Jeremiah Sand – Lift It Down
7.6 / 10 Occult ego trip 70s acid folk
Jeremiah Sand Lift It Down was released on October 30th 2020 on Sacred Bones Records.
Jeremiah Sand Lift It Down
Jeremiah Sand Lift It Down is a 60s 70s style psychedelic occult folk rock. The project was made in the 70s by an independent spiritual group in California known as ‘The Children of the New Dawn‘. The leader and spiritual father of the group, Jeremiah Sand, felt that this album was how his message of truth could reach the world. He saw this as his masterpiece, however the album was never fully completed after thousands of hours in the studio and a strange and mysterious several years of spiritual commune leadership.
Now Sacred Bones releases the album for the first time arriving on October 30th 2020, the ideal time of year for this unsettling music. Sacred Bones has released several albums from obscure commune bands form the 1970s including Yahowah 13.
The story behind the music is very cinematic with a commune encamped around a recording studio where their spiritual leader, Jeremiah Sand was recording his message for the world. They purchased studio time for years making music and going out and recruiting others to join ‘The Children’. The organization was well funded and over-payed for their stay in and around the recording studio. The town became worried about what was occurring and members of the group were engaged in the use of psychedelics and cocaine by the end of their stay.
Sand and his followers had to leave with hast one day in 1977 and he told the recording studio to lock it away a lock-box and never open it until Sand returned. Jeremiah Sand disappeared and never return for the tapes. The recording Studio was set fire shortly after the groups hasty departure and burned down.
Lift It Down
The music on Lift It Down is unsettling and dramatic the lyrics are ego-eccentric and ‘spiritually’ themed. Sand sings in spiritually themed poetry that is very intense. The over all feeling is not uplifting but dark and eccentric. It’s like listening to a art house horror film with an superstitious spiritual leader gone horrifically wrong. The music is disturbing dark psych-folk that is veiled in new age themes and spiritual guru.
The instrumentation is psychedelic with modular synths acoustic guitars, flutes, shakers, dramatic choral male and female backing vocals. The music stays in the psych-folk and 70s folk rock genres with a unique spin. There are powerful moments with incredible tones and very interesting arrangements. The unshakable sense of discomfort and paradox permeates the album. Despite all the lyrics about the heart, soul and spiritual love there is also darkness and themes of battling and apocalypse and Sand’s voice has such intensity.
Lift It Down opens with Sands speaking over deep synth and choral vocals which sound like a horror movie soundtrack. This track is Sand’s introduction to his message where he asks you to join him and hand your soul over to him. He states,
“In the darkness, in the emptiness, in the place with no time, in the space that’s no place, in the void that surrounds you; you scream like a child no one can hear you, no one can see you, you cease to exist yet are found. It’s here in this prison but if you can listen you will find your true nature is mine. Fools stumble blindly but the true blind can see this darkness is where you are free. Dare to let go to release your soul into my tender care. I’ll love and caress you and force you recon with all that’s impure in your soul. If you life has a mission it’s here in this moment. Surrender your will to my call. Together we fly up beyond the mortal boundaries into the blinding sun that is me, that is you, beyond recognition we transform and fly to be reborn anew. Together eternal in truth… To die to live live to die the truth is there in the blind of an eye.”
The alternative spiritual groups of the 1970’s were nearly all led by male ‘father’ figures who based much of their membership pitch on themes borrowed from Christianity. The idea of giving away your soul to a male priest with bulging ego and protective wealth. The children and commune followers of the 70s were seeking a strong father figure for spiritual guidance, and protection but mostly many were searching for the father they never had who could see and hear them and take them into spiritual heights. Right or wrong these various groups explored consciousness in new innovative ways and developed the emerging new age spiritual landscape of the USA which emerged from the psychedelic movements of the 60s.
Jeremiah Sand was an inspiration for the main male lead in the indie film Mandy which explores the male ego and revenge.
Jeremiah Sands Lift It Down
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Thank you so much and yes we do all need psychedelic rock acid folk music in 2021 we need more hippies in our world. Peace n love brother.
Very informative!!! Thanks my friend, can’t wait wait until the next one!!! Much love from dmtworld.net!!!