2019 has undoubtedly been one of the most intense years of my life. Vanessa and I have travelled like crazy, and most of it has been work-related. No wonder it’s been such a productive and successful year.
In terms of music, this year saw/heard the release of four new and well-received albums: the “My Silent Lips” soundtrack, “O Time Thy Pyramids,” “Nocturnal Meditations,” and “Loyalty Does Not End With Death” (together with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, on Ideal Recordings). I actually felt I didn’t do much at all, and yet these four darlings forcefully showed up.
Highbrow Lowlife had a great year too. Besides those three first albums mentioned above, there were also four White Stains albums: re-releases of “Misantropotantra” (1992), “Why Not Forever?” (1994), plus “Nefertiti Rising: Live in Gothenburg 2013” (White Stains & Genesis Breyer P-Orridge), and “Singleminded Dualisms 1987-1989” (a collection of vinyl singles). But the crown jewel was undoubtedly Vanessa’s album together with Akoustik Timbre Frekuency: “The Chapel Is Empty,” which is the first of many upcoming physical releases from the Hi-Lo camp.
Book-wise on Trapart, there was Vanessa’s great tome Rendering Unconscious – Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Politics & Poetry; a book that moved and shook the international psychoanalytic community, and acted as a great companion to her amazing podcast of the same name. Please check it out!
Film-wise, there were the releases of “My Silent Lips” (2019 director’s cut), “Cinemagician – Conversations with Kenneth Anger,” “Mementeros,” and “Anton LaVey – Into the Devil’s Den.” There was an increasing number of screenings and attention, which fills me with gratitude and high hopes for 2020.
As for writing, I completed my second novel: The Devil’s Footprint. It will be pitched early in the new year, so that’s very exciting. My first novel, Mother, Have A Safe Trip, was published in Polish just recently, and Vanessa’s “remixes” and cut-ups of the original English edition has been a regular staple at our Patreon base. The writing is very much alive. “2020” usually means “perfect vision” in modern English, and I would say that’s a highly relevant sentiment and attitude when it comes to what’s about to be published next.
One of the most exciting projects in a long time is the book Sacred Intent. It’s a volume that anthologises all of my interviews with Genesis Breyer P-Orridge between 1986 and 2019. This book will be published by Trapart on February 22nd, 2020: Gen’s 70th birthday.
We’ve travelled the world in our search for more of the same and more of the different. We shot film material with Little Annie in Thailand; and with Val Denham in the UK. Both Vanessa and I prepared for wrapping up albums with Val, and albums with Annie are coming up, too! One big happy and creative global family!
We shot the final material for “Anton LaVey – Into the Devil’s Den” in San Francisco and Los Angeles. We had an exhibition of images from “Mementeros” at MOPIA in Zürich, and we also stayed at Bou Jeloud’s house in Joujouka, Morocco, during the Master Musicians’ summer solstice celebrations.
And, I almost forgot, we organised a conference on psychoanalysis and esoteric modernism at Ezra Pound’s castle in Italy, attended by Pound’s 95 year old daughter Mary! And then, winding down in Venice with dear friends…
There are so many people to thank for this wonderful year, so it’ll have to be a very general Thank You! Our loyal patrons at Patreon, and the crowdfunders of the LaVey film, deserve special mention, because they “walked the talk” all the way, and really made a huge difference. Heartfelt thanks to you all!
Only my beautiful wife deserves my special mega-love praise, because without her, nothing would ever be the same. But with her, life is a constant joyride towards the “next level.” Thank You, my love!
A charmed and blessed life? For sure!
In gratitude, and on a very pleasant trajectory,
Carl Abrahamsson
