Melodic Energy Commission - Vancouver other world music CD

core members of the Commission (circa 1979) were:

XALlMAN
A native of Earth who traveled extensively, the galaxies for 10 years before instigating the concept of creating the Melodic Energy Commission.
In 1977 he was living in an artistic commune on Sona.
One memorable day he was asked to assist the
governing collective, to gather and encase
mystery sounds.
Their reason for such a project was
to solve 'the mystery'.
They figured that if a large cross reference catalogue
was created, sense would enter the picture and
'the mystery' would depart.
Simple they thought...after 6 months of negative results
the project was abandoned and 'the mystery' remained.

Xaliman, however was intrigued and requested from
the Crown Princess of Sona, the right to represent her
on a quest to preserve 'the mystery'.
Xaliman believed in it's beauty and soon the Princess did.
A yes was awarded and Xaliman went back to
his home base on Earth to form
the Melodic Energy Commission
and compile the first volume of sounds,
called, STRANGER IN MYSTERY.

In depth interview with Xaliman
by Jerry Kranitz of Aural Innovations

Mark Franklin and Paul Franklin
Paul 1980

Travelers from England who in 1978 lived in the Richmond flatlands south of Vancouver, on Earth.
These brothers (both original Commissioners)
were already pursuing a quest of worshipping 'the mystery'
for it's variety and sonic surprises. They practiced a ceremony
of channeling the surprises through their musical instruments
and encased them as charged magnetic particles
for later playback.
Xaliman thought this was super magnificent because on Sona they used bamboo fibers to loop the sound waves and encase them for later review. This concept of sheer magnetism was amazing...
It wouldn't work on Sona though, because of the intense
magnetic storms that happen every winter. One winter storm
and sonic history would vanish...but on Sona the bamboo
kept growing... and even better after the storms.
This Earth based magnetic techno-trick worked
for Mark and Paul and was to become the chosen technique
for the Commission's methodic sound gatherings.
(Due also to a lack of bamboo in the region)

George McDonald
One day he arrived from an unknown solar system
carrying only a bag of clothes and an unusual
oscillating electronic instrument that was the
popular musical performance device of the place
from whence he came.

Only he, knows where that is...ask him...
however I've never heard him tell anyone where.
On his head he wore a tight fitting cap with a
Peacock feather embroidered on the front
above his eyes. On his arms he wore old
shedded rattle snake skins like leg warmers.
I can't see how they would keep your arms warm
but they sparkled and glistened in
the Earth sunlight just fine .

The oscillating electronic instrument is what really
got him involved with the Commission.
It was similar in concept to the Theremin,
which derives sounds from the energy fields
around one's body. Maybe the snake skins helped
him play the instrument...to mold the energy fields.
George was just one continuous mystery sound
and rather than follow his sound around,
he was invited to join the Commission.

Del Dettmar
Travel into the ongoing lore of HAWKWIND ,
friends and family, to find out something about
this synthesis xtra-ordinaire. Now, lest we say,
he lives in mountains but of recent times has often
traveled the planet, performing with his musical,
electric dual-headed axe (wood choppers variety).
Playing with the likes of NIK TURNER as he
shares knowledge of the eternal Space Ritual.
With a cascading swirl of analogue electrons
igniting imaginations traveling deepest space.

Some say he was guided to Ameri-Canada from EngLand
by a herd of migrating European Gray Snails to meet up
with the Commissioners during the recording sessions
for the first 2 albums.
Kitsilano (near Vancouver) in 1980 was just digesting the psychedelic influences of the early 70's and the Melodic Energy Commission created a recording studio in a
concrete food vault that occupied a corner of the
basement, artistic mecca, in the Soft Rock Cafe.
Between sunning on the beaches and bicycling the parks
and streets, he ducked underground long enough to
record some very amazing electronic musical textures.

Randy Raine-Reusch
During the 70's he dazzled his audiences with an
instrumental style that crossed Jimi Hendrix with
Ravi Shankar....although his instrument of choice
was the Appalachian Dulcimer specially built
with a pick-up that was often plugged into a phaser
and wah-wah pedal.

During the first chapter, in the story of the
Melodic Energy Commission, Randy was frequenting
villages in Indonesia and acquiring new tools
of sonic modeling ability. So many, that
these Commission recordings were to become
the proving grounds that ancient asian instruments
were actually the sonic models for
modern synthesized intonations.
Bang a gong and come along, the journey is
just rounding another corner and
the Mystery smells near again.

His vast collection of hand made pre-electric
instruments represents many lost cultures...
but his goal is to spread an appreciation
of these long lived rhyth-melodic styles
and preserve them into the next millennium
so the Aquarian influence has the chance
to hear the past and interpret the
magic of the music.

Part of this message is carried on the latest recording
by the band called YES who featured Randy
as guest musician on 'The Ladder' - 2001.
He was also on AEROSMITH's 'Pump' album
and an album by the CRANBERRIES.

Explore Migration Lore
A page of lyrics and story to supplement the Commission's music.
This is really the magi-notic liner notes missing from the original LP Migration of the Snails.

Stranger Lyrics and More
The never before published lyrics and lore from Stranger in Mystery

Time is a Slippery Concept
January 2005 heralds their latest album of otherworld music.

"This wild tale that follows them around"
was compiled by Xaliman
It is being updated occasionally.