The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Ben Carr of INTRCPTR, Ancient Lights and 5ive

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Continually trying to find a life balance between the things I love to do and things I need to do to get by in the world. At times they can converge.

Describe your first musical memory.

Discovering a record collection and playing all the different records, some of them moved me in different ways. The ones I liked most would take me outside of myself for a bit.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Only happened a handful of times. A few times when playing live (usually at a rehearsal where there are no outside pressures), I would find myself completely in the moment in the middle of a song. While you are truly in the moment time slows down to a crawl, and as soon you realize it, it’s gone.

Maybe a total of 5 seconds?

It’s the strangest thing, and I can only describe it as something close to when a person has “Deja vu”.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Not sure.

This happens more when you are younger and experimenting more with people, and less as you get older.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Hopefully to creativity in other parts of your life.

How do you define success?

Being able to do whatever it is that makes you feel reasonably fulfilled every day.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

How the business of music really works.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

An algorithmic program but I’m not sure I have the patience to learn.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Self-expression and communication

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

The stock markets.

http://www.facebook.com/intrcptr/
http://www.instagram.com/intrcptr_band/
https://intrcptr.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ancientlightsband/
https://www.facebook.com/5iveband/
https://5ive5.bandcamp.com/

INTRCPTR, II (2018)

Ancient Lights, Ancient Lights (2018)

I know what you’re thinking: Really? A premiere for an album trailer? Well, it’s six and a half minutes long, so quit complaining.

Unceasingly grim in its atmosphere and honed to murky depths that are equal parts obtuse and hypnotic, the self-titled debut from UK three-piece Ancient Lights tops 70 minutes — comes closer to 90 when you count the CD/DL bonus material — and is set to release in July via Ritual Productions. It is a meandering psychedelic wash, repetition and ambience given priority over structure as the trio of bassist/vocalist/guitarist Adam Richardson, guitarist Ben Carr and drummer Tim Bertilsson combine and in some ways surpass their pedigrees in bands like Ramesses, 5ive and Switchblade in order to push as far out as possible.

Do they get there? Oh, they get there. “War of Attrition” sounds like it’s being fought against the notion of consciousness itself, while 17-minute pieces like “Against Nature” and “Fallow Year” drift into a willed-into-existence sonic beyond. Immersion: inevitable. To call it hypnotic as above is underselling it both in concept and execution. It’s not just the listener being hypnotized here; it’s the band as well. The feedback-soaked, chant-laden “Asakai Dasa” feels as much about the experience of its creation as the resulting “song.” In this way, Ancient Lights are in communion with themselves, with their audience, and with the moment captured on the recording. This is characteristic of much of Richardson‘s work in Ramesses or 11PARANOIAS — the latter of whom also reportedly have new material in the works — but I’m not sure it’s even been driven to such psychedelic extremes as it is on Ancient Lights.

Because it is a work of extremity. Not in the sense of blastbeats or death metal vocals or anything like that, but in its sheer willingness to delve into its own psychosis, Ancient Lights‘ debut is neither for the feint of heart nor the closed of mind. Its triumph lies not in emerging on the other side of “Fallow Year” unscathed, but in having made the journey through it in the first place, and even shorter pieces like “Orichalcum Eater” (2:57) or the plodding “Miasmaculatum” (3:58) make an offering of swirl with more than enough undertow to pull its audience away from their own being. To put a realistic point on it, it’s a hard record to write about because I keep feeling my mind wander in time to the ensuing nod.

The trailer gives a taste of opener “Decaying Lotus,” the subsequent “Temple Ghosts” and the bonus track “Vessel of Inevitability,” and again, if your concern is that most album teasers don’t give a sense of the substance of the record itself, you’re not wrong. I assure you that’s not the case here. Click play and find out for yourself. PR wire info follows, as usual.

Enjoy:

Ancient Lights, Ancient Lights album trailer premiere

Immerse yourself and preview the tracks ‘Decaying Lotus’, ‘Vessel of Inevitability’ and ‘Temple Ghosts’ from Ancient Lights debut self-titled album, out on Ritual Productions July 2018.

Ancient Lights refuse to tread worn sonic terrain with their debut, instead crafting a dynamic and textured journey that explores pastures of darkness, ambience, radiance and disintegration. Comprised of members of esteemed bands of the heavy palette, the origins of the band came after 13 shadowy years of jammed discourse and psychic plotting between Adam Richardson (11PARANOIAS, Ramesses) and Ben Carr (5ive, INTRCPTR), with the optimal addition of Tim Bertilsson (Switchblade) catalysing the final reality of this band.

Trailer directed by Cristiane Richardson and edited by Sergio Angot.

The band recorded their debut rite at Bonafide Studios, London under the spell of the 2017 summer solstice sky with Dan Miller. Additional recording by Ben Carr and Adam Richardson in June 2017 at XL Recordings Studio. Mixing and mastering by Dan Miller and Adam Richardson in December 2017 at XL Recordings Studio, London.

ANCIENT LIGHTS is:
Tim Bertilsson – drums
Adam Richardson – bass, guitar, vocals & lyrics
Ben Carr – guitar

Ancient Lights on Thee Facebooks

Ancient Lights on Instagram

Ancient Lights on Twitter

Ritual Productions on Thee Facebooks

Ritual Productions on Bandcamp

Ritual Productions website

A new project with members from 11Paranoias and Switchblade? I’ll check that out. Sign me up. One of the best things Adam Richardson ever did was set up Ritual Productions as an outlet, first for his own work with Ramesses and subsequently as a place to release like-minded groups — looking at you, Bong — and those who take sonic cultistry beyond lyrics about the devil or killing ladies and to a place of genuine volume worship.

Ancient Lights, in which Richardson plays bass and handles vocals, posted an early jam on their Thee Facebooks, and I’d embed it if I could, but it sounds immediately like heady stuff that’s right in line with the kind of sonic gruel one might expect. Will be interested to hear what comes of the new outfit as they move forward, but as an initial welcome, it’s easy enough to dig the way they’ve said hello.

More to come, I hope.

From the PR wire:

RITUAL PRODUCTIONS INTRODUCES NEW SIGNING, ANCIENT LIGHTS; MEMBERS TAKEN FROM BANDS INCLUDING 11PARANOIAS, RAMESSES, 5IVE, INTRCPTR, SWITCHBLADE

Ritual Productions have a new offering for the masses – Ancient Lights – comprised of members from esteemed bands of the darkened palette, 11PARANOIAS, Ramesses, 5ive, INTRCPTR and Switchblade. The origins of our new signing comes after 13 unholy years of jammed discourse and psychic plotting between Adam Richardson (11PARANOIAS, Ramesses) and Ben Carr (5ive, INTRCPTR), with the optimal addition of Tim Bertilsson (Switchblade) catalysing the final reality of this band.

The band met in the early 2000s whilst playing shows together and they envisaged a future musical project…however distant that may be. 2017 now sees the manifestation of such surreptitious sonic scheming and the subsequent integration of the members within a united space – considering the trio all live in different countries. The band recorded their debut RITE in North London under the spell of the summer solstice sky which is currently in the mixing process. Prepare to be suffused!

ANCIENT LIGHTS IS:
Adam Richardson (bass/vocals)
Ben Carr (guitar)
Tim Bertilsson (drums)

https://www.facebook.com/ancientlightsband/
https://www.instagram.com/ancientlightsband/
https://twitter.com/ancient_lights/
http://www.ritualproductions.net/
https://www.facebook.com/ritualproductionsuk/
https://twitter.com/ritualmusic

11PARANOIAS, “Milk of Amnesia” official video