Huge thank you to Glastonbury Radio 432 in the UK for honouring us as the first international band to be their artist of the month!
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We will be floating on the Glastonbury airwaves today around 12 pm EST / 5 pm UK time. Have a listen to the station here: https://glastonburyradio432.com/
As the name suggests, Glastonbury Radio 432 plays music that is tuned to A=432Hz, like our new single, Dark Crystal, instead of the modern 20th century concert pitch standard of A=440Hz. Other songs we’ve released with this tuning are Walk Away (Exodus), Terra Nova, Tonight, and Afrika.
Here’s a playlist of 5th PROJEKT songs tuned to A=432Hz for you to check out…
We’ve experimented with various tunings over the years, including performing and releasing several early demos in 444Hz, however, the majority of our songs are recorded in the standard tuning of 440Hz. But, there’s something special about 432Hz that we just keep coming back to for some songs.
There are a lot of strange stories surrounding tuning to 432Hz which are fun to read, but not all are factual and some are quite fancy. One in particular, would make a great Indiana Jones film. What’s fascinating, is that the majority of these didn’t exist a decade ago when we began experimenting with this tuning, so it makes you wonder where they are coming from, and why they are being created in the first place, doesn’t it? Seems kind of odd.
However, there is a very real and very interesting curiosity of mathematical harmonics within the dimensions of The Great Pyramid of Giza in relationship to the speed of light, the sun, the moon, the earth, and the human body that all involve the number 432. This gets into all sorts of ancient Mystery School traditions that we’ll leave for another entry.
But before we do leave that thought, consider the assertions of The Great Wizard, Nikola Tesla, after studying the ancient Egyptians when he said the the secrets of the Uni-Verse are in the numbers 3, 6, and 9. In numerology, 432 reduces to 9 (4+3+2=9).
It is because of this specific harmonic mathematical relationships in that mysterious megalithic monument of Egypt that we initially tuned our instruments to this pitch as an experiment in frequency. Music is based upon harmonic mathematical relationships and ratios, so our intent was the employment of this number in order for our music to be in alignment with our solar system, planet and our bodies. Theoretically.
The fact of whether it is or isn’t is irrelevant for the most part because we noticed a very tangible physiological difference in our bodies between playing a song in 432Hz vs. 440Hz that cannot be denied; sometimes songs tuned to A=432Hz noticeably and naturally relax the body of listeners, so we employ it whenever that’s our goal. Often, in these cases, the timbre of the instruments and the richness of the harmonic overtones sound better at a slightly lower pitch, too, especially using acoustic instruments. It also makes shrill tones warmer and more pleasing to the ear.
But, if you think about it, going from 440 to 432 lowers the pitch by 8 Hz, creating a bit more slack in the string. Perhaps the simplicity of less tension in the string translates to less tension in the frequency of the sound, ergo less tension in the body? The point is that it feels better, and that’s all that matters.
Music, just like magick, is all about creating a feeling with intention. Like ritual magicians, musicians utilize specific tools to achieve specific results. This has been the tradition since the days of the Bards from the ancient order of the Druids.
In our experience, this tuning suits the human voice, open string and drone instruments best. The history of drone music (and the incredible buildings that were created specifically for that music) dates back into antiquity. A reverberation of the natural and infinite vibration that brought our Uni-Verse into existence. It is due to this tradition that drone music has been a foundation of our sound since the beginning, in one form or another.
On our upcoming EP, featuring Dark Crystal, we’ve partnered with Toronto dr(((o)))ne artist, Delia Bradbury, who employs A=432Hz tuning to create their ethereal compositions. The instrumental atmospheric pieces range in length from anywhere between 5 minutes to an hour. Perfect for yoga, meditation, studying, bedtime, or as an ambient soundscape to your creative pursuits. Check out http://DeliaBradbury.com