While trying to place where I was introduced to the Om Mani Padme Hum: Tibetan Monk Chants and Mantra album, which I believe I discovered on a mix made by lauded experimenter and one-half of the iconic way-too-many-amp dronists Sunn O))), Stephen O’Malley, I realized that much of the sonic and spiritual exploration I’ve experienced had been curated by figures like O’Malley, who draw from a seemingly endless wellspring of mysticism, art, humor, and ritual, all of which are crucial ingredients to holding my attention, and whose capable of translating it in a digestible and captivating way. Another realization is that for art to appeal to me, it has to have some grit or a little bite, with an unpolished magnetism, and offer transcendence. Easy ask, right? I mention this because I tend to find moments of spiritual elevation in sounds that may be more challenging for others, and I guess this is a disclaimer that though not all of these albums will be appealing to you, I want to offer some of the channels inspiring the curatorial vision of APLR and explore theology through the cultural gateway of sound – maybe it will open some doors similar to those that O’Malley opened for me. Or, maybe you’ll just zone out and get a little vacation from the grind.
This compilation is my go-to zone-out album. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find any info on the origin of these recordings, which only adds to its mystique. If anyone has any knowledge about this album, please send it my way. For my taste, these ten tracks are perfect recordings of transcendent mantra music, with all the grit and unpolished magnetism one could ask for. Through the same mix, O’Malley introduced me to this wonderful compilation of Tibetan Ritual Music and revolutionary Dhrupad musician Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (who I expanded upon in another post), all three of these albums through recording quality and sensory elements are capable of transporting and fully immersing the listener in the environment of the recordings, and also able to offer telluric escapism for the right listener.