Guidestones, Law of One & Post-Apocalyptic Humanity

[Soulthriller]

For some reason, the forum won't let me post my entire post (took me half an hour to write it) so I don't know what to do now which makes me feel foolish. I will try again.

I noticed some people feel dismayed at the nuclear footage in the promos, leading them to feel the guys aren't putting forth their most sophisticated/intelligent and best material in Tomorrow's Harvest. However, I feel they are very much doing so.

I find the nuclear focus quite impressionable in a way that will hopefully profoundly affect peoples' psyches given how devastating nuclear is. Before the human race split the atom it wasn't possible to cause complete species self-destruction and planetary annihilation. The showing of this promo video in Japan, a country that is now forever damaged by the nuclear force, I feel is very strategically done, as Fukishima is still fresh in the minds of many who lost their families, loved ones, homes, and had their entire lives turned upside down because of just one nuclear plant melting down.

[Soulthriller]

I personally would have liked the New Clear Dawn (nuclear dawn) name instead of Tomorrow's Harvest but both names to be evoke very sophisticated symbolism, which some may not notice if they are not aware of all the various kinds of symbols and metaphors that BoC may have interlaced within these. These are just two of my personal opinions and propositions as to what they may be but with BoC you never know, it truly can get this deep and strange.

For those saying hyping the dangers of nuclear is 'so 80s' then I ask you to talk to anybody affected by Fukishima if it's so retro and cliche to them. The fact of the matter is that nuclear annihilation, be it purposeful or accidental which is more likely given all the nuclear power plants on fault lines and near water sources. Tomorrow's Harvest may very well in one way be a sound track of a post-apocalyptic humanity where a minute percentage has survived (millions or thousands) and it is eerily quiet across the vast planet, with only pockets of survivors in the lone areas still somewhat habitable.

[Soulthriller]

I have several more paragraphs to post, bringing in the Georgia Guidestones and the Law of One into things but hopefully I can post it once someone else posts as I feel there's a block on posts being too long that the admins instated which is rather annoying since I can't post my entire post in one shot but oh well.

[Snufkin]

Just to request some specificity on this issue, could you state what you think are the aspects of a 'nuclear' theme? Seriously...

Some uninhabited locations in videos? Or, is there more? (there could well be, I'm v.far from online these days so not had a chance to look into as much as some others)

[Phoner_Loner]

When I first saw the cover art and the name of the new album, I was almost certain it would focus on the theme of progression. The abandoned buildings in the teaser video, as well as the photograph of a cityscape on the cover painted very bright future for humanity. A friend quickly pointed out to me the ambiguity of the 'nuclear dawn' album art which is made to look indistinguishable from a sunrise over a bustling city. The numbers stations, nuclear explosions and lack of life in the face of a (at first glance) misleadingly positive cover and album title seem to signify the dichotomy of modern living. We live in an age where we can access anything, go faster and fly further than before, order whatever your heart desires to your doorstep in a few clicks, and yet we also harness the technology to wipe ourselves from the planet within minutes.

[Integer]

I look at the 'Tomorrow's Harvest' theme as mankind reaping what it sows in regards to the excesses and greed that this world is so consumed with in this age of instant gratification and self-indulgence, etc. Whether the ultimate harvest is crises due to continued global warming, deforestation, wars, and so on, or mass devastation by nuclear fallout, it isn't hard for me to see how these sorts of scenarios could affect my life personally in some way, and in that sense it seems very apt and not "retro" at all.

Although, myself being a child of the 70s and 80s as the Sandisons were, and remembering the constant threat of a possible nuclear showdown with the Soviet Union, I could appreciate a little Cold War nostalgia as a possible album theme.

[Waz]

New (Clear) Dawn Rising? Turquoise Memories? With a cover that's a washed-out picture of a nature scene?

Can you just confirm to me that it's some kind of joke about dull, creatively-bankrupt people? Thanks.

[zeitgeist]

Soulthriller, please continue. I'll reserve my comments until you have a chance to finish your thoughts.

[Cab Dreaming]

Maybe it's nuclear (new clear) dawn because the sun is a monumental nuclear generator that re-energises the Earth starting at dawn. Tomorrow's Harvest would probably start when the sun comes up too.

The general conception of nuclear energy is moulded by stories of Hiroshima, Chernobyl, weapons of mass destruction and it's all DOOM DOOM DOOM but if it wan't for natural nuclear fission/ fusion there wouldn't be the life on earth as we know it now.

the process got hijacked by some clever monkeys and goes a bit tits up now and then, but in it's raw form it's a pretty beneficial thing.

[Soulthriller]

I think I figured out what the problem was, it appears that when I tried to post links in a certain way it didn't convert properly. Here is the rest of my reply. Again, this is going into very different territory but I always like to think my favorite music artists dive to esoteric depths every now and again.

Continued from my earlier post:

...Now that everything has gone to the sands of time because of the nuclear force causing so much destruction, what is this post-apocalyptic society supposed to do? How is it going to go on living and functioning as a collective? If only there were some sort of guidelines for modeling society. But wait, there are! Located in the American state of Georgia made from massive Pyramid blue granite are guidestones for a post-apocalyptic humanity (http://peaceandloveism.com/blog/2009/06 ... uman-race/ ) that can guide the way for humanity so it does not perform the same mistakes it has before that had arrived it at where it was. According to the Kardashev scale, humanity is still in the domain of a Type 0 civilization and even though we have the ability to split the atom we do not have the capability to control if fully enough to the point where there won't be any possibility of negative repercussions (nuclear meltdowns, low consciousness-minded people or groups using the nuclear force for intimidation, destruction, etc).

Now, here is another alternative I propose, which is playing on the Tomorrow's Harvest title of the album. A few decades ago there was a massive collection of channeled transmissions from an entity/localized sentient consciousness calling itself RA that led to the creation of the Law of One transmissions (http://www.lawofone.info/results.php?c=Harvest ). Whatever your opinion on channelings (as they are just opinions) there is much talk of a coming harvest of humans/souls in the not-to-distant future present where those resonating with at least half of their consciousness in a positive state/energy will literally shift into a higher vibrational state of existence and live on earth in in the next subtler dimension of Reality/the Multiverse/M-Theory wonderland. This is tomorrow's harvest of the people who radiated goodness and lived the Golden Rule in all they did, or at least tried their best to do so. The music of this album in that case would be a soundtrack of this dawn of a new day on a new earth unfamiliar to humanity before.

Of course, none of this could be reflective of the reality of why BoC chose the themes they did as they are one of the most mysterious artists in the 21st century, a time when doing so has become incredibly difficult yet kudos to them for pulling it off. These are my opinions and you can do with them as you please but I wished to take things to a radically different position of awareness because the mind has no limits when it dwells in possibility.

[Soulthriller]

New (Clear) Dawn Rising? Turquoise Memories? With a cover that's a washed-out picture of a nature scene?

Can you just confirm to me that it's some kind of joke about dull, creatively-bankrupt people? Thanks.

New Clear Dawn was the rumored album title of the upcoming Boards of Canada album in 2009 but this never happened. The New Dawn Rising is not connected to this as I just found out about the NCD album title rumor a few weeks ago and is not connected to any of the political symbolism using this phrase but rather refers to the emergence of a new paradigm and a new worldview the transpersonal consciousness of humanity is forming...the grooves are being dug deeper and deeper until it will fully replace and transcend the old paradigm of dischord and disharmony with all systems within the consciousness matrix of Reality that we find ourselves experientially existing in and as a part of. Using this theme as a base, it was the title of a dreamwave mix I did last year (http://soundcloud.com/turquoise-memorie ... awn-rising ).

Wider the horizon of your awareness to more possibilities then the ones you believe are probable. Hope this answers your question.

[Kopriva]

In the event of a nuclear disaster, it is humans who are harvested, and it could very well happen tomorrow.

[Waz]

Okay. Looking forward to your track Turquoise Pentagon Bum, which is definitely completely original due to transcendental time waves or some other fucking horseshit.

[rainier]

In the event of a nuclear disaster, it is humans who are harvested, and it could very well happen tomorrow.

it's people! Tomorrow's harvest is made out of people! They're making our albums out of people.

[North by North]

In the event of a nuclear disaster, it is humans who are harvested, and it could very well happen tomorrow.

it's people! Tomorrow's harvest is made out of people! They're making our albums out of people.

I knew it!

Soulthriller- I appreciated the read and your in-depth thoughts. Hoping the brothers elaborate in an interview about the album!

[energywarning]

Of course, none of this could be reflective of the reality of why BoC chose the themes they did as they are one of the most mysterious artists in the 21st century, a time when doing so has become incredibly difficult yet kudos to them for pulling it off. These are my opinions and you can do with them as you please but I wished to take things to a radically different position of awareness because the mind has no limits when it dwells in possibility.

Soulthriller:

I brought this up in another thread, but thought I'd share my little idea of an insight with this one because it seems more relevant. Please pardon the redundancy.

"...the choice of San Francisco/Naval Air Station Alameda is really interesting. I recently started reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which takes place after 'World War Terminus' (an incredibly damaging nuclear melee). The main character, Rick Deckard, works as an android bounty hunter. From what I can tell thus far...animals are scarce and the remnants of nuclear destruction are all too common.

The story takes place in San Francisco and, according to the book's wiki (trying hard not to ruin anything for myself though), Deckard lives on the east side of the San Francisco Bay which is where Alameda is located. Apparently the area was an Indian burial ground, and base was pretty active during the Cold War (http://www.alamedanavalairmuseum.org/History/NAS.aspx). Now, it's a Superfund site ("...EPA's program to identify, investigate and clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites throughout the United States."). As a person in the environmental field...the thought rattles the mind. I'm not sure if this was the reason for choosing San Francisco, but it seems like it could be something that influenced the brothers...being the inspiration for Blade Runner and all.

Each one of their albums has a theme. The nostalgia of MHTRTC, the creepy/sociopolitical Geoogaddi, and the psychedelic road trip of The Campfire Headphase. The artwork suggests something both futuristic but nodding to that Cold War-era nuclear fear. But it seems as though these harsh possibilities are more real than ever or, at the very least, more likely than at the time of "duck and cover" techniques."

I'm certain that there is more to the choice, but I thought it was an interesting parallel that could be made.

[rainier]

Just some thoughts on nuclear paranoia. Like a lot of kids born in the 70s and early 80s I grew up with the fear of nukes hanging over my head. At the same time I had my parents saying "don't worry, it will never happen, don't be scared". Then I remember in 5th grade they told us about Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I felt utterly betrayed by every authority figure in my life, I was just a kid and of course they were just trying to protect me from something terrifying but still, all I could think was "how could you lie to me? I knew this was something to be scared of!"

It had a huge impact on me. I remember I made these little felt dolls of Japanese families and would like, try to protect them. I just felt so much horror about it and I still do.

[energywarning]

Just some thoughts on nuclear paranoia. Like a lot of kids born in the 70s and early 80s I grew up with the fear of nukes hanging over my head. At the same time I had my parents saying "don't worry, it will never happen, don't be scared". Then I remember in 5th grade they told us about Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I felt utterly betrayed by every authority figure in my life, I was just a kid and of course they were just trying to protect me from something terrifying but still, all I could think was "how could you lie to me? I knew this was something to be scared of!"

It had a huge impact on me. I remember I made these little felt dolls of Japanese families and would like, try to protect them. I just felt so much horror about it and I still do.

As a child of the '90s, I find it strange that there wasn't much of a similar threat until now, really. People forget things very quickly when not faced with the reality of it. That may or may not be a product of our times (i.e. having so much information available that we don't have to dwell). Sometimes I wonder about who still considers Fukushima and how those implications can carry over into new discussions about nuclear power/disarmament.