the concept
a “music ceremony” is an idea that takes the listeners on a journey in their mind. i first heard of this idea from my mum, who used this concept on many of her students when she worked as a teacher. she on her side was introduced to “travelling with music” in drama classes she attended in the 80s.
in 2017 i started working on the 1808 playlist (initially named “818”), and i completed the list in mid-2018. the summer that year i mixed all the songs together, and in the mix some of the songs did change quite a bit from their original version.
the key element is this ceremony is the music (of course). however, other important ingredients are:
- a good sound system. it’s important to feel the music without having to play too loud.
- the location/surroundings. comfortable temperature, fresh air, cozy, dim lights e.g.
- the group of people that are gathered. everyone should know each other.
- the preparation for the event; like being physically exhausted from exercise to achieve full relaxation.
the songs
| title | artist | album |
|---|---|---|
| UruR | Wardruna | Runaljod - Ragnarok |
| Turgenev | Scann-Tec | Unyt |
| sodom i gomora | Yat-Kha | dalai beldiri |
| Particles - Island Songs VI | Ólafur Arnalds | Island Songs |
| “To Let Myself Go - Live From Cirkus Arena, Sweden/2013” | Ane Brun | Songs Tour 2013 (Live) |
| Paradise Circus | Massive Attack | Heligoland |
| Abiogenesis | Carbon Based Lifeforms | World Of Sleepers (2015 Remaster) |
| Stilhed (med Frida Hilarius) | Mike Sheridan | I Syv Sind |
| Nocturne | Inofaith | Dawn is Late |
| Once Upon a Sea of Blissful Awareness - Remastered | Shpongle | Tales of the Inexpressible (2018 Remaster) |
| What Fills the Gap | Will Cady | The Awake |
| The Alan Watts Theory | Altitude | Project Window |
| Shift | M-Seven | Imaginary Being |
| Inhale | Xerxes | Cosmik Chill - Orange |
| The Sounds of Silence - Acoustic Version | Simon & Garfunkel | “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.” |
| KALAIDON | Den Sorte Skole | Indians & Cowboys |
| Echoes - Edit; 2001 Remastered Version | Pink Floyd | Echoes - The Best Of Pink Floyd |
| Johnny B Goode - 2002 Remastered Version | Peter Tosh | Mama Africa |
the lyrics, quotes and posters
going through each song’s lyrics (example ), certain quotes were picked, and using these quotes a set of posters example were created, using canva.com . the music ceremony participants were exposed to the posters in the hours before the music ceremony started, without them being told anything about the posters.
the mix vs the individual songs (as a playlist)
to get the full 1808 experience you need to listen to the mix, instead of listening to the songs in the order given above. there are a lot of differences in between the mix and the playlist. for example, in the mix “johnny b good” is 7 minutes and 41 seconds long. unfortunately, the mix is not available for download, as i do not have the rights for distributing this music.
the length of the mix is 2 hours 5 minutes and 20 seconds.
2520 is the smallest number divisible by all integers from 1 to 10.
#020520 is a deep blue colour. “Blue seeks peace and tranquility and promotes physical and mental relaxation. The color blue reduces stress and creates a sense of calmness, relaxation and order. Try and lie on your back and look up at the blue cloudless sky. Blue lowers metabolism. The paler the blue color, the more free we feel.” (reference )
2 hours 5 minutes and 20 seconds equals 7520 seconds. 7520 is the postal number to hegra, norway , the home of many ancient rock carvings .
nothing is random. the selection of songs. the lyrics. the transitions. the duration.
everything has its meaning.
the individual songs, in a playlist
you can listen to the playlist on spotify .