Euphoric Nocturne

Catharsis I: Sunshine and Dragonflies
(Approach this as you wish, watch first and read later or vice-versa, or simultaneously)

Hello everyone! This is Euphoric Nocturne chiming in. As I have said in my previous entry, The Catharsis Project is an ongoing multimedia development, so it may come in many different forms in order to help express myself in various different ways. This is my first attempt at trying something like this in a very long time so please bear with me if this runs into the ground as a complete and utter failure.

My first presentation is that of a video compilation consisting of one of my hobbies, which consists of hanging around the lake early in the morning to watch the sunrise, followed by or preceding a good long walk to clear my nerves, I do this rain or shine, sickness and health, from summer to winter all year long provided that it is still physically possible, although I recall going there one winter morning only to encounter a giant wall of snow blocking all pathways as it is only accessible via viaduct. (Here I go trailing off again). I first started working on this early September. The many photos and videos I took over the course of the past few months have provided me with ample material to work with. I had also taken time to search through my somewhat massive music library to find the right music to fit into it. I also plan to place a little intro chime at the beginning of any future video I upload to put my little signature into it as you can see at the beginning.

My original choices of music for the video were “Heartsong” by Zwan, “Everything is Moving So Fast” by Great Lake Swimmers, followed by “Time Has Told Me” and finishing with “From the Morning” by Nick Drake. I thought “Heartsong” would be a great way to introduce the video because of its echoed guitar to portray the expansive landscape, I mean how couldn’t I begin the video with lyrics that tell you to come in and make yourself at home, as that’s my intent, I want to bring any and all of you into my world and see through my eyes and hear what goes through my mind. It is a way for those who aren’t there to see what I see. I would then transition into the slower “Everything is Moving So Fast”. I thought it was just brilliant to put in “Everything..” in there afterwards, I loved the idea that first you’re whisked away into this place in “Heartsong”, followed by settling in and relaxing with “Everything…”. The part that made it so enjoyable was the exact moment when the singer sings “Everything is moving so fast” is exactly when the sun starts to peak above the horizon I just thought to myself “Whoa! Are you friggin’ kiddin’ me?! This is friggin awesome!!” I wanted to keep same pace afterwards. I had immediately thought of Nick Drake, I always loved his sound and I thought it would be good to keep with the folk sound where Great Lake Swimmers Left off so I continued with “Time has Told Me”, I found it to be such a beautiful song, it has this simple yet rich and contemplative feel to it which give the same aura whenever I look out there, that all I see is the water, the sky, the clouds, from which it has provided me with the canvas to behold what my imagination fills in between. With just enough room left in the video I thought the final song should be “From the Morning” also by Nick Drake. It felt like this song was a necessity if I ever planned on making such a video, the lyrics fit surprisingly well, we are told to look and “see the sights and endless summer night” as the camera spans across the swarm of dragonflies. And from the morning the video ends as the sun continues to brighten.

I had thought to myself “wow, I feel kinda proud of this”. I felt good that my seemingly idle days could amount to something, maybe it could serve as a reminder to country my cynical and bitter side, that when I feel that my life has not amounted to much, it was probably because I forgot to notice the simple things that keep me going.

I had tried to upload this to YouTube, only to grow disappointed at how the music was blocked and muted because of copyright claims from Universal and Warner Media Groups (more like multinational conglomerates) Honestly, I don’t think Nick Drake or his family would have had any problem with such an action. But seeing this is more of an issue to the “industry”, it is a matter of money and profit to them. Disappointed, I had contemplated forgoing the video altogether seeing no possible substitute to my song choices. But knowing the importance I had placed on this project it would have to go on.

I had dug into my expansive music library once more to look for music that was emotionally connected to and untouchable by the corporate copyright claims. The various works of Billy Corgan and primarily the Smashing Pumpkins have provided much of the soundtrack of my current life so I thought that would be good enough for me. I did not want to put anything that was well known or too obvious, as it would make it feel inauthentic, as well as copyright claims claiming anything that is too well known. I had then settled on live and demo recordings because it felt that despite lacking in the polished sound of a studio recording, the unrefined and unpolished recordings gave a sense of intimacy and sincerity.

The song to whisk you in is “Whir” a b-side by the Smashing Pumpkins, whose acoustic guitar and general mellowness provides the dreamy aesthetics. The second song is a live rendition of “Mary Star of The Sea” by Corgan’s other band Zwan. I love how the sounds of guitars just twinkle in as the sun begins to rise over the horizon; it felt natural to the mood. The final song is an instrumental demo written during Pumpkins’ Adore Era titled “Autumn”. I like how this song has that sort of folksy feeling to it reminiscent of my first choice of Nick Drake. It had the same contemplative sound albeit more somber than “From the Morning”. Nevertheless, it gave the same sense of wonder as it pans from dragonflies to steel gratings to the heart-shaped leaves and into the blinding sunlight.

I know it sounds like I have put a lot of thought into this video as I have written much about it. When I first started making this in the brief time it was, it felt like something that was made on a whim, but somehow it just “felt” right. Everything that you see here written has only been made after the video, making it a sort of retrospective, making me doubt as if I ever thought the same thoughts as I was making it. But what amazes me about the mind is that I could have thought these same thoughts the instant I was making it. I think what I thought when I was making this is just a highly condensed form of the words you see written here.

For lack of a better ending, I'll see you soon wherever and whenever it may be.

E. Nocturne