come
11.Second Galactic Utopia
12.Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!