In 1922, Manly P. Hall penned Initiates of the Flame, a seminal study simmering with secrets of the esoteric and the mystical. Hall dives deep into the cryptic currents of ancient mystery schools and covert societies, unraveling their symbolic and philosophical threads. He dishes out a cocktail of historical heft and metaphysical musings, focusing on the transformative trails trodden by spiritual seekers. Through allegory and acute analysis, Hall probes the perplexing paths of enlightenment, the veiled layers of human consciousness, and the relentless pursuit of profound wisdom. In this dense dance of revelation, Hall uncovers the concealed contours of enlightenment and the shadows lurking in the quest for truth.
The arcane allure of Initiates of the Flame fuels the chorus of Doctrine, the latest from the Dandy of the Los Angeles underworld, Blone Noble. With his trademark Bowie-esque baritone, Noble commands us to follow the esoteric path toward personal enlightenment. Though the waters may be choppy, it is essential to stay the course.
This icy installment of New Wave, dominated by plush ARP Solina strings and punchy LinnDrum beats, channels the sounds of New Order The Sisters of Mercy, Blancmange, and John Foxx. Thundering bass sequencers and a chorus-drenched slap section recall Ashes to Ashes. Noble’s songwriting, infused with spiritual insight, merges Beat poetry’s wordplay with his personal journals. Though the sound of Doctrine is cool and aloof, his message is warm and inviting – the very essence of detachment itself.
“The song is a mantra, an affirmation, a reminder to stay the course and resist the recurring temptation to run over myself,” he says.
Blone Noble’s music video is a minimalist marvel: he performs tai chi with visuals echoing the essence of the human aura. Distorted effects, generated live in-camera, lend a haunting quality to the scene. Filmed in black and white with vintage 1960s RCA broadcast cameras by Fred Joseph, the footage gets a meticulous edit from Pat Salway at Veneer Publications. The result is a striking blend of movement and mystique, where every gesture and glitch amplifies the enigmatic energy of the performance.
Don’t give your soul away – watch “Doctrine” below.
For the upcoming album, Noble (aka Pat Salway) turned to his own diary entries, chronicling the end of a long relationship. Not one to do things by halves, he left his longtime home in a famous historic occult temple in the Hollywood Hills and moved to entirely new and unfamiliar territory, embracing the unknown with open arms and a curious mind.
“I decided to move into a skid row hotel and get rid of all possessions not directly linked to the creation of art, including my car,” he says. “The result has been as intended—a torrent of inspired activity and a deeper connection to my purpose.”
Blone Noble took charge of producing Doctrine, handling all instrumentation and recording at his Downtown Los Angeles studio in The Hotel Bristol. Drummer Brendan Peleo-Lazar contributed additional percussion, recorded at 7 Levels Studio in East Hollywood. The track was mixed and mastered by long-time collaborator Jonny Bell at Jazz Cats Studio.
Veneer Publications has released an ultra-limited edition of 20 lathe-cut 7” records of Doctrine, each featuring a unique picture disc with original prose handwritten by Blone Noble himself. Listen below and purchase the album here.
Blone Noble will unveil his debut EP through San Francisco’s Industry Standards, run by Stewart Kuhlo, formerly of Spiritual Cramp. After a successful European tour in July, hitting Paris, Barcelona, Budapest, and London, Blone Noble is gearing up for another tour this fall to promote the EP. There are whispers of a full-length LP on the horizon for early next year.
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