Feature: REPTIEL Decodes ‘Down Below World’
Can you share any interesting or unique stories or perspectives in 'Down Below World?'
‘Down Below World’ is the third album in our sci-fi/fantasy series of psychedelic prog rock albums that tell the story of Sine and his transgalactic guide the Spirit Usher. This time they have found themselves inside the planet of Progkp and they are forced to confront Progkp’s deity, Thos, after a journey to the planet’s core. You may find the story told in ‘Down Below World’ unique, or perhaps you will find it reminiscent of stories like Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Wells’ Time Machine or Dante’s Divine Comedy, or even Greek myths like those of Hades and Persephone. I feel, though, the inspiration was more Jungian, as though we tapped into the collective unconscious, or at least the collective unconscious of us four REPTIELians, via the mind-altering sound waves and vibrations produced in our rehearsal space.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for 'Down Below World' to life?
The album was recorded at Light Rail Studios by Elton Cunniffe, who is a long-time collaborator and friend of ours. Some consider him the 5th REPTIELian since many of the sounds and effects on the album are his ideas. It helps that he has many of the same musical and literary influences as we do. Sometimes it’s even difficult to record or mix the music because we begin talking philosophically about the sounds or the story and get sidetracked. But in the end, we do manage to finish things.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
We have talked among ourselves about how we think the tracks “Alternate World,” “Ja’roque,” “Preserved in Amber” and “Thos Unearthed” are what we call “peak ‘TIEL.” In other words, we consider them the epitome of our aesthetic, musically, lyrically and thematically. We describe our music as psychedelic prog rock with science fiction and fantasy themes, and these songs certainly fit that description to a tee. They may or may not necessarily be our personal favorite songs, but they represent REPTIEL well as far as the songwriting, lyrics, performances, song styles, instrumentation, production and overall sound go.
What is your creative vision as a band?
We are practitioners of what we call “ritual musick.” The addition of the “k” in Crowleyian terms differentiates the practice from other types of music that are meant purely for entertainment. Ritual musick recognizes music as a type of magick, something that is willed into existence from places deep inside our minds or souls (or maybe even beyond) that we would otherwise not have access to. I am not at liberty to convey the entirety of the rituals but I can say that they involve manipulating sound waves and vibrations; altering our minds and discovering the stories imbedded in the substances we have ingested; finding ourselves in states of ecstasy or torment; chanting nonsense and singing in tongues; interpreting the visions received and converting them to music, sounds and lyrics that are able to be comprehended by the human mind.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as a band?
Over time if you continue to enjoy playing music with each other as a band, and no life events get in the way, then you will inevitably grow and evolve along with your musical interests and tastes. The songs you write will become more complex, or perhaps simpler depending on the direction you want to go, and the subject of your lyrics will change as your life does. If there are multiple songwriters in your band, it is best to be open-minded and accepting of these changes, to try out one another’s ideas, not just your own. It is possible your interests and tastes in music will grow apart and you will not be able to handle that. But if you can, then you will be able to stay together, grow stronger and continue to make great music. Growing and evolving as a band is like any relationship – it involves compromise, keeping your ego in check and not tripping too hard and money issues. None of these things are easy.