Mick Chillage - Devotology

Before and After Silence
(BAASMCLF07: 708527240069)

$13.80

Release date: 3/22/2024

Devotology is the study of cosmic devotion, its role in the achievement of astrosis and devotional practice in Astronism.

"Devotology" was created between late 2022 and 2023. I initially composed and recorded "Polytheism" in December 2022 as a ten minute dark drone Ambient piece and returned to it a few months later and was inspired to add more synth parts and keys etc which progressed the track with a deeper spiritual or other worldly sensibility I bounced back and forth between other projects and built the final mix and arrangement knowing that it felt like the beginning of a possible theme.

Track three came next "Auroral Devotion" [but under a different working title] in April 2023 some random sound design experimentation lead me to the main shifting polyphonic pad drone, I kept doodling and experimenting with various other synths and played various parts until I arrived pretty quickly with part 1 of this piece.

I sensed that the track could be longer but I didn't want to just simply arrange the existing elements as they where so I got heavily into playing around with the source material which was purely analogue to began with. I decided to explore within the digital realm to achieve an unusual mood and aesthetic for the second part that subtly mutates & drifts into other sonic dimensions.

The final piece to be recorded was track three "Sol" recored in late summer of 2023 which was inspired by the sound of my malfunctioning Solar panel pump system which was in need of a service. I climbed into my attic storage space with my Zoom H1 recorder and captured various cycles the pump was now making, these unusual sounds became drones and eerie mechanical pulses & clonks which where loped and manipulated in various ways. The addition of some poly synth parts, mono leads and FX added a more musical feel to the strange foundations.

The idea that this sound came from my solar panel system and basically the power of the sun made me think about our brightest star and how important it is for our existence and it led me to the concept of an album based on ancient and modern worship of celestial bodies in their many forms.

I saw a connection between the other tracks that somehow had a cosmic fascination and everything just fell into place it seemed.

Tracks:

1. Polytheism
2. Sól
3. Auroral Devotion [Parts 1&2]