Christopher Stewart

Believe it or not (and if you do, please help me believe it too), but I just published an album. It’s a 4-song EP entitled « The Abode Of The Blessed » that I recorded in an overnight session last weekend and produced this past week.

But first things first. Before I go into more details about the music, here’s the abridged version of what happened since my last post.

After publishing «  Takers Economy  » at the end of August (see this blog post for details), I spent most of the following two months distributing and promoting it on the internet. The task was daunting and the progress was slow at first, but the process eventually yielded positive results.

Then I took a little time off, and I do mean off. I escaped to the countryside for about two weeks, where I mostly rested and dreamt about the next phase of my life. There was a lot of music making in those reveries. Far away from the city, I especially enjoyed the silence and the night skies. It had been a long while since I had last seen that many stars.

The return to civilization did not unfold quite as I had expected, and I finally had a chance to compose more music, and was even offered the opportunity to record some of it, which I gratefully accepted. The last few years had been dedicated to writing novels and essays, and so it felt very good to come back to music again. Indeed, I experienced it as a kind of rebirth, and so it was only apt that the classical guitar I had access to during this unexpected passage was a Renaissance model.

Over the course of my residency thus far, I wrote sixteen new compositions, eight songs and eight instrumentals, that I hope to release as a full-length album in the near future. I would have liked to produce them all here, but the tight recording window forced me to choose only a few.

The original plan was to record at least five of the compositions, and keep the four best tracks for the present EP. However, time constraints and technology determined which songs ultimately made it on the album.

The music is miles away from what I usually write. The pieces are basically folk songs that I believe most will categorize in the « singer-songwriter » genre. There are no intricate arrangements, it’s just my voice and the nylon-string guitar. One thing for sure, it’s a definite change of pace from the prog rock extravaganzas that I typically come up with.

Life being what it is, it looks like that will have to be it for now. I must run, really.

The album is available in various e-formats via Bandcamp. The description follows below. Thanks in advance for your support. I hope you enjoy the songs !

Does heaven really exist ?

Some insist that it does, yet others seem to think that there cannot be such a place.

I have been searching for paradise for most of my life, and on several occasions I actually thought I had discovered it, but in hindsight I’m not sure I can claim to have been very successful. Or in any case, that’s what I used to reckon until I tried to resign myself to the unacceptable conclusion that it was merely a fanciful invention, and considered that I would never find it. That’s about when I happened to stumble upon its hall.

I definitely wasn’t looking for anything of the sort when I was offered to stay in this surprising location. Nor was I quite certain of where I was at first. However, after various eye-opening occurrences, it finally struck me that I very possibly have reached the vestibule to heaven. Apparently, the blessed come and go to this uncanny domain, some to rest for a while, and others to perform their angelic duties.

I haven’t been officially admitted to paradise yet, so I’m only speculating, but it would appear that some of the guests here are waiting to be granted access. Or more precisely, we have a challenge to overcome before we are allowed to move onward.

« The Abode Of The Blessed  » documents my unexpected sojourn in this enchanting mansion, this antechamber of the promised land, were I received much support, was taught important lessons, and experienced many validations of prior understandings.

The songs depict the task that I must discharge, some of the dwellers, and their own trials and tribulations. The music aims to provide inspiration and encouragement to those who have to go through a similar process.

All in all, having seen this place that feels like a gateway to paradise, it looks very likely that there’s a heaven. So here I am, advancing into the unknown, all the while attempting to leave footprints behind so you can find your way too.

Onward, beautiful dreamer !

I’ve been nearly completely inactive in my social networks since mid-July or so. Not that I wouldn’t have liked to participate, but I have been engrossed in the redaction of the above essay.

When I tackled the project, I thought it would take a few weeks at most, and that I would be able to maintain my regular pace in other activities. However, I soon realized that the endeavour required great amounts of attention, and that the most efficient way of discharging the task was to dedicate as much time as I could to it, as quickly as practicable, so that it wouldn’t drag on forever.

I finished the first draft a little over one week ago, and the final revision was completed earlier today, or I should rather say yesterday by now. If the process was more protracted and demanding than originally expected, it nonetheless led to some very interesting insights and discoveries, notably in terms of the implications of the oneness of all things and beings, and with regard to the existing initiatives and organizations that work to improve the conditions of creators and inventors.

Essentially, the document elaborates on the points that I had attempted to convey in concise form through several conversations held in June and July, which in retrospect weren’t the best context for such an exercise. In hindsight though, there was clearly something impelling me to finally voice my position on the question, after I had silenced it for too long. Given all that is expressed in the text, I doubt that it would have been possible for me to come up with an effort as exhaustive any sooner. So, perhaps the timing was perfect, or at least better than I reckoned when I began writing.

I am glad that the undertaking gave me the opportunity to explain my conception of art and of its nature, value, and function, as I had tried to achieve this in the past, but circumstances had ultimately prevented me from attaining the objective.

Hopefully, the perspectives that I offer on the issue of illegal file sharing and its consequences in the lives of downloaders, artists, and the whole of society, will prove useful and enlightening to many readers.

The description follows below. I wish you a most enjoyable reading !

Over the last decade or so, file sharing has become a widespread phenomenon. As much as having the possibility of exchanging information almost instantaneously can represent a blessing in terms of communication and progress, it obviously opens the door to pursuits that enjoy a far less angelic reputation.

Still, the overall picture suggests that a significant number of internet users participate in such ill-famed activities. Considering this state of affairs, could illegal file sharing actually be a positive process for those downloaders, and for the collectivity alike ?

The question is generally approached from the angle of its economic impacts, but there is evidently more to the issue than its pecuniary dimension.

« Takers Economy » proposes an alternative look at illegal file sharing in light of the role of art in society, and in the context of the oneness of all beings and things.

In addition, the inquiry explores the global picture from which the circumstances emerge, and attempts to characterize the underlying culture that gives rise to them.

Finally, the essay introduces a philosophy of endosymbiotism that aims to foster attitudes and behaviours that accord with the ethics of the inherent unseparateness of being.

While the introductory movement of « Polygraph » describes a heated yet still somewhat civilized exchange, the second chapter, « Confrontation, » aims to depict the often difficult yet cathartic experience of having to stand one’s ground and defend one’s views when criticism or outright attack threatens one’s balance and inner peace.

The section was originally conceived as an instrumental wherein a dialogue between guitar and saxophone represents the conversation as it devolves into somewhat of a shouting match. Eventually though, I experimented with replacing the already written notes with words, more as a literary exercise than in an attempt to convert the piece into a sung duet. The undertaking proved harder than I had expected, but in hindsight that’s what made it even more worthwhile. The lyrics are presented below. The replies of the guitar appear on the right side, while those of the saxophone are on the left.

« Sooner Or Later » does not comes from Poligraf’s catalogue as such. Rather, it is a piece for solo guitar that I intend to publish on an album of about ten acoustic compositions, all featuring the classical guitar, either playing solo or accompanied by other acoustic instruments.

The original title of this piece was « Maybe Later, » but I never liked it that much because of the element of doubt and uncertainty that it conveys, which doesn’t fit the music. I reworked some parts while getting ready to record the present demo, and along with the changes came the new and more appropriate title.

While the first half of the piece starts in a reflective mood that leads into a peaceful passage, the second half remains upbeat and playful until the tongue-in-cheeky coda.

Here’s the poetry that I composed for this instrumental :

I’ve spent the past days adding static pages to the blog and revamping the design. After quite a few years of blogging about my music, and more recently publishing the episodes of The Threshold Series, I have accumulated a lot of material. However, blog posts being what they are, one would be hard-pressed to recreate the whole picture merely by browsing the archive.

I use many online services to share my creations. My demos are available on SoundCloud, MySpace, ReverbNation, and a variety of other such music communities. And similarly, my written works are dispersed on my Issuu channel, on the Facebook pages dedicated to my ebooks, or in blog posts here and elsewhere, notably in the many Ning networks of which I am a member.

The objective of the overhaul is therefore to have all of my work readily accessible in one place, presented in an orderly and visitor friendly fashion.

The Writings section is still only an outline at this point. This is where I plan to gather all the chapters of The Threshold Series, along with my essays, poems, and other written works. There is still much distance to cover before reaching that particular objective, but thus far the expedition has been surprisingly uplifting, so hopefully the remainder of the exercise will prove equally enjoyable.

Although not quite finished, the Music section is much closer to completion. The core part of the contents is presented as a list of the albums I hope to record with Poligraf. Each project is fully described, or rather will be so once I’m done, and the details include the current status of the undertakings and their respective objectives. The links in the tracklists point to those blog posts wherein I share accounts of the intention behind the pieces, or of their genesis, and which feature audio clips, lyrics, poetry in the case of instrumentals, and in some cases video clips recorded live or in rehearsal. I have edited the posts so as to uniformize their appearance, and also to add navigation links to other titles.

Each album is presented as a project that visitors can sponsor and thus facilitate its realization. The sponsorship opportunities, which typically consist of pre-orders enhanced with various perks, are described on dedicated pages that include embedded spreadsheets detailing the contributions of the supporters.

As an alternative, I have begun to add the demos to Bandcamp, which provides a simple way to sell downloads. The price of those albums will match the first sponsorship level of the corresponding project, so anyone who buys the demos will also receive download links when the recordings are duly completed and the final products are available. The first album I have added is CONGA 2008 Demo, which is a remixed and remastered version of the demo that was recorded in the fall of 2007 as a requirement for Poligraf’s participation in the 2008 edition of the CONGA, an annual local band contest. The other projects will follow in the coming days.

Looks like that’s it for now. Time to post and then possibly address the question of the ever-overflowing inbox before going to bed.

« Red Boat with Blue Sail » by Odilon Redon

« Barque au matin » by Jean Michel Peretti

Richard Ramsay is the star of the eighteenth episode of The Threshold Series, the concluding chapter of « 2206 : Window Onto A New World. »

We find the veteran politician staring outwards from a window of the sky lounge of his private yacht, musing about the weather, while on a visit to Bahía Alegría.

« The former Chancellor had needed to take a short vacation from all the craziness, to let the dust settle after the spectacular collapse of the schemes of his party. But apparently, even right in the heart of the bay of joy, satisfaction didn’t come easy for him. The ordinarily hot and sunny resort had been showered by storms ever since the luxury vessel had moored in the small inlet after which the popular holiday spot had been named. And so, instead of savouring a fun escape in the sunshine in the company of some of the people he truly appreciated, he had spent most of his time ruminating. He had voyaged all the way across the globe only to ponder the events of the recent years, and how they had ultimately culminated in his defeat in the Federal election. »

Forced to stay inside the boat, the retiring statesman passes the time talking with his sister Chloe and his assistant, Peter Conrad. The conversations will lead to surprising revelations.

Here’s « Lightning Strikes, » the culminating instalment of the first season of the Threshold Bookcast. I wish you all a most enjoyable reading !

Interestingly enough, this concluding chapter is being published on June 22, which is the date that has inspired the title of the novel. This wasn’t something I planned when I decided to release the series. Rather, the move came as a response to the circumstances of the moment. I had been considering the possibility since the end of 2011, mostly because of my frustration that the book was not attracting readers as fast as I had expected. It was waiting patiently on virtual shelves, hoping to be discovered, and that seemed somewhat of a waste. So I improvised a first episode, and when I eventually organized the process for the following weekly instalments, as I entered the events in my calendar, I realized that the series would end today. I considered it a sign that I had made the right decision.

At this time, I have no idea of when I will publish the second volume, nor of if I will release it in a similar manner. However, I can safely announce that the tentative title of that novel is « 2207 : Mechanics Of Change, » and that I’m just about done with the first fourteen chapters. Contrary to 2206 which covers only the last quarter or so of the corresponding Ovelian year, the second tome will span all of 2207. If I follow the plan that I have mind mapped thus far, I still need to write about twelve or thirteen more chapters before the story is told. In other words, that means I’m about halfway through, and given that I’ve been working on it since mid-October 2011, I’m not sure whether or not I’ll be able to complete it before the end of the year. That being said, I am sometimes tempted to begin the second season before I finish the book. My mind is not made up at the moment.

If you want to stay updated on how it all unfolds, I invite you to subscribe to the blog’s RSS Feed, follow the Facebook and Google+ pages of the series. You can also subscribe to my Issuu channel, where the episodes are currently available.

And on this note ends the first season of the Threshold Bookcast. Thanks to all who have taken interest and enjoyed the story thus far ! Hopefully, I will be able to announce my plans during the summer, depending on how the writing and other projects develop. Farewell until then !

« Le Poète voyageur » by Gustave Moreau

« Skymningslandskap » by Gustaf Fjæstad

« Detail from a Mary Barnes painting » by Gordon Joly (read about Mary Barnes)

« Pegasus » by Odilon Redon

« Lotus Flower Breaking the Surface » by Yun Shouping

« Camellia and a Lonely Bird » by Zhou Shuxi

« Guanyin in the Tidal Sound cave » by Unknown Author

« Asking For A Miracle » is a short instrumental arranged for acoustic instruments, and written in a time of dire need.

While working on the composition, I recalled a tarot reading I gave to the fiancée of my sole nephew, sometime after she had lost her first unborn baby. Although she never voiced her question, I felt that she was hoping to try to give birth again. The cards clearly told that the possibility was there despite what had gone wrong in the past, and that her attempt would be successful as long as she was willing to commit to the process and make the required sacrifices. I remember she was visibly moved by the reading and very happy about the possible outcome.

Her son, my sole grandnephew, is now three years old. The piece is dedicated to him.

The poetry has very little to do with that story. About half the stanzas have been written around the end of April, as observations on events and people in various online communities I am part of. The remainder have been inspired by interactions that took place in the recent weeks. In publishing the verses, it is my hope that some of the prayers and questions they voice will be answered.

The central character of this week’s instalment of The Threshold Series is Rahu Lüli, the young cenobite from Kõrgus.

At the beginning of the chapter, the teenager is getting ready to leave the monastery, and he ponders the events that have led him to believe that he has found the identity of the next spiritual leader of the remote community.

« As he finished putting his things in his backpack, the novice recalled how he had come to the decision. After what Kasulik Sõber had revealed, when he had climbed to the plateau where the solar panels were arrayed, the visions of the unknown lady had increased in frequency, and their details had become more precise. His original impressions had been confirmed. The woman in his glimpses neither had the physiognomy nor the skin pigmentation typical of the people of Kõrgus. Moreover, she was very pretty, and in fact her features starkly contrasted with her white hair, suggesting she was actually much older than what her vernal face led him to believe. And considering her clothing, she was clearly some sort of religious figure. »

Proceeding towards the gates of the cloister, the boy will encounter friends whose influence could very well make him reconsider his plans.

I hope you enjoy « Where Will You Be, » the seventeenth and penultimate episode of the first season of the Threshold Bookcast ! See you next week for the conclusion !

The sixteenth chapter of « 2206 : Window Onto A New World » features the scientific facilities of Veshtar, and revolves around Bernard Sturn.

At the end of an all-nighter, weary of responding to video emails, the famous space engineer takes a break to rest his eyes, and ponders the recent developments in the political arena.

« Over the years, the physicist had learned the hard way that there were transition phases, or at any rate that’s how he referred to them. During these episodes, life required him to plough forward at all costs, no matter how exhausted he was, and no matter which obstacles he was facing, lest part of the efforts he had invested in the endeavour, if not all of them, would be cruelly wiped out overnight by circumstances ostensibly coming from beyond his sphere of influence. Strangely, he had come to associate them with the notion of electronic quantum leaps, inasmuch as only two possible outcomes were permitted, either all the way, or none at all. And if the lessons had been heart wrenching, at the very least he had profited immensely from developing the ability to recognize the exacting passages, even in the absence of obvious indicators, such as deadlines for instance. »

The pundit eventually reaches the software lab where Frank Evans, his assistant, joins him for an important discussion about the architecture of SAVIA.

Here’s this week’s instalment of the Threshold Bookcast, « The Solid Time Of Change. » Wishing you all a most pleasant reading !

This week’s instalment of the Threshold Bookcast takes place in Hasania, the so-called artificial state governed by Omar Malaki.

As the chapter begins, we find Richard Ramsay, the legendary Conservative leader, entertaining himself around the estate of his wealthy hosts, while he waits to meet the patriarch of the dynasty.

« The veteran statesman had never interested himself in the process by which artificial islands were brought into existence, or rather, not more than superficially anyhow. His agenda was usually too crowded for him to take the time and learn about the details of such realizations. He preferred to focus elsewhere, content to simply know that the enterprises were achievable. After all, particulars were the concerns of the specialists, the engineers, architects, ecologists, builders, and whoever else were involved in the operations. Yet, as he strolled around the area, surrounded by the astonishingly diverse variety of floras that had been selected to complement the extravagantly landscaped terrain, he had to admit that the creation was bordering on the miraculous. If he had visited the paradisiacal place just a few years earlier, of all this amazing collection of beautiful objects, not a single item, not even the smallest grain of sand, none of it would have been there to be seen. The vista would have comprised only the sky, the thin distant coastline, and, as if one had travelled to a desert of water, the undulating dunes of the ocean. »

The experienced politician eventually joins the influential Middle Westerner at a nearby pond, where they will hold a crucial conversation.

The fifteenth episode of The Threshold Series, « Tempus Fugit, » follows below. I wish you all an enjoyable reading !