Changes in Mind – The Golden Dawn
The Golden Dawn were a group of enlightened spiritual adventurers devoted to the study and practice of dark arts, occultism and paranormal activities. This basically means they liked to meet in creepy places, have sex (possibly with each other) and take hallucinogenic drugs. Which is what everyone likes to do really.
However, in the time of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, such things were frowned upon by stuffy types in society. So it’s no wonder why wealthy people dabbled in a bit of old “wakey wakey Satey” in remote places away from prying eyes, what with everyone else being so repressed and stuck up their own arses and everything. Naturally, good old Aleistair “I’m a complete nut case” Crowley, thought it would be a good idea to be a member but he was a little too weird for the other members. So when the Golden Dawn booted him out, Crowley went off to form his own “Let’s all wank in a box” cult and eventually popped his clogs in a guest house in Hastings.
So imagine my delight when scouring Jamendo, a music site where artists provide rights free music (for use in Youtube videos and the like without the worry that Mr Sony will ask you to take down the video), I found a band called Golden Dawn. “Brilliant” I thought, “Some sort of dark satanic goth music to tickle the old occult glands”.
Disappointed isn’t in it. Surprised, yes, disappointed, no. This isn’t Black Mass. It isn’t death growls and tortured souls. It isn’t even worthy of playing backwards in the hope of some vague musical artefacts that you could mistake for Satanic messages. This is nice plinky plonky electro-psychadelia from songwriter/guitarist Nick Gent and lead guitarist Ben Skultety, who, it seems, have about as much satanic wizardry in them as Sooty. It also seems, that they have since changed their name to The Mind Orchestra. Probably because of the hounding from nutters hoping to find darkly satanic occult music to have sex and take drugs in creepy places to.
Changes in Mind, is available from Jamendo in it’s entirety for free. Golden Dawn are a nice fit for those looking for simple sounds to aid them with their moody beard stroking or beret wearing but possibly not for those hoping to raise the Goat of Mendes.
Something else to make you smile! (Rotting Christ do I nice Tibet cover if you like a good goatee)
I have to wave a flag for the ‘less cool’ Golden Dawner’s though – Allen Bennett, who was very close to Crowley, seemed to live quite a selfless and sadly uncelebrated life and brought the 1st Buddhist mission to England. One hurrah for the heroic and unnoticed!
I approve of Current 93, they featured on this project last year with Black Ships Ate the Sky. I also like the Rotting Christ/Tibet thing too, sadly Rotting Christ only appear in compilations in this project but I guess I can’t have everything.
Seems like a lot of interesting arty types like Stoker, Yeats and Rohmer were also members. The whole Golden Dawn scene must have been a right good laugh. Can’t imagine modern day arty types being as hedonistic though.