De praecursōribus ÆTERNI (prima pars)
How original is this project? Very and not. (Part I)
I debated various topics for the next issue about ye olde ÆTERNUM project, both having to do with questions of “origins.” The first, and most important, is how the idea for this project, the first song, etc. developed from the primal depths of Fr. Brian insane mind. But the second question seems important to give priority to as a lead-up to the first question, namely what are some precursors to the project that are important to acknowledge?
This latter question is important for admitting ÆTERNUM’s indebtedness to what has gone before. But answering it also delineates the project’s similarities and differences: the similarities give evidence that other artists have thought the ideas involved worthy of pursuit; the differences indicate how ÆTERNUM fulfills what they did not. I can’t promise a comprehensive genealogy of all the ideas ÆTERNUM synthesizes into its music, but if you have opinions about our “family tree” please contact us here.
As I thought more about it, we’ll have to subdivide this question into two parts. And actually, the question of “precursors” can be further subdivided into… oh, I don’t know, let’s just call them “articles”: first, similarity of means; second, similarity of ends.1 As we’ll see in this issue (considering the first article) and the next (considering the second article) the two facets of similarity do not fully intersect; and in the territory where they intersect, I argue, is exactly what has not been done before.2 Hence, ÆTERNUM.
Let’s begin…
Chanty Beats
A partial inspiration for ÆTERNUM lies in past attempts to combine Gregorian chant with lofi beats. I first encountered such a combination in the intro music for one of Michael Voris’ talks c. 2010 before his projects went nutzo.3 A better example of this today is CatholicLofi, a sub-project of Matt Fradd’s Pints with Aquinas.4 Here’s an excellent sample of this combo…
People really dig music like this, as is evidenced by the number of plays its received and the 100k+ subscribers to the CatholicLofi YouTube channel. If this example of {Chant + Lofi = FTW} works, can it be generalized and instantiated in multiple successful forms as {Sacred + Secular = FTW}?
You might be asking yourself: “But doesn’t this fall into the category of similar ends also?” And my answer is: “Shhh! Don’t tell anyone!” But seriously, I’m including this example under “similar means” only because I do not have the impression that CatholicLofi is intended for evangelical purposes, a matter of ends.5 If it achieves such a thing, great, but it is a secondary effect, not a primary intention. If Matt Fradd wants to cage-match me over this, bring it.
Indie Polyphony
A closer parallel to ÆTERNUM lies in the work of a group that I forgot about for the longest time since college, a group that shall henceforth be referred to by the name MSG6 — not out of love for the gloriously irritating flavor enhancer but because this is a family Substack, people. Come on!
While I can’t remember how I was first introduced to MSG, they fit very well with my college-age love of noise rock (above all, Sonic Youth). They must have entered my radar through my addiction to rabbit-holing down AllMusic.com during these years,7 and the album that came most recommended was Suspiria. Did I gravitate to this album because it included a cover of “In Heaven” from David Lynch’s film Eraserhead (beloved of Bruce McCulloch of the Kids in the Hall), a song also covered by another favorite band of mine during this time, the Pixies?8 Whatever the case, on that album is found this stunning song…
Like I said, I had forgotten that I had heard this, probably because I really didn’t like much of the rest of the album (still don’t) and tossed it. When I was first proposing ÆTERNUM to its generous capitalist backers, I recalled the song while writing-up in an early form what you’re reading now. Then I began to look into this group again and tripped across an earlier EP Iris, which contains an even better example of their vision, namely…
I mean, really? Noise guitar and organ!? Aww man, now you’re talkin’. The whole EP is worth more of a listen than Suspiria but this track “Fear” is the stand-out song for me. Sadly — though not without consistency to their original vision — MSG increasingly went in a direction which I find self-indulgently nasty, seemingly due to the principle guiding role of vocalist Katharine Blake even until today. Blech. But whatever: even a broken watch tells time well periodically.9
Chanty Beats, part deux
As I was looking deeper into MSG’s past, I noticed that an early member of the group (not on any of the recordings I’ve indicated) was a woman named Jocelyn Montgomery (né West) who, astoundingly, years later released an entire album of St. Hildegard of Bingen’s songs10 backed by ambient compositions from — wait for it — David Lynch. (Remember that song mentioned above, “In Heaven”?)
The album, Lux Vivens, was a one-off collaboration instigated by Montgomery herself, whose co-producer brought Lynch in to provide the ambient backdrops. The whole thing is worth listening to but here’s a short sample that’s relevant to our topic…
Hear that? We’ve got the combination of Latin-language, Medieval chant with industrial beats and guitar flourishes. Boom. We’re almost there.
Lux Vivens was received pretty well in secular circles. Contra the opinion of one of the reviews that tried to paint the album as a subversion of Hildegard’s music, I agree with another linked-to reviewer that “Montgomery's interpretations, through Lynch's guidance, remain true to their source.”11 One of the engineers of the album corroborates this…
When we started doing this record, we investigated a lot of the images that Hildegard created from her visions. And that really struck me after being able to step away from the technical process, that we really realized that we achieved this message that is really coming from the heart and soul of a human being and reaching out before it's gone.12
What Lynch did was create a soundscape that matches the artwork of Hildegard found in her visionary writings. How appropriate then that an eccentric filmmaker was called upon to generate the equivalent of a “soundtrack” to a movie never made? As another of the engineers put it…
The only thing missing on the record is the movie. When you hear it, it's like you're looking at a great big movie screen. The only thing missing is the picture. Your mind has to fill that in.13
Conclusion
I was going to finish all this with a discussion of the Al Cisneros project Om and its “Eastern spirituality” leanings, but the deeper I researched into that topic the less relevant it seemed for this issue and the more it seems to need an issue all its own. This should give you an idea of what’s coming…
In conclusion, the music projects reviewed so far have a “similarity of means” for juxtaposing older forms of vocal music, primarily of a Christian bent, with newer forms of music, primarily of a secular bent. The argument here (yes, there must be an argument!) is that ÆTERNUM differs from these not in its means but in its ends. None of the projects cited aimed at “evangelization,” so they weren’t able to achieve the fullness of vision that ÆTERNUM aims for. It’s one thing to make pretty music: it’s another thing to believe the things it contains and desire that others believe it also. Credo, as a Christian, that said intentionality makes space for God to do something exceptional with our music. But time will tell as to what might be.
I hope this has been an enjoyable and fascinating read for you all. We’ll finish this two-parter in the next issue. Please pray for the project, if that’s your thing (I won’t assume, you heathens!), and do consider either donating to its future endeavors or becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter.
Peace upon people of good will,
Friar Z
Is this starting to sound like a certain theological work everyone knows and loves? Oh good.
There is at least one example of a musical group that could arguably fall into the same territory as ÆTERNUM, but that will be dealt with in a nuanced fashion in the next issue.
I unsubscribed from his programming within a year as he continued to get more extreme in his theological pushes. He is a sad case of someone who passionately wants to defend what he conceives of as Tradition, and instead ends up undermining it and causing scandal to the faithful. Passion must be moderated!
Can anyone tell me who is actually creating this music? I have not been able to track this person down. Is it Matt Fradd himself or what?
More details on what I mean by “evangelical purposes” in the next issue. This needs to be understood in a nuanced way.
Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look! (Are we tired of footnotes yet?)
The look of AllMusi.com has not changed much since then except for the addition of billions of advertisements that now make the site practically unusable.
Are you starting to get a better picture of what I was like in college?
I note also that MSG integrates violin into its music, which I’ll come back to later. In fact, my idea to likewise use violin in ÆTERNUM’s first song did not originate with MSG but from listening to certain vocal groups performing St. Hildegard of Bingen’s music.
I’ll be doing an entire issue on her and her role in the project, so don’t worry.
The Wired review is the one I’m attacking; the CNN review was the better one. Too often I find that secular cultural critics find it impossible not to read their own childishly negative attitudes to religious matters into what they are reviewing. Eisegesis should only be done when you’re intending to: unintentional eisegesis is irresponsible and vain. *slap*
See the overview page of the project, already linked-to.
Ibid. Are you finding this footnote thing pretentious?