Guest
*Featuring Benny Banassi, KÖNI, ANILAH, ÜNAM, Oliver Koletzki, and more!* In October, and especially during Halloween, there is a thinning of the Veil between the worlds. The Veil is where we meet our loved ones, guides, and angels. It is a place between the worlds of seen and unseen, known and unknown, living and spirit. The days are getting shorter, and we are preparing to temporarily withdraw from the realm of life and growth. The harvest cycle is winding down, but it’s not gone completely yet. This represents a transition, a doorway, or a veil. Because the Veil between the worlds is thin in October, we feel drawn to certain themes at this time of year. There’s no denying that as we approach Halloween, death is a primary cultural symbol. Scary movies, ghosts, graveyards, zombies, and skeletons, ways of honoring the dead, like Día De Los Muertos. This mix was created to honor this time of year when the Veil is thin between our world and the spirit world. A time when we can more easily commune with our loved ones who have passed, and our spirit guides. Witches’ Brew Volume 2 is a magical musical concoction that has a strong Mystical Base with a hint of Goth, a touch of Tribal, a sprinkling of Funk, and a pinch of Psychedelic Rock served up with a driving house beat and polyrhythmic drums, which is then seasoned with my special sauce of electric guitar that is sometimes funky, sometimes spicy, sometimes exotic, and even a bit metal at times. It begins in stillness with an ambient new-age goth-sounding track called “The Loom” by Anilah. I have added some haunting Romani-inspired guitar to this opening track as a nod to my own ancestors, and to give it a bit more of an edge of mysteriousness. It symbolizes the opening of the veil as we enter this magical dark world. This song carries us into the Spirit Realm where we are greeted by a trixster of a track that has a message for us - stay light-hearted even when things are grim because our spirit guides are with us always. With the next track, we are starting to get into the groove as we navigate the dark abyss of Voodoo Magic, with Dr. John as our guide, where possibilities abound and things are not always what they seem to be. Next, we hear from the late, great, satirical stand-up man Mr. Bill Hicks, and the message is clear, “life is like a roller coaster” and it goes up and down, and round and round, but don’t worry because “It’s Just a Ride”! As the ride continues it builds like a wave of energy bringing us from a slow steady flow, and then, just like life, the road gets a little bumpy with a staccato rhythm, until it starts to flow again. But this time, faster and faster, picking up speed as we enter Chaos. Until finally the wave crashes into stillness again. With the closing track “Sky Burial”, also by the amazing goth vocalist Anilah, we have laid our worries to rest and have returned to the world of the Living where we are left with the realization that Death is our Greatest Advisor. Death teaches us to live fully in the moment because we never know how much time we have with the ones who are dearest to us. And, that Death is not the end but the beginning of the next great adventure! Album Cover Art by @ For more media from Talisman Groovemaker:
