hermann hesse

John Coltrane once said: “My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it in my music. If you live it, when you play there’s no problem because the music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being.”

REDEFINE magazine is pitching “Mystical & Spiritual Ideas In Modern Music”, a SXSW 2013 panel that will explore how creation is influenced when musicians have strong foundations in the metaphysical. Artists will share how spiritual beliefs affect musical creation and its end goals, how it supports transformation on individual and cultural levels, what role rituals and symbols play in art, and how to balance intent and intuition in the artistic process.

If you support our panel concept, please view its full description and vote for it at http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/3484, between August 13th and August 31st, 2012.

To drum up support for this panel, we have also created an infographic of quotes from great musicians, writers, artists, scientists, and philosophers, to timeline how the connection between music and spirituality has changed through the years. Below the jump, you can see the full graphic, which features 32 influential creators ranging from Ludwig van Beethoven to James Joyce and Albert Einstein, John Cage to Joseph Campbell and Flying Lotus. SEE IT HERE.

In REDEFINE’s first bi-lingual interview, we speak with Gabriele Ottino, director behind the acid trip visuals for Italian electronic artist TOMAT’s latest track, “1984″. Taking inspiration from George Orwell and a wide cross-section of human affairs, the video mixes archival footage of events between June 1st and June 6th, 1984, glitch and pixel elements, and modern day footage of the musician into a brightly-colored visual slideshow.

Drawing from antiquated influences and software, directors Dawid Krepski and Jason Chiu translate the hazy pop sounds of New York musician Beca into a narrative about the understanding and acceptance of the self, whatever that may look like. Below, both directors and Beca answer a brief Q&A about the creative process and underlying message of the “Fall Into Light”.