Common Eider, King Eider - Égrégore [Cold Spring Records - 2019]A collaboration between B.S.s of Common Eider, King Eider and Arexis of La Breiche, Égrégore captures the darkness and spirit of May 2018's New Dark Moon. Recorded live using electronics and various natural elements, Common Eider, King Eider captured this essence in a cabin in the Pyrenees in France. Given four tracks with which to spread its majesty, Égrégore is a dark, brooding, ambient ritual capturing the might an magic of the dance between the Earth and Moon. Sparser and more atmospheric than other works, Égrégore distills the energy of a clandestine, ancient ritual, done under the heavy, velvet, moonless sky. Thick reverberations oscillate between the channels like streams of night air carrying cleansing to the resting Earth. Appreciated and worshiped for the life force for which it is, the participants in the ritual feel its power, and harness it for their own means and manifestation. The sounds and vibe put out by Common Eider, King Eider on this album stretch back into a time before written word, before civilization, to the brink of mankind's realization that there are other forces at play in this world than themselves. With safety in numbers and community being key to survival, rituals would be for the whole group, with everyone's energy coming together. Thus, the Égrégore is born. Eternal elements are on display and push forth CE,KE's message. "Sun .:. Fire," "Breath .:. Wind," "Blood .:. Water," and "Bone .:. Soil" all come together to unite the man-animal with the Earth, the sky, and the universe beyond. Leaving this open concept to float on its own, the expanse on Égrégore is just the starting point from which the listener can take their own personal journey. Whether grabbing hold of the sounds for support and rappelling down into the cavern of the past or allowing the wide, sonic expanse to slingshot the listener into the great beyond, Égrégore remains passive and leaves the experience up to the individual.
Atmospheric, dark, and perfect for Autumn, Common Eider, King Eider's Égrégore captures an ancient part of our human experience. Marginalized for many years, these older, more intrinsic beliefs are gaining appeal. In a time when nothing seems to go right and systems begin to fail, one must look to the past and gain insight into what kept mankind alive and thriving before ego and greed took hold. Égrégore is a nod to the past while hearkening towards a more spiritual future. Paul Casey
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