Carl Abrahamsson

Bits and bobs of dilly dally chit chat

May 3, 2018

Now that my most recent book Occulture – The unseen forces that drive culture forward is out and available via all the usual suspects, I realise that I can’t regurgitate chapters from that book in my recorded talks and lectures any longer. I have a few more finished recordings that will be posted online: “Splendor Solis – Lebensreform and sexual vitalism in Germany” and “What remains for the future? An attempt at a comparison between Aleister Crowley and Rudolf Steiner.” But after this it’ll be all new stuff! Which brings me to the following experimental question… “Is there something you’d like to hear me talk about?” I recently finished a piece on psychedelics and witchcraft that will be recorded and posted soon. But… what should follow after that? Now’s the time to step up and demand the (im)possible! What strangeness should I investigate, according to you? Which phenomenon? Which person? Think about it...

The uniting of minds is a short-circuiting of narrow-mindedness

April 30, 2018

As I recently took part of the two day “Conjuring Creativity” symposium/festival in Stockholm (organised by the dynamic duo of academic Dr Per Faxneld and artist Geraldine Hudson), I had the chance to ruminate and ponder about this kind of excellent opportunity to mix and match seemingly different worlds and approaches. I showed Lunacy, the film I made in 2017 together with my wife Vanessa Sinclair, and I gave a talk on the Mega Golem as a philosophical-magical art project. But most of the time I sat by the Trapart book table, sold books and talked to people who drifted by in-between talks (ranging from subjects like Kenneth Anger, Hilma af Klint, women surrealists, the Cloud of Unknowing, and Occulture, to August Strindberg, paranormality, and more). The venue, Fylkingen, is a classic place for experimental music and culture in Stockholm (and the world, actually) so that in some ways literally “set the stage” and the tone. Artists and curious creative people seemed to...

The larval stage of a bookworm remixed

April 30, 2018

Announcing a new, exciting release from Highbrow Lowlife: the “The Larval Stage of a Bookworm” REMIX album. It contains revitalising contributions from the following great artists: Vanessa Sinclair, Sheer Zed, Mathias Lodmalm, Michael Idehall, Knifesex, A Place Both Wonderful and Strange, Sun Duel, Hymnambulae, Sinnelag, Blue Hour, and Serena Stucke. To be released all over the digisphere late May. For more information on other similar releases, including the original Bookworm album, please visit: www.highbrow-lowlife.com

Silver Apples of the Moon and then some

April 27, 2018

[The following interview with Simeon Coxe III of the seminal group Silver Apples was first published on my previous blog in 2011 but not moved on to this one. Now, this has been rectified. Enjoy!] Want legend? Want demi-god? Want a juicy Silver Apple to chew on? Meet Simeon Coxe III, who qualifies for all of that and then some. Silver Apples’ (originally Coxe and drummer Danny Taylor, who died in 2005) mind-boggling mix of rock, poetry and electronics in the late 60s transcended everything, and I mean everything. Eerie singing, strange melodies and ultramodern rhythms lovingly hugging electronic oscillations galore from their own gadget called, aptly, “The Simeon”. Thus was a foundation chiseled for German Kraut-explorations, Suicide’s suavely brutal synth evergreens, Throbbing Gristle’s homemade and existential electronics, Stephen Morris’ drumming, Martin Hannett’s production values and a million more ripples on the water into which Silver Apples threw the very first...