Today's DailyOM Offerings...
August 30, 2012
DownTemple Dub: Remixed
Desert Dwellers
2012
Take some deep bass from the club scene of Southern California and some Eastern-inspired, ritualistic dance music from neo-shamans in the deserts of New Mexico, email it all to some techno-mix wizards, and what you get is some pretty groovy, chilled-out, beat-based yoga music. That’s what’s happening on DownTemple Dub: Remixed, the most recent creation of the Desert Dwellers: Amani Friend and Trevor Moontribe teamed up with Rara Avis and Craig Kohland of Shaman's Dream, playing with material by Duke Mushroom, Love and Light, Drumspyder, Kaminanda, Kalya Scintilla, Eccodek, Eastern Sun, and Aes Dana. As the title of the album punningly suggests, this is down-tempo, drum-and-bass-dominant trance, with samples of traditional Indian music as well as some ambient sounds, like melodic birdsong.
The best tracks on DownTemple Dub: Remixed play with konnakol-style singing, that southern Indian form in which the singer’s staccato, scatting vocals try to match-and often egg on-the beats and tempo of a dancer’s feet. A vocal in this style (digga-dee, digga-digga-dee) provides the hook for one of the album’s best tracks, “Crossing Beyond,” in a sample that’s alternated with the vocal stylings of a bird, a sitar, and some Bollywood-style crooning. Another great track, “Tala Odyssey,” milks the percussive tongue acrobatics of konnakol even more, using studio effects to stutter the singing and then match it to both bouncy tablas and classic clubby synth beats.
This album is as much trance, however, as it is dance. Tunes like “Dragon’s Mist” and “Lotus Hearts” blend the night sounds of crickets and tree frogs with swaths of swooshing spacey synth into which are collaged sitar, wooden flutes, didgeridoolike twangs, and snatches of dreamlike dialogue and bells and chimes. Instead of konnakol, the singing on these tracks takes the form of haunting Hindi purrs. Whether their revving you up into an ecstasy or shrouding you in a sonic mist filled with sacred mirage, the Desert Dwellers will lead you to a cool oasis of Eastern-flavored grooves.
August 30, 2012
Balance through Introspection
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You might feel jumpy and tense today, which could cause you to make impulsive decisions. You might feel tempted to purchase something new to feel better about yourself, or you could seek an escape from your problems by purchasing a vacation package. While these purchases might help you feel better temporarily, they won’t resolve the underlying issues that are fueling your emotions. A more affordable way to handle your turbulent feelings today is to spend some time quietly exploring them in more detail, working through them logically, and then fostering a greater sense of harmony within yourself.
Exploring the root causes of our feelings through introspection gives us more control over our emotional responses and helps us feel balanced again. We often tend to look outside of ourselves for ways to soothe our feelings, when we could just as easily turn within to discover the root cause of what’s upsetting us. By identifying turbulent emotions and working through them logically, we free ourselves from impulsivity in decision-making. Because we gain control of our emotional responses, we are able to make decisions with a higher awareness of which choices are best for us in the long run. At the same time, we are also able to develop a stronger sense of balance and harmony within ourselves, which also encourages balance in every aspect of our lives. By turning within to address your unsettled emotions today, you will gain greater control over your emotions and your life.
August 30, 2012
The Effect of Not Doing
When We Don’t Take Action
by Madisyn Taylor
Our actions shape our lives, but what we don't take action on can be just as powerful.
Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe’s unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.
For example, when we neglect to recycle, speak up, vote, or help somebody in immediate need, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to be an agent for positive change. Instead, we are enabling a particular course to continue unchallenged, picking up speed even as it goes along. By holding the belief that our actions don’t make much of a difference, we may find that we often tend to forego opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, if we see ourselves as important participants in an ever-evolving world, we may feel more inspired to contribute our unique perspective and gifts to a situation.
It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference.
DownTemple Dub: Remixed
Desert Dwellers
2012
Take some deep bass from the club scene of Southern California and some Eastern-inspired, ritualistic dance music from neo-shamans in the deserts of New Mexico, email it all to some techno-mix wizards, and what you get is some pretty groovy, chilled-out, beat-based yoga music. That’s what’s happening on DownTemple Dub: Remixed, the most recent creation of the Desert Dwellers: Amani Friend and Trevor Moontribe teamed up with Rara Avis and Craig Kohland of Shaman's Dream, playing with material by Duke Mushroom, Love and Light, Drumspyder, Kaminanda, Kalya Scintilla, Eccodek, Eastern Sun, and Aes Dana. As the title of the album punningly suggests, this is down-tempo, drum-and-bass-dominant trance, with samples of traditional Indian music as well as some ambient sounds, like melodic birdsong.
The best tracks on DownTemple Dub: Remixed play with konnakol-style singing, that southern Indian form in which the singer’s staccato, scatting vocals try to match-and often egg on-the beats and tempo of a dancer’s feet. A vocal in this style (digga-dee, digga-digga-dee) provides the hook for one of the album’s best tracks, “Crossing Beyond,” in a sample that’s alternated with the vocal stylings of a bird, a sitar, and some Bollywood-style crooning. Another great track, “Tala Odyssey,” milks the percussive tongue acrobatics of konnakol even more, using studio effects to stutter the singing and then match it to both bouncy tablas and classic clubby synth beats.
This album is as much trance, however, as it is dance. Tunes like “Dragon’s Mist” and “Lotus Hearts” blend the night sounds of crickets and tree frogs with swaths of swooshing spacey synth into which are collaged sitar, wooden flutes, didgeridoolike twangs, and snatches of dreamlike dialogue and bells and chimes. Instead of konnakol, the singing on these tracks takes the form of haunting Hindi purrs. Whether their revving you up into an ecstasy or shrouding you in a sonic mist filled with sacred mirage, the Desert Dwellers will lead you to a cool oasis of Eastern-flavored grooves.
August 30, 2012
Balance through Introspection
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You might feel jumpy and tense today, which could cause you to make impulsive decisions. You might feel tempted to purchase something new to feel better about yourself, or you could seek an escape from your problems by purchasing a vacation package. While these purchases might help you feel better temporarily, they won’t resolve the underlying issues that are fueling your emotions. A more affordable way to handle your turbulent feelings today is to spend some time quietly exploring them in more detail, working through them logically, and then fostering a greater sense of harmony within yourself.
Exploring the root causes of our feelings through introspection gives us more control over our emotional responses and helps us feel balanced again. We often tend to look outside of ourselves for ways to soothe our feelings, when we could just as easily turn within to discover the root cause of what’s upsetting us. By identifying turbulent emotions and working through them logically, we free ourselves from impulsivity in decision-making. Because we gain control of our emotional responses, we are able to make decisions with a higher awareness of which choices are best for us in the long run. At the same time, we are also able to develop a stronger sense of balance and harmony within ourselves, which also encourages balance in every aspect of our lives. By turning within to address your unsettled emotions today, you will gain greater control over your emotions and your life.
August 30, 2012
The Effect of Not Doing
When We Don’t Take Action
by Madisyn Taylor
Our actions shape our lives, but what we don't take action on can be just as powerful.
Life is sculpted on a moment-to-moment basis. Every one of the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the actions we take contributes to the complex quality and character of the universe’s unfolding. It simply is not possible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us. Every action taken affects the whole as greatly as every action not taken. And when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.
For example, when we neglect to recycle, speak up, vote, or help somebody in immediate need, we are denying ourselves the opportunity to be an agent for positive change. Instead, we are enabling a particular course to continue unchallenged, picking up speed even as it goes along. By holding the belief that our actions don’t make much of a difference, we may find that we often tend to forego opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, if we see ourselves as important participants in an ever-evolving world, we may feel more inspired to contribute our unique perspective and gifts to a situation.
It is wise to be somewhat selective about how and where we are using our energy in order to keep ourselves from becoming scattered. Not every cause or action is appropriate for every person. When a situation catches our attention, however, and speaks to our heart, it is important that we honor our impulse to help and take the action that feels right for us. It may be offering a kind word to a friend, giving resources to people in need, or just taking responsibility for our own behavior. By doing what we can, when we can, we add positive energy to our world. And sometimes, it may be our one contribution that makes all the difference.