Jon Hopkins preps ‘Music For Psychedelic Therapy,’ shares Sit Around The Fire – Brooklyn Vegan

Jon Hopkins will release a new album, Music For Psychedelic Therapy, on February 11 via Domino. Following his albums Immunity and Singularity, Hopkins said, It felt like time for a reset, to wait for music to appear from a different place. A life-changing trip to the Tayos Caves in Ecuador in 2018 inspired the the album.

What grew from this experience is an album with no beats, not one drum sound, something that is closer to a classical symphony than a dance / electronica record," says Jon. "Something that is more like having an experience than listening to a piece of music. Maybe something far more emotionally honest than I had been comfortable making before - a merging of music, nature and my own desire to heal. The freedom from traditional rhythmic structures unlocked so much - it felt like I was free to explore a new form of rhythm, one that you discover when you just allow things to flow without letting yourself get in the way."

Hopkins continues: Music ForPsychedelicTherapy is not ambient, classical or drone but has elements of all three. For me its a place as much as it is a sound. It works for the sober mind, but takes on a new dimension entirely when brought into a psychedelic ceremony. In my own psychedelic explorations testing thismusic, I found a quote I had read would keep coming to mind. Music isliquid architecture, architecture is frozen music.I love this idea of music as something you inhabit,something that works on you energetically. In fact, it was while in that state that the title appeared to me. Psychedelic-assisted therapies are moving into legality across the world, and yet it feels like no one is talking about the music; the music is as important as the medicine.

You can listen to the album's closing track, Sit Around The Fire, now. It's a collaboration between Hopkins, and "producer and ceremony guide East Forest and legendary guru," the late Ram Dass. Sit Around The Fire exists from one of the deep synchronicities that ushered this thing (Music For Psychedelic Therapy) into being, says Hopkins. I was contacted by East Forest, who had spent some time with Ram Dass in Hawaii before he passed. He was given access to several lesser-heard talks from the '70s, and asked to set them to music. He sent me some starting points, including the beautiful choral vocals he recorded which open the piece. I put my headphones on and with Ram Dass voice inside my head, I sat at the piano and improvised. What you hear is the first thing that came out - it just appeared in response to the words.

You can listen to "Sit Around The Fire," and check out the album's artwork and tracklist, below.

Hopkins will present aMusic For Psychedelic Therapy event at Austin's Fair Market on September 21. It's a collaboration with author and podcast host Aubrey Marcus, and willfeature a ceremonial concert performance from East Forest followed by "an immersive playback" of Music For Psychedelic Therapy in full. There will also be a live Q&A between Marcus, Hopkins and East Forest. Tickets are on sale.

You can pick up Immunity and Singularity on vinyl in our shop.

Music For Psychedelic Therapy tracklist1. Welcome2. Tayos Caves, Ecuador i3. Tayos Caves, Ecuador ii4. Tayos Caves, Ecuador iii5. Love Flows Over Us In Prismatic Waves6. Deep In The Glowing Heart7. Ascending, Dawn Sky8. Arriving9. Sit Around The Fire (with Ram Dass, East Forest)

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Jon Hopkins preps 'Music For Psychedelic Therapy,' shares Sit Around The Fire - Brooklyn Vegan