#john-cage — Public Fediverse posts

#JohnCage #Projekt #Musik #Halberstadt #Harz #SachsenAnhalt #FediLZ
„Der nächste, also der 17. Klangwechsel der Aufführung ORGAN2/ASLSP, am 5.8.2026, ist in Sicht.“
https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/mdr-sachsen-anhalt-heute/klangwechsel-beim-john-cage-musikprojekt/mdr/Y3JpZDovL21kci5kZS9iZWl0cmFnL2Ntcy8xODQzZGQzZi02NWEzLTQ5YjAtYTg4My1iODM2NTU0Yjk2MjE

#JohnCage #Projekt #Musik #Halberstadt #Harz #SachsenAnhalt #FediLZ
„Der nächste, also der 17. Klangwechsel der Aufführung ORGAN2/ASLSP, am 5.8.2026, ist in Sicht.“
https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/mdr-sachsen-anhalt-heute/klangwechsel-beim-john-cage-musikprojekt/mdr/Y3JpZDovL21kci5kZS9iZWl0cmFnL2Ntcy8xODQzZGQzZi02NWEzLTQ5YjAtYTg4My1iODM2NTU0Yjk2MjE

“An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.”
J. Cage

For Cage, “experimental” does not simply mean “new” or “unconventional.” Rather, it refers to an action whose outcome is not known in advance. The work is not fully determined by the composer but remains open to chance, indeterminacy, environmental conditions, and attentive listening.

#johncage #ExperimentalMusic #music
#musictheory #musicasperimentale

“An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.”
J. Cage

For Cage, “experimental” does not simply mean “new” or “unconventional.” Rather, it refers to an action whose outcome is not known in advance. The work is not fully determined by the composer but remains open to chance, indeterminacy, environmental conditions, and attentive listening.

#johncage #ExperimentalMusic #music
#musictheory #musicasperimentale

“An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.”
J. Cage

For Cage, “experimental” does not simply mean “new” or “unconventional.” Rather, it refers to an action whose outcome is not known in advance. The work is not fully determined by the composer but remains open to chance, indeterminacy, environmental conditions, and attentive listening.

#johncage #ExperimentalMusic #music
#musictheory #musicasperimentale

“An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.”
J. Cage

For Cage, “experimental” does not simply mean “new” or “unconventional.” Rather, it refers to an action whose outcome is not known in advance. The work is not fully determined by the composer but remains open to chance, indeterminacy, environmental conditions, and attentive listening.

#johncage #ExperimentalMusic #music
#musictheory #musicasperimentale

“An experimental action is one the outcome of which is not foreseen.”
J. Cage

For Cage, “experimental” does not simply mean “new” or “unconventional.” Rather, it refers to an action whose outcome is not known in advance. The work is not fully determined by the composer but remains open to chance, indeterminacy, environmental conditions, and attentive listening.

#johncage #ExperimentalMusic #music
#musictheory #musicasperimentale

Whenever someone speaks notional, precisely, about how something should be done, listen to him, if you can, with the greatest interest, knowing that his speech describes a single line in a sphere of potentially unlimited activity, that each of the measures he gives you exists within a field wide open for exploration.
John Cage

#johncage #musictheory #ExperimentalMusic #philosophy

Whenever someone speaks notional, precisely, about how something should be done, listen to him, if you can, with the greatest interest, knowing that his speech describes a single line in a sphere of potentially unlimited activity, that each of the measures he gives you exists within a field wide open for exploration.
John Cage

#johncage #musictheory #ExperimentalMusic #philosophy

Whenever someone speaks notional, precisely, about how something should be done, listen to him, if you can, with the greatest interest, knowing that his speech describes a single line in a sphere of potentially unlimited activity, that each of the measures he gives you exists within a field wide open for exploration.
John Cage

#johncage #musictheory #ExperimentalMusic #philosophy

Whenever someone speaks notional, precisely, about how something should be done, listen to him, if you can, with the greatest interest, knowing that his speech describes a single line in a sphere of potentially unlimited activity, that each of the measures he gives you exists within a field wide open for exploration.
John Cage

#johncage #musictheory #ExperimentalMusic #philosophy

Whenever someone speaks notional, precisely, about how something should be done, listen to him, if you can, with the greatest interest, knowing that his speech describes a single line in a sphere of potentially unlimited activity, that each of the measures he gives you exists within a field wide open for exploration.
John Cage

#johncage #musictheory #ExperimentalMusic #philosophy

In this episode you'll learn

Why the brain prefers predictable music
How experimental music challenges expectation
The psychology behind musical discomfort
Why unfamiliar sounds often become enjoyable over time

#ExperimentalMusic
#MusicPsychology
#JohnCage

youtu.be/wmuZ3rnPoYY

Why Experimental Music Scares ...

Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,
Nowth Upon Nacht
John Cage
Chloé Vaught soprano
Javier Arrebola piano

https://youtu.be/33DOegQe7bQ

#NowPlaying #JohnCage

Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,
Nowth Upon Nacht
John Cage
Chloé Vaught soprano
Javier Arrebola piano

https://youtu.be/33DOegQe7bQ

#NowPlaying #JohnCage

Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,
Nowth Upon Nacht
John Cage
Chloé Vaught soprano
Javier Arrebola piano

https://youtu.be/33DOegQe7bQ

#NowPlaying #JohnCage

Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,
Nowth Upon Nacht
John Cage
Chloé Vaught soprano
Javier Arrebola piano

https://youtu.be/33DOegQe7bQ

#NowPlaying #JohnCage

Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs,
Nowth Upon Nacht
John Cage
Chloé Vaught soprano
Javier Arrebola piano

https://youtu.be/33DOegQe7bQ

#NowPlaying #JohnCage

Fragen! Fragen!

Es gibt eine schöne Geschichte über den Zen-Lehrer Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki.

Er nahm an einer Konferenz über Philosophie in Hawaii teil. Nach den Vorträgen des ersten Tages, als sich alle in der Vorhalle trafen, fragte einer der Philosophen Suzuki nach seiner Meinung über einen Vortrag. Suzuki antwortete: „Das war ein sehr guter Vortrag.“ – „Aber das Wichtigste im Zen ist das Leben.“ Am nächsten Tag gab es einen anderen Vortrag. Derselbe Philosoph fragte, wie er ihn fand. Er sagte wieder: „Er war sehr gut.“ – „Aber das Wichtigste im Zen ist der Tod.“ Der Philosoph war überrascht. Er sagte: „Wie kann ihre Antwort mal ´Leben` und mal `Tod` lauten?“ Suzuki sagte: „Im Zen gibt es zwischen beiden kaum Unterschiede.“

(Erzählt von John Cage)

Fragen! Fragen!

Es gibt eine schöne Geschichte über den Zen-Lehrer Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki.

Er nahm an einer Konferenz über Philosophie in Hawaii teil. Nach den Vorträgen des ersten Tages, als sich alle in der Vorhalle trafen, fragte einer der Philosophen Suzuki nach seiner Meinung über einen Vortrag. Suzuki antwortete: „Das war ein sehr guter Vortrag.“ – „Aber das Wichtigste im Zen ist das Leben.“ Am nächsten Tag gab es einen anderen Vortrag. Derselbe Philosoph fragte, wie er ihn fand. Er sagte wieder: „Er war sehr gut.“ – „Aber das Wichtigste im Zen ist der Tod.“ Der Philosoph war überrascht. Er sagte: „Wie kann ihre Antwort mal ´Leben` und mal `Tod` lauten?“ Suzuki sagte: „Im Zen gibt es zwischen beiden kaum Unterschiede.“

(Erzählt von John Cage)

John Cage playing chess with Teeny Duchamp in the back of a car in Bonn, 1982. Photo by Robert Masotti, taken from the liner notes to The Sessions (ECM New Series 1696).

#JohnCage #TeenyDuchamp #chess

John Cage playing chess with Teeny Duchamp in the back of a car in Bonn, 1982. Photo by Robert Masotti, taken from the liner notes to The Sessions (ECM New Series 1696).

#JohnCage #TeenyDuchamp #chess

John Cage playing chess with Teeny Duchamp in the back of a car in Bonn, 1982. Photo by Robert Masotti, taken from the liner notes to The Sessions (ECM New Series 1696).

#JohnCage #TeenyDuchamp #chess

John Cage playing chess with Teeny Duchamp in the back of a car in Bonn, 1982. Photo by Robert Masotti, taken from the liner notes to The Sessions (ECM New Series 1696).

#JohnCage #TeenyDuchamp #chess

John Cage playing chess with Teeny Duchamp in the back of a car in Bonn, 1982. Photo by Robert Masotti, taken from the liner notes to The Sessions (ECM New Series 1696).

#JohnCage #TeenyDuchamp #chess

gillo dorfles e l’ipertrofia di segni significanti / luigi di cicco. 2026

Verso la fine degli anni Settanta, Gillo Dorfles in più di un’occasione parla dell’esigenza di porre un arresto all’ipertrofia di segni significanti, della necessità di una pausa, di stabilire un intervallo al flusso ininterrotto di sollecitazioni sensoriali. In un articolo sul Corriere della Sera, nel giugno del 1977, scrive: “La nostalgia del vuoto […] ci incalza: se in tempi remoti l’orrore del vuoto spinse l’uomo a colmare di segni (di impronte) le pareti delle caverne, le superfici delle anfore, oggi l’orrore del pieno lo dovrebbe spingere a cercare delle ‘aree di parcheggio’ dove sostare nel vuoto, nell’assenza di segni, nell’asemanticità più assoluta”.

Gabriel Hibert, “pour – rien – c’est – dire” (2026)

E ancora: “Ricreare l’intervallo: la pausa, il momento vuoto in un mondo troppo pieno, troppo gremito, troppo affollato, dove l’eccesso di pienezza preclude la vista e la conoscenza dei singoli momenti, oggetti, eventi […] Malauguratamente solo pochissimi intendono questa necessità ‘fisiologica’ del vuoto e della pausa. La maggior parte degli uomini […] è ancora profondamente ancorata all’errore del pieno e non all’orrore dello stesso”.
Sempre nel 1977, in dicembre, dopo aver assistito all’esecuzione di Empty words di John Cage, Roberto Calasso sulle pagine di Panorama commenta: “una delle malattie più gravi di cui soffriamo è quella del Pieno: la malattia di chi vive in un continuo mentale occupato da un vorticare di parole smozzicate, di immagini stolidamente ricorrenti, di inutili e infondate certezze, di timori formulati in sentenze prima che emozioni. Tutto questo produce molti disastri – ma soprattutto uno, da cui discendono gli altri: la mancanza, l’incapacità di attenzione”.
Negli stessi mesi Dorfles parlava di “nostalgia del vuoto”, Calasso di “piacere del vuoto”.
Dorfles suggeriva due soluzioni, due vie di fuga: la pagina bianca, vuota, o la nascita di nuovi segni, “segni vergini”, del tutto privi di codice.

gillo dorfles e l’ipertrofia di segni significanti / luigi di cicco. 2026

Verso la fine degli anni Settanta, Gillo Dorfles in più di un’occasione parla dell’esigenza di porre un arresto all’ipertrofia di segni significanti, della necessità di una pausa, di stabilire un intervallo al flusso ininterrotto di sollecitazioni sensoriali. In un articolo sul Corriere della Sera, nel giugno del 1977, scrive: “La nostalgia del vuoto […] ci incalza: se in tempi remoti l’orrore del vuoto spinse l’uomo a colmare di segni (di impronte) le pareti delle caverne, le superfici delle anfore, oggi l’orrore del pieno lo dovrebbe spingere a cercare delle ‘aree di parcheggio’ dove sostare nel vuoto, nell’assenza di segni, nell’asemanticità più assoluta”. E ancora: “Ricreare l’intervallo: la pausa, il momento vuoto in un mondo troppo pieno, troppo gremito, troppo affollato, dove l’eccesso di pienezza preclude la vista e la conoscenza dei singoli momenti, oggetti, eventi […] Malauguratamente solo pochissimi intendono questa necessità ‘fisiologica’ del vuoto e della pausa. La maggior parte degli uomini […] è ancora profondamente ancorata all’errore del pieno e non all’orrore dello stesso”.
Sempre nel 1977, in dicembre, dopo aver assistito all’esecuzione di Empty words di John Cage, Roberto Calasso sulle pagine di Panorama commenta: “una delle malattie più gravi di cui soffriamo è quella del Pieno: la malattia di chi vive in un continuo mentale occupato da un vorticare di parole smozzicate, di immagini stolidamente ricorrenti, di inutili e infondate certezze, di timori formulati in sentenze prima che emozioni. Tutto questo produce molti disastri – ma soprattutto uno, da cui discendono gli altri: la mancanza, l’incapacità di attenzione”.
Negli stessi mesi Dorfles parlava di “nostalgia del vuoto”, Calasso di “piacere del vuoto”.
Dorfles suggeriva due soluzioni, due vie di fuga: la pagina bianca, vuota, o la nascita di nuovi segni, “segni vergini”, del tutto privi di codice.

https://www.europesays.com/ch/74710/ John M Armleder Reframes Centuries of Art History at MAH Geneva #ArtnetNews #ArtnetNewsPartner #CarteBlanche #EcartGroup #fluxus #Geneva #GenevanArtist #JohnCage #mah #MarcOlivierSabler #MuséeD'artEtD'histoire #PartnerContent #SwissArtist

https://www.europesays.com/ch/74686/ John M Armleder Reframes Centuries of Art History at MAH Geneva #ArtnetNews #ArtnetNewsPartner #CarteBlanche #EcartGroup #fluxus #Geneva #GenevanArtist #JohnCage #mah #MarcOlivierSabler #MuséeD'artEtD'histoire #PartnerContent #SwissArtist

I wish this article were more in-depth about the new staging, but it gives a bit of info on a new production of Cage's Apartment House 1776.

Wish I could get to Detroit to see this!

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5806321/apartment-house-1776-john-cage-opera

#JohnCage #Opera

I wish this article were more in-depth about the new staging, but it gives a bit of info on a new production of Cage's Apartment House 1776.

Wish I could get to Detroit to see this!

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5806321/apartment-house-1776-john-cage-opera

#JohnCage #Opera

I wish this article were more in-depth about the new staging, but it gives a bit of info on a new production of Cage's Apartment House 1776.

Wish I could get to Detroit to see this!

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5806321/apartment-house-1776-john-cage-opera

#JohnCage #Opera

I wish this article were more in-depth about the new staging, but it gives a bit of info on a new production of Cage's Apartment House 1776.

Wish I could get to Detroit to see this!

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5806321/apartment-house-1776-john-cage-opera

#JohnCage #Opera

I wish this article were more in-depth about the new staging, but it gives a bit of info on a new production of Cage's Apartment House 1776.

Wish I could get to Detroit to see this!

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5806321/apartment-house-1776-john-cage-opera

#JohnCage #Opera

https://www.europesays.com/uk/975655/ Escaping Aghartha – Lurkers of Languid Waters Review #15 #2026 #Ambient #BlackMetal #DoomMetal #Drone #DungeonSynth #Entertainment #EscapingAghartha #HypnoticDirgeRecords #JohnCage #LurkersOfLanguidWaters #May26 #music #noise #Review #Reviews #UK #UnitedKingdom

John Cage, 4'33''.

Joana Gama, piano, at the Rescaldo Festival, Lisbon, 18 February 2018.

https://youtu.be/IMRxkdQCsjE?si=Hful8xANZjnxCinn

#JohnCage #JoanaGama

John Cage, 4'33''.

Joana Gama, piano, at the Rescaldo Festival, Lisbon, 18 February 2018.

https://youtu.be/IMRxkdQCsjE?si=Hful8xANZjnxCinn

#JohnCage #JoanaGama

John Cage, 4'33''.

Joana Gama, piano, at the Rescaldo Festival, Lisbon, 18 February 2018.

https://youtu.be/IMRxkdQCsjE?si=Hful8xANZjnxCinn

#JohnCage #JoanaGama

John Cage, 4'33''.

Joana Gama, piano, at the Rescaldo Festival, Lisbon, 18 February 2018.

https://youtu.be/IMRxkdQCsjE?si=Hful8xANZjnxCinn

#JohnCage #JoanaGama

John Cage, 4'33''.

Joana Gama, piano, at the Rescaldo Festival, Lisbon, 18 February 2018.

https://youtu.be/IMRxkdQCsjE?si=Hful8xANZjnxCinn

#JohnCage #JoanaGama

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Bei »4′33″« von #JohnCage ist der Ort der Aufführung ja wichtiger, als die aufführenden Musiker.

Bei mir vor der Tür, uff de Gass ist das Stück zum Beispiel meist eher stressige Kacke, außer man steht halt auf Autowerkstatt-Lärm.

EDIT: Seh grad, es ist ca 12:20. Also eigentlich Mittagsruhe. EGAAAAL!

Bei »4′33″« von #JohnCage ist der Ort der Aufführung ja wichtiger, als die aufführenden Musiker.

Bei mir vor der Tür, uff de Gass ist das Stück zum Beispiel meist eher stressige Kacke, außer man steht halt auf Autowerkstatt-Lärm.

EDIT: Seh grad, es ist ca 12:20. Also eigentlich Mittagsruhe. EGAAAAL!

#JohnCage

#JohnCage

#JohnCage

#JohnCage

#JohnCage

JOHN CAGE / STEVE REICH / MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS / RALPH GRIERSON
Three Dances & Four Organs
1975 U.S. pressing

Early evening warped tomfoolery.

About to paint my study bookshelf, and wanted something weird and a little out there.

This fits the bill and then some.

A curated program featuring Reich’s landmark “Four Organs For Four Electric Organs & Maracas” piece, as well as John Cage’s three-part “Three Dances For Two Amplified Prepared Pianos”.

It is a #minimal , post-modern #classical mindfuck.
Definitely not something you’d listen to while driving in your car or cue up at a party. 😂

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #retro #vintage #art #music #abstract #artrock #weird #bizarre #fringe #stevereich #johncage

JOHN CAGE / STEVE REICH / MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS / RALPH GRIERSON
Three Dances & Four Organs
1975 U.S. pressing

Early evening warped tomfoolery.

About to paint my study bookshelf, and wanted something weird and a little out there.

This fits the bill and then some.

A curated program featuring Reich’s landmark “Four Organs For Four Electric Organs & Maracas” piece, as well as John Cage’s three-part “Three Dances For Two Amplified Prepared Pianos”.

It is a #minimal , post-modern #classical mindfuck.
Definitely not something you’d listen to while driving in your car or cue up at a party. 😂

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #retro #vintage #art #music #abstract #artrock #weird #bizarre #fringe #stevereich #johncage

JOHN CAGE / STEVE REICH / MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS / RALPH GRIERSON
Three Dances & Four Organs
1975 U.S. pressing

Early evening warped tomfoolery.

About to paint my study bookshelf, and wanted something weird and a little out there.

This fits the bill and then some.

A curated program featuring Reich’s landmark “Four Organs For Four Electric Organs & Maracas” piece, as well as John Cage’s three-part “Three Dances For Two Amplified Prepared Pianos”.

It is a #minimal , post-modern #classical mindfuck.
Definitely not something you’d listen to while driving in your car or cue up at a party. 😂

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #retro #vintage #art #music #abstract #artrock #weird #bizarre #fringe #stevereich #johncage

JOHN CAGE / STEVE REICH / MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS / RALPH GRIERSON
Three Dances & Four Organs
1975 U.S. pressing

Early evening warped tomfoolery.

About to paint my study bookshelf, and wanted something weird and a little out there.

This fits the bill and then some.

A curated program featuring Reich’s landmark “Four Organs For Four Electric Organs & Maracas” piece, as well as John Cage’s three-part “Three Dances For Two Amplified Prepared Pianos”.

It is a #minimal , post-modern #classical mindfuck.
Definitely not something you’d listen to while driving in your car or cue up at a party. 😂

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #retro #vintage #art #music #abstract #artrock #weird #bizarre #fringe #stevereich #johncage

JOHN CAGE / STEVE REICH / MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS / RALPH GRIERSON
Three Dances & Four Organs
1975 U.S. pressing

Early evening warped tomfoolery.

About to paint my study bookshelf, and wanted something weird and a little out there.

This fits the bill and then some.

A curated program featuring Reich’s landmark “Four Organs For Four Electric Organs & Maracas” piece, as well as John Cage’s three-part “Three Dances For Two Amplified Prepared Pianos”.

It is a #minimal , post-modern #classical mindfuck.
Definitely not something you’d listen to while driving in your car or cue up at a party. 😂

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #vinylcollection #retro #vintage #art #music #abstract #artrock #weird #bizarre #fringe #stevereich #johncage

#NowPlaying #ScottishMusic #ModeRecords #Improvisation

#TheWhistlebinkies perform #JohnCage's "Scottish Circus" (studio version, Glasgow 2007)

https://moderecords.bandcamp.com/album/scottish-circus-mode-352

#NowPlaying #ScottishMusic #ModeRecords #Improvisation

#TheWhistlebinkies perform #JohnCage's "Scottish Circus" (studio version, Glasgow 2007)

https://moderecords.bandcamp.com/album/scottish-circus-mode-352

#NowPlaying #ScottishMusic #ModeRecords #Improvisation

#TheWhistlebinkies perform #JohnCage's "Scottish Circus" (studio version, Glasgow 2007)

https://moderecords.bandcamp.com/album/scottish-circus-mode-352