#Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery

[rastronomicals]

3:35 PM EST December 6, 2024:

The Comet Is Coming - “The Universe Wakes Up” From the album   Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery (March 15, 2019)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: Impulse!

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[beatsforbrothels]

The Comet Is Coming - Super Zodiac

[musicandotherdelights]

Daily Listening, Day #1,041 - November 6th, 2022

Album: Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery (Impulse!, 2019)

Artist: The Comet Is Coming

Genre: Jazz Fusion, Nu Jazz

Track Listing: 

"Because The End Is Really The Beginning"

"Birth Of Creation"

"Summon The Fire"

"Blood Of The Past"

"Super Zodiac"

"Astral Flying"

"Timewave Zero"

"Unity"

"The Universe Wakes Up"

Favorite Song: "Blood Of The Past"

[fordphilipsfictionlibrary]

Tome Tester; Part 02

This had left Sherwin in a bit of a quandary. He had already abandoned his home, had no way of increasing his innate magical ability and had no intention of relegating himself to the life of a peasant. Refusing to despair, Sherwin had gone to one of the Commonwealth’s many job procurement temples and spoken to an administrator there. He had explained his predicament, what it was he wanted to avoid doing and his aspirations to rise above his born station. The administrator, a sunny-faced woman with hair the color of moonbeams, had listened to him intently before entering a deep trance. Everyone knew it was easier to think this way, Sherwin included, so he’d sat patiently while the woman tried to find him an answer to his employment dilemma in the ether. 

Eventually she’d come back to herself, looked at him, and said, “How afraid of death are you?”

“It is an inevitability,” he had responded. “Though I can’t say I’m in a rush to meet it.”

“But you hold no irrational fears in relation to the ceasing of your own lifeforce,” she’d said, as if rewording her query might help Sherwin answer more directly.

“No,” he’d responded. “I suppose I don’t.”

“And you have a magical ability above level one, which is good, for this anyway,” she’d said. Reaching into her desk, she had produced a book, heavy and ancient looking, and slapped it on her desk. “What is your familiarity with magical objects?” she’d asked. 

Sherwin had been forced to admit he had none. Luckily this had not barred him from continuing the conversation, just earned him an informative lecture. The gist of it was, that any object could be imbued with magical power, it just took a magic user powerful and skilled enough to do so. These objects, once imbued, were classified into loose groups like relics, artifacts, power stones and the like. Then there were the magic books, the grimoires, spellbooks, necrotics, hex encyclopedias and so on. All of these objects contained a magic of their own and all of them could be used by even the weakest magic users. All it took was activation.

All of this had been beside the point however. Sherwin understood activation, everyone older than five did, it was a part of day-to-day life in the Commonwealth. What came next had surprised him though. The woman had gone on to tell him about tomes. Tomes were magical objects that looked like books, even doubled as them in many cases, but that were, at their core, not books at all. These tomes were mysterious objects, many from the ages lost to time, and the magic within them could range from novel to catastrophic. This made them extremely dangerous and highly prized by those that ran the Commonwealth and its many magical institutions. 

When the woman had explained all of this, she had asked Sherwin to activate the tome on her desk. Trusting that the woman had not placed a dangerous object on the desk between them, Sherwin had reached out with his own meager trickle of magic, no harder than reaching out with one of his fingers, and activated the tome on the desk. It was a simple matter of letting his magic enter the dusty old book and then letting it come into contact with the tome’s core; its own well of magic. When he’d done this, the tome had swung open, lying flat on the desk between himself and the woman. Almost instantly, a rose, wild and thorned, had begun to grow from the spine of the tome. The woman had watched it climb out of the tome until it was maybe four feet tall.

“That will be enough,” she’d said as she’d plucked the rose free. Inspecting it, she’d asked, “That was not difficult for you?” 

“No,” he’d said.

“You understand that for most tomes, there is no way to know what they do without testing them, yes?” she’d asked him. That had been his first inkling of where their conversation had been headed. 

“I understand,” he’d said.

“And you understand that hundreds of new tomes are found by Commonwealth antiquarians daily and that most of those are shipped here to the capital?” she’d continued. 

“I was not,” Sherwin had admitted.

“Well it’s true,” she’d said, leaning back in her seat. “It has caused a considerable stockpile of yet to be tested tomes in the Commonwealth’s vaults. They don’t like this; too much knowledge kept out of their grasp.”

“So they need testers,” Sherwin had said. “I’m assuming it’s dangerous.”

“Very,” she’d nodded.

“Which means it pays well,” Sherwin had prodded.

“Of course,” she’d said. “And no contract. You work once a week, no more, and you can relinquish your position at any time, though there are bonuses for every concurrent year of employment and additional bonuses for every five year anniversary. You can become quite wealthy if your luck holds.”

“And how lucky do I need to be?” Sherwin had asked.

“It depends,” she’d said edgily. “Some men make their fortunes after a few years of service, use it as seed capital or invest it well, but others, well, others don’t make it very long at all. Either they see the worst happen to a comrade and get cold feet or else the anxiety of knowing each week might be your last drives them a bit mad.”

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever heard of happening to one of these testers?” Sherwin had asked.

“You name it, it’s probably happened,” she’d said. “I only brought it up because you seem determined to make yourself a fair bit of gold, fast. For a man of your magical aptitude and family history, this is your best bet.”

[sonmelier]

44. The Comet Is Coming | Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Angleterre | Impulse! | 44 minutes | 11 morceaux 

Il était difficile de faire aussi bien que sur le précédent album du groupe, l’incroyable Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (2019) mais le trio londonien n’en est finalement pas si loin que ça. On retrouve cette fusion jazz cosmique et propulsive inimitable, ce groove spatial sans équivalent. 

[repsaj094]

big thanks to The Comet is Coming for providing an ample soundtrack for this poem, specifically Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery

Hopefully more to come soon 👍

01:33 Fri, 28 July Ashtray on the Windowsill

In a waiting room of my own design a pre-planned limbo, an acceptable pause Blowing smoke onto the window just to watch it brush my face thinking of everything and nothing, doing both at the same time Why, O God, must I wait for things to come stuck thinking in a room that I have reason yet to leave talking to these people I will have to leave behind I wish to love, to feel, to sing To live my life as I’ve always dreamed And yet that life is yet to come

To pray without belief is an unsightly thing but if no one else shall hear my words no one else can see my shame

[heavenlymusickcorporation]

Albumtober Day 4: Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery

(Prompt: An album you were recommended by someone)

The Comet is Coming - Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (2019)

A couple years ago I was at a local basement show and ran into a guy I went to high school with. We started talking about music, and I mentioned that I was into progressive rock with synthesizers. He said, "Have you heard The Comet is Coming? You'd probably like them."

He was right.

I'm not sure entirely how to describe this music. Spiritual jazz? Fusion? Funk? Cosmic music? All of the above? Shabaka Hutchings plays relentless saxophone licks over Dan "Danalogue" Leavers' synthesizers and Max "Betamax" Hallett's drums. The music is at times chill and laid-back and at other times driving and energetic, occasionally almost reminiscent of early Kraftwerk. All of it is instrumental, except for the 4th track, "Blood of the Past", which features powerful spoken word by poet Kae Tempest.

Favorite tracks: "Blood of the Past", "Super Zodiac", "Timewave Zero"

[vinyl-artwork]

The Comet Is Coming ‎– Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery (2019) Cover Art by Nat Girsberger

Full Album is Here

[thesongoftheday]

‘Blood of the Past’ by The Comet Is Coming, from ‘Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery’

[sinceileftyoublog]

The Comet Is Coming Album Reviews: Trust in the Lifeforce of Deep Mystery/The Afterlife

(Impulse!)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Describing something as Alice Coltrane meets Blade Runner is usually worthy of all the eye rolls in the world. Despite the descriptor’s overuse in classifying London-based trio The Comet Is Coming, it’s not wrong. The trio of jazz saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings (who goes here by King Shabaka), keyboardist Dan Leavers (Danalogue), and drummer Max Hallett (Betamax) take influence from the aesthetic of space-themed music and movies, from the otherworldly Sun Ra to science fiction pulp. It’s cheesy, occasionally too on-the-nose, and utterly exciting all at once. Their two records released this year, Trust in the Lifeforce of Deep Mystery and The Afterlife, are meant to be companion pieces, the former a chaotic mix of jazz funk, the latter a collection of deep, dance-based synth tunes. Forget the big names who occasionally guest, like English spoken word artist Kate Tempest or poet Joshua Idehen: The Comet Is Coming works best when their themes and ideas are less literal, instead represented by the sublime weirdness of their instrumentation.

For the most part, Hutchings takes the lead, his saxophone guiding the dub-based “Super Zodiac”, free jazzy “Lifeforce Part I”, and arpeggio-laden, propulsive “Lifeforce Part II”. His work with The Comet Is Coming and horn-and-percussion quartet Sons of Kemet has positioned him at the forefront of the London jazz scene, his sound and playing style of half soul, half immersive circular breathing technicality, unmistakable. For every Colin Stetson-like singing into the saxophone, as on the zooming “Summon The Fire”, there are subdued woodwind moments, like the bass clarinet on the smooth “Birth Of Creation”, muted saxophone on the emotive “Unity”, and bass saxophone on the droning, warbling introductory “Because The End Is Really The Beginning”. 

Yet, that The Comet Is Coming, specifically, succeeds when Hutchings stays back is a testament to the other band members. A song like “Timewave Zero”, bolstered by drums and syncopated keys, builds up democratically like expertly composed techno. The Idehen-featuring Afterlife opener “All That Matters Is The Moments” features circling synthesizer lines and drum rolls that segue into a reggae beat; tempos change similarly seamlessly on the sparkling “The Softness of the Present”. “The Seven Planetary Heavens” is the track that quintessentially differentiates The Comet Is Coming from other Hutchings projects. Its clattering drum beat and jingling percussion complement staccato synths. The whole thing gets stuck in an appropriately trippy loop towards the end, as then drums and shimmering synthesizers are added on top. Each band member is in complete control of his parts and the whole, cementing the band as one that is and will continue to be essential listening.

Album review: 7.7/10

[rastronomicals]

11:57 PM EDT August 8, 2024:

The Comet Is Coming - “Birth of Creation” From the album   Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery (March 15, 2019)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: Impulse!

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[beatsforbrothels]

The Comet Is Coming - Timewave Zero

[dorkmanboy]

Now spinning: The Comet Is Coming - Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery

[defjux]

The Comet Is Coming - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery (2019)

[dustedmagazine]

The Comet Is Coming — Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery (Impulse!)

Charisma aside, one reason sax player Shabaka Hutchings attracts a lot of attention from non-jazz fans is his high concept groups: the South African jazz and folk inspired Shabaka and the Ancestors, the Afro-Caribbean cribbing Sons of Kemet (whose 2018 record Your Queen Is A Reptile was among the year’s best), and, strangest of all, the synth/percussion/reeds trio of The Comet is Coming, whose new record Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery, with its whiff of cosmic cheese and rave ready 4/4 stomp, is a strong contender for the jazz dilettante’s jazz record of the year (that’s a compliment).

Another reason for Hutching’s crossover appeal: he plays loud and he’s a rhythm guy. His aggressive, ostinato-heavy signature sound pairs the throaty intensity of free jazz with short, sticky phrases that nevertheless go down easily if you were raised on rock, hip-hop, or electronica. At his most distinctive, Hutchings isn’t playing so much as preaching, working himself into a fury until his message is distilled into monosyllabic cries, hollers, and exhortations. As such, the apocalyptic spoken word interlude by poet Kate Tempest on album highlight “The Blood of the Earth” works better than it has any right to, coming across as a verbal extension of Hutching’s playing. Hutching’s insistent, haranguing chants on “Summon the Fire” and “Super Zodiac” won’t win over heads who prefer the subtler pleasures of ceaseless melodic development to the grosser, repetitive, indulgences of pop, but subtle has nothing to do with it. Hutchings wants to be heard.  

Which isn’t to say he’s a one-trick prophet. Some of Trust’s best moments are its most meditative. In particular, the slow sunrise of “Because The End Is Really The Beginning,” the tense, burbling, John Gilmore channelling, “Birth of Creation,” and benediction “The Universe Wakes Up” showcase the lyrical side of Hutching’s playing and make room for hope, that most crucial part of every good eschatology.

Of course, there’s more to The Comet Is Coming than Hutchings. The gooey, polychromatic synths of Dan Leaver (credited as Danalogue) and breakbeat-channeling drums of Max Hallett (Betamax) could, by themselves, as they are on the opening of “Timewave Zero,” be released on Warp or Brainfeeder, and their playing, booming, psychedelic, as proudly populist as EDM, and almost totally swing-less, begs the impossible and pointless question of whether or not they’re playing jazz. Of course, that’s the wrong question and would probably be roundly dismissed by the band. Evolve or die: that’s the spiritual and musical message of The Comet Is Coming.  

Yes, the retro-astral millenarianism is a bit goofy, and yes, Hutchings and company sometimes coast on attitude and intensity, but Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery is invigorating and accessible, and a great place for the curious to get to know Hutchings, one of the UK’s finest working musicians. (It’s also a lot leaner than the other guy’s space-jazz crossover bid). Having recently attended one of their revival meetings concerts, I can testify that while The Comet may not wipe out tradition minded dinosaurs, it had a seismic impact on the psychonauts, stoners, loners, and open-eared weirdos who filled the basement.  

Isaac Olson