Video: Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe – “Monochrome Wound”
Directed by Jean de Oliveira. From From Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe, out now on A Recordings Ltd.
Oh, man…this is some witchy shit. Tess Parks teams up with Brian Jonestown Massacre bossman Anton Newcombe for a duet (of sorts) and a tour around Aleister Crowley’s Thelema Abbey in Cefalú in Sicily? Hell yes.
Described by Wikipedia as, “This idealistic utopia was to be the model of Crowley’s commune, while also being a type of magical school, giving it the designation ‘Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum’, A College towards the Holy Spirit. The general program was in line with the A∴A∴ course of training, and included daily adorations to the sun, a study of Crowley’s writings, regular yogic and ritual practices (which were to be recorded), as well as general domestic labor. The object was for students to devote themselves to the Great Work of discovering and manifesting their True Will.” It’s now a run-down shack in the middle of the woods, which is oddly appropriate as a metaphor and a monument.
The song is a spooky, sultry rambler right in line with Anton’s mellower takes with BJM accented by Tess Parks’ smoky vocals; this is what my desert dreams are made of.