This year has been another rollercoaster experience, and both Vanessa and I are very happy to end the year at home in Stockholm with no major travels planned any time soon. The entire year of 2018 has been one of major fluxus (the swinging, not the art movement) and it does take its toll eventually. Now we’re finally well situated, and this holiday season is a very nice time to just snuggle up in the library and reminisce about what actually happened. A lot happened.
One of the best experiences on a personal level was that my book Occulture – The Unseen Forces That Drive Culture Forward was published by Inner Traditions. I’m very pleased with that collection of essays and lectures, and to have it published by a great publishing company like Inner Traditions was indeed a source of great joy. This also led to an increasing amount of podcasts and other interviews, and I didn’t (and don’t) mind that at all.
The main writing task this year has been my second novel. I’m almost finished with the first draft, and it’s been quite a magical experience to see how plot and characters have bloomed during the process. Nothing beats fast-paced absurdist fiction! (Well, perhaps American politics did this year…)
On the occultural note, I also taught at some very interesting places. The year began at Stockholm University of the Arts, where a new class in the “Black Mirrors” course got some heavy infusion of cut-ups and magical thinking. Food for thought and techniques for work.
In the spring I presented more of the same at the excellent Prosjektskolen in Oslo, Norway. And in the summer, both Vanessa and I taught classes in Cali, Colombia, at the wonderful Escuela Incierta. This school offered an entire summer course called “Oculturas,” and who could be better suited to teach there than Vanessa and I? It was an amazing experience at the height of a beautiful Colombian summer. We didn’t get to see as much of the rest of Colombia as we wanted, but seeing a great deal of Cali was interesting and definitely inspiring. We hope to return soon.
If Colombia was the great teaching trip of the year, our autumnal excursion to Egypt was definitely the learning experience of the year. We traveled on the Nile, passed through Kairo, Luxor, Aswan and many other places and sites. A perfectly mind-blowing trip through history and timeless magic. I also broke my personal record in terms of experiencing heat: 45° C. It was quite intense, and, needless to say, much water was drunk.
As usual, we divided our overall time between the US and Sweden. Working on many projects at the same time took us to Florida, California, New York, Vermont, Washington DC, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. It was a proverbial whirlwind, as usual, when we met with dear old and new friends. I worked with Little Annie on my film about her (and Vanessa worked on an album with her!), and also interviewed a lot of interesting people for the documentary about Anton LaVey I’m making together with Alf Wahlgren.
More on film stuff: I made great progress on my film about Kenneth Anger, which is scheduled to be released in the early spring. I also re-edited my first feature film (“Silent Lips,” 2016) by cutting away some 35 minutes (!), as well as making brand new music for it. It’s now considerably more than a “redux” version – it’s like a whole new film (and will be released again as such)!
As for music proper, I have to say that 2018 was a phenomenal year. My solo album, “The larval stage of a bookworm,” was well received and then remixed in its entirety by some amazing artists. This remix opus was also released by Highbrow Lowlife. The same label also released my collaboration with UK’s finest sound ensemble, Akoustik Timbre Frekuency: “Heated Wanderlust and then some.” As well as Vanessa’s and my first album together: “Cut to fit the mouth.”
I made the music for a collaboration with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, and it was an interesting process. The album in question, “Loyalty does not end with death,” (due out early 2019 on Ideal Recordings) is our third collaboration musically. In 1990, the White Stains & Psychick TV album “At Stockholm” was released. In 2004, there was “Wordship” by Cotton Ferox & Thee Majesty. And now, a further 14 years down the line, there will be “Loyalty does not end with death.” The difference this time is that there are no umbrellas or monikers. It’s just Gen and me seeing what can be done in a blissful third-mind-frame.
Publishing-wise, it was a tremendous year. Trapart’s distribution network got better, which basically means less risk now that I’m diligently expanding the bouquet of books. In March there was Gen’s excellent “Brion Gysin – His name was Master,” which has been doing really well. Just now in December, the spring season’s babies arrived: Lars Sundestrand’s “To become who you are” and Ruby Ray’s “Kalifornia Kool.” They are both logical progressions and audacious steps on my way to the future. Trapart has some fantastic titles lined up for 2019, and these two heavy new tomes will usher in the new year very elegantly – and hopefully successfully too!
So, what’s in stall for the new year? Well, we are currently so exhausted that we’ll wait with spilling all the beans… Let’s just say that it’s going to be a great year with a MASSIVE amount of new products and projects. By the way… Thank you for being part of our 2018. See you on the other side!
PS. The main place to stay in touch and keep yourself updated is our Patreon site. All the news, all the time! Not only is it our central place; it’s also where there’s more material from us than on any other social media platform: photos, rarities, music, film clips, cut-ups, poetry, excerpts, discounts and shameless eruptions of narcissism. If you like what Vanessa and I are doing, then we hope to see you over at Patreon: www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl
Other important links for the new year:
