Theme: Spiritual music
By: Niels Bonde Jensen
19.05. 2023
Crossoverfrequencies.com
In collaboration between:
DJ Spincycle, Second To the Left, WORT 89.9 FM, Odense Musikbibliotek & Resonator.
"By hearing, in a way, I gained a completely new knowledge," says the German music journalist, publisher, and walking encyclopedia of spiritual music, Jean Trouillet, in the fourth episode of the Crossover Frequencies podcast. He describes his first encounter with the music of qawwali legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. A meeting that involved a rare vinyl recording and a solid dose of LSD, and which became a form of revelation in his life - not only in relation to Sufi culture and its musical traditions, but also in relation to a possible connection to the spiritual through music.
Across many of the world's religions, one could say that such encounters are at the core of the religious experience: that one is enlightened through listening. From Moses on the mountain to the priest's sermon in the church.
Earlier in the episode, the host, Ankur Malhotra AKA DJ SpinCycle, plays different songs associated with Hinduism, which have a particular sound as a common foundation. It is the word "om," which in Sanskrit refers to the holy, elevated, and infinite. The word is chanted before and after recitations of sacred texts, it is used in prayers and is part of the Hindu iconography. It is used in wedding ceremonies, in yoga, and as part of meditation.
A simple syllable, a basic vocalization, a round, almost instinctive resonance in the oral cavity that branches out into a plethora of meanings associated with the idea of the divine. Does this spiritual quest hide in all musical sounds? Is there something, indeed, god-like, about the act of creating music itself? Malhotra asks himself the question in the episode and elaborates here:
"From blues and gospel to songs directly related to various religious entities to pagan rituals, animist traditions, and music about the earth and nature, there is a common quest for strength at play. It may then be reflected in the musicians' personal spiritual beliefs and quest, but in the bigger picture, it is this common core that one wants to connect with," he says.
Of course, this common strength can be understood both concretely and more esoterically. For example, it is a striking characteristic of the music that Malhotra plays in the episode that it floats in melodic and harmonic progressions. Like the word "om," it is as if spiritual music invites tones ringing out instead of seeking ecstasy in rhythmic repetitions, as was the case with work music in the third episode. Or maybe not? Malhotra also finds a kinship with rhythmic music in the ritual's concrete anchoring of the spiritual. He explains based on his work as a techno DJ:
"At techno parties, there is this clear ritualistic element. But it is a term that is often used to come together for prayer or sermons as well. It refers to a shared space where everyone's bodies move to the same beat. In the temple, it could be the ringing of the bell, and at a rave, it's obviously the bass. A shared emotional connection is created, where people smile and cry together in this physical space - it creates a strong connection that is central to spiritual music."
One could also say that music, human arrangement of sounds, acts as a link between the concrete physical space and the spiritual space. Not that enlightenment stops here - when the door is opened to, for example, Pakistani Sufi music, the work of more down-to-earth knowledge-seeking begins, but once the connection between body and soul is established, it is often difficult not to be moved.
