CASTANEDA I

An album series inspired by the best-selling author Carlos Castaneda

Carlos Castaneda was a best-selling author, having written some twelve books, published in 17 different languages. His books are still published under the heading of non-fiction, but the epic story he tells is fictitious.

Castaneda originally travelled to Mexico to obtain information about psychotropic plants for his PhD dissertation in Anthropology. He had already spent a lot of time doing research in the UCLA libraries. In Mexico, he met don Juan at a bus station and don Juan became his main informant. Castaneda was drawn into a world (or worlds) he didn't know existed: Sorcery.

The tradition of sorcery in Mexico goes back to the Toltecs. There's a whole history of it going back to ancient man. It involves observing and participating in different worlds of consciousness and seeing things as they really are: fields of energy. They could harness this power and even use it to manipulate people or groups of people (hence the name "sorcery"). The tradition split off during the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico. They secretly kept up the tradition,and dropped the manipulation aspect since it was notgood and became what they called "the new seers". don Juan and don Genero were part of this tradition and were looking for someone to lead the next generation.

I’ve read most of the books and find them to be fascinating literary works.Another book that I used for information is titled Getting Castaneda: Understanding Carlos Castaneda by Peter Luce.

Over the five CDs, I organized the musical material like one would organize a theater piece, or some kind of opera. I have recurring themes, motifs and even whole pieces which help facilitate different contexts in the story. The music is intended to be hypnotic, dreamy, other-worldly, and hallucinogenic.

(Total length - 47:54)

Read on for a synopsis of the first album:

Track 1 - Brujo (5:35)

Brujo is a Spanish term for someone who practices “witchcraft” or “black magic”(or “sorcery” in this case). This piece is an introduction to the whole work. The second sound you hear (a scratchy laughy sound) is a buzzer aerophone (a small drum-like membrane attached to a string that buzzes when you wave it in the air) and represents the Brujo.

Didgeridoo (Australia), Buzzer, Berimbau (Brazil), American Indian Flutes, Shaker, Voice

Track 2 - Carlos’ Theme (2:53)

The car sound is part of Carlos' identity because he often had to drive long distances and give people rides, etc.

Tarka (South America), Yamaha TX81Z

Track 3 - don Juan’s Theme (1:47) Juan Matus, Carlos’ benefactor.

Gu Zheng (China)

Track 4 - don Genero’s Theme (1:51)

Genero Flores is another benefactor and a friend of don Juan. He has his own apprentices, and often performs feats of “magic” to jar Carlos’ attention.

Cherokee River Cane Flute

Track 5 - Little Smoke (3:57)

Don Juan only used what he called "power plants" on Carlos in the beginning. He had to because Carlos was too lethargic and stubborn to give up his Western logic and reason. Logic and reason stand in the way of moving into what he called "the second attention" a particular state of non-ordinary reality. "Little smoke" was a concoction of plants (Mexican Psilocybin) put in a pipe and smoked.

Clapsticks (Australia), TX81Z

Track 6 - Mescalito (4:15)

Mescalito is one of Carlos' "allies" that can help him in the second attention. Initially, Carlos did this under don Juan's supervision. Carlos demonstrated that he had an affinity with Mescalito and attended mitotes on his own. Mitotes are like prayer services where they ingest Peyote (contains mescalin), pray, and sing Peyote songs. Participants are encouraged to sing their own Peyote songs. Here I sing my own peyote songs and then the peyote kicks in.

Water Drum (American Indian), Rattle, Voices

Track 7 - Mescalito (4:15)

The Nagual (7:24) - The Nagual has two meanings in the context of the books:

1) The new leader of the next generation of seers

2) A general term for states of non-ordinary reality.

The first part of this piece has to do with the agreement made by don Juan and don Genero that Carlos has the potential to be the new leader. The second part is a sonic representation of non-ordinary reality.

Spirit Catcher (Berimbau), Tarka (Carlos), TX81Z, Gu Zheng (don Juan), River Cane Flute (don Genero), Didgeridoo, Buzzer, Voices

Track 8 - “Seeing” (5:23)

Don Juan and don Genero have been trying different things to help Carlos "see". "Seeing" is seeing things as they really are: long fibers of energy stretched out to infinity and beings as luminous eggs or cocoons. Carlos struggles to see, his logic and reason is blocking him. He really tries but completely fails. His monkey-mind gets the best of him. He can't "stop the world". He becomes very melancholy. I think by this time he stops being don Juan's apprentice for a while.

EMU Planet Earth Sound Module, TX81Z, Buzzer, Analog Modular Synthesizer

Track 9 - The Luminous Egg and The Will (5:46)

Here I do a literal sonic description of the Egg and the Will. Don Juan explains that ALL beings are just luminous egg-shaped energy fields, with bundles of fibrous bands of energy within and extending out. Even planets have this. The universe also has bands of energy that push on the eggs. The Will is our intent. Our Will are also bands of energy that extend from just below the navel. We have our intent, other beings have their intent, and the universe has its own intent. There is also something called "the assemblage point" which is a field of energy about the size of a tennis ball located behind the right shoulder. We can shift the assemblage point from the "first attention" (our ordinary reality) to the "second attention" (non-ordinary reality).

Analog Modular Synthesizer, Ringing Bowls (Nepal)

Track 10 - The Abyss (9:00)

Don Juan has trained Carlos all along for this moment. He says it’s something every warrior must face. (He used the term “warrior” to describe a sorcerer or a “man of knowledge”.) don Juan explained that everyone has two selves: one that operates in the Tonal (ordinary reality) and one that operates in the Nagual (non-ordinary reality). Carlos and the other apprentices must hurl themselves off a cliff(that had been used historically by don Juan’s tradition of sorcery)to experience the totality of themselves. don Juan, don Genero, Carlos, and two other apprentices (Nestor and Pablito, who make their first appearance) come to the edge. This would be their final meeting. They receive their final instructions from don Juan, and 5 minutes into the piece they jump (signified by the Didgeridoo). Carlos and the apprentices survive, and don Juan and don Genero disappear. What happens next is the mystery Carlos tries to solve in the next few books (CD2).

Berimbau, GuZheng (don Juan), Tarka (Carlos), Ukelele (Nestor), Panpipe (Pablito), River Cane Flute (don Genaro), TX81Z, Didgeridoo, Analog Modular Synthesizer, Buzzer


Produced and Mastered in Logic Pro 9

Recorded in 2018

Cover Design: Megan Torres

Special thank you to my wonderful wife, Mary, for her support and putting up with me. Thanks to Liam & Megan at AM Studio for their marketing mentorship and hands-on assistance.

Where to find CASTANEDA I

CASTANEDA I is available for purchase and streaming. Choose your destinations below.