GUILD NAVIGATORS

Science Fiction less science more fiction:
In my interview with Guild Navigators leader Christopher G. Meade I was able to discover earlier and much lesser known information about the legendary GUILD NAVIGATORS. According to Christophe the Guild were incarnated on May 25, 1995 at 5:55 pm at a Pizza Hut (next to a Burger King and a hokey Indonesian Restaurant called BANGKOK PALACE. I will confess they have amazing Hung Lo Mein.
The Guild Nav were started by the roguish, semi-famous Christophe G Von Meade the Xth. Von Meade, now more well known as a future modern, pre-Cambrian style classical space-noize-pop rock composer, he has agreed to be interviewed by me, albeit a rare occurrence for this somber and reclusive heir to post-industrialist paper mill fortune.
Although Mr. Meade is world re-known to some as a musical genius and as a modern composer, there is a darker side to him. Tales have circulated and accusations have run amok about this seemingly apparent gentleman of space rock and that he has committed strange acts upon unwitting victims. In sources I cannot reveal at this time for their own safety, Christophe Von Meade has also allegedly been known to some prior, to be one and the same as the beastly, anti-heroic and greenly irradiated undead being called "Spaceley". This grim monstrous Commander Spaceley character is so far mostly a somewhat slanderous Legend perpetrated against Mr. Mead , that has it's roots in common speak of the old gas lamp lit streets of Chillicothe; and that this alleged ghastly being has committed unspeakable acts within and outside of the confines of the realm known to only a few as the Guild Sanctum.
This supposed Spaceley character is still at large, apparently seen through the dark ally's and brushy hillsides and back wooded farmlands of Ross Country, in the cloudy, mist veiled Appalachian state of Ohio.
The legend and it's beginnings goes something like this: Spaceley, was originally a punk kid musician, originally known as " the freak spealy". Rumors have circulated that he eats or did eat the various undead body parts of young females, while still living. It is also rumored that he has killed, consumed and eaten young feminine gay men, but these are less believable stories because of the unreliability of their sources. Things only a flesh eating creature that lives by night would do.
Supposedly this Spaceley character was then later abducted by some form of covert Government Organization with possible ties to a Secret Society, with sightings of him not surfacing again until recently. In More recent accounts according to several F.B.I. WANTED posters that depict COMMANDER SPACELEY often cleverly disguised as a roguish homeless man, witnesses have seen him purveying the streets of the small southern Ohio paper mill town, from where I sit interviewing Von Meade at this very day and time! My intuition tells me that it's all just a clever disguise for a talented guitarmancer of this caliber as Von Meade has been known to don a similar guise, or costume rather, whilst performing on the stage with said band Guild Navigators.
He says done only so as too draw awareness to the danger and lethal proclivities of such a monstrous rogue as this freakish Commander Spaceley character.
Von Meade, surprisingly also stated that "Spaceley has ingeniously conjured the very same look to confuse those on his trail no doubt, and draw more suspicion back to me, occasionally dressing as normal person, we look strikingly similar, I believe he is a changeling!"
But as of this interviewers' time and date with Mr. Meade, he has not made any comments about such accusations pointing to him as the actual necromantic scourge besides that he claims to not be the true Spaceley. Von Mead is somewhat of an expert on the occult and strange phenomena, his knowledge of the Spaceley legend is oddly very extensive.
I will only tell you this my faithful readers, Watch out and BEWARE of the true Spaceley, he is a dangerous, undead astro-zombie with a damaged Psyche of even lesser known origins and treacherous meta-psychic abilities, anomalous to most researchers who study such esoteric knowledge!!
He is simply a harbinger of death, a ferryman to a hellish underworld, a spiraling vortex that has been known to trap living souls in dark horrid cosmic places, for long periods of time
Mr. Meade, it's been said you enjoy a good quality chocolate covered espresso bean, dryly roasted for maximum effect. It's no mystery to me then that when I talk to you Mr. Mead you are holding a real bad energy drink for lack of good quality espresso bean?
"Yeah, what about it?"
But enough about all this diabolical ghoulishness and your personal habits! Let us continue with our interview.
Sir, About the Guild Navigators, and your...apparent likeness or representation of this diabolical entity you merely represent strictly as an artifice for your band. You claim only done as just a persona; a metaphor displayed by you just a kind harmless front man for a modern rock band. Simply put for entertainment purposes only?
Mr. Meade: "Yes, that's correct".
Sir, over the Last Decade you have had many different members and incarnations of band lineup within your ranks. The Guild Navigators remind me of something like a Swedish swash buckling gang of urban space thugs and usually badly dressed, or not dressed at all, you have revolutionized Space Rock and with you as the front man the Guild have made historic waves in the realms of Noise Rock, as well as Psychedelic Punk 'n Roll. Meade: "We have taken different forms in overall sound, delivery and styles within a larger genre. We are a multi-style band with influences ranging from 16th Century classical shock rock to 1920's style West Virginian steamer-punk, cosmic voyage macabre macho metal as well as psychotic Irish doom folk, not to mention heavy usage of industrial derived Himalayan coal miner chants in the key of E along with epic protest anthems of snow, ice, ice-men, snow men, bad smelling ice men, yellow snow and annoying Red Chinese "liberators" of the Dung Que family of the Xequong Province. You could say that we're a tribal-lama style roving kung-fu band and the list of styles we do is like an autumnal equinox moon, forever waxing and waning!!It is at times Lovecraftian Poe-Epic."
So says Von Mead. But surely you joke sir? "No, Simply put, Guild Navigators operate as a separate but free thinking individualistic unit and are all huge music fans/connoisseurs". Over the years their critics have merely downplayed their importance or have just overlooked them altogether and have in the past referred to them as "melangy burrito eating hillbilly's, just old rotten money looking for new thrills, rich pukes spoiled on a fat inheritance, usually with little or no life of their own, let alone classical musical abilities.
Spaceley retorts..."That's more than a laugh". Other critics have said " They (G.N.) should just return to their old moldy graves from whence they came!" Harsh words from well respected music fan zine editors. Mr. Mead's response to this? "They are right, no one in this group is classically trained in the proper sense, yet we are trained in a much deeper, darker more occultist tradition, long lost to the people of this age. A pre-neoclassical, cthonic school if I may call it that, a school of magical music art that dates back several eons and from a source unknown to most and still mostly unknown to it's practitioners. Even the wizened men of the olden age secret schools of Europe know only minimal principals of this type of Guitarmancy, which is one way I would describe it" But of the larger genre of rock especially SPACEROCK as it's come to be known since (the Guild's majestic entrance onto the scene in the magical year of 1995) no other band was able to accomplish what the Guild have accomplished.
But their critics say "very little". Is to of their own fault? I'm not one to judge. This interviewer believes the Guild have achieved possibly a new apex in sound styles, fusing two disparate but deeply interesting styles of music together: The pulsating speedy thud of Hard Core and Psychedelic Ambient-electronic sound scape of Space music, which becomes A sort of Space-Core or Cosmic Speed-Core.
One could also say Guild members are Emotionally, mentally, politically, spiritually, prosaically, metaphorically and financially still really really striving for independence from their restrictive parental or a sort of girlfriendish financial threshold, that has limited them in financial and physical mobility to go beyond the gates of Ohio, without getting locked into someone else's philosophy. Von Meade bemoans how they are constantly overlooked by a kinder media outlets. Meade coyly says "I'm looking at YOU - AP" (laughs)
The Guild certainly don't want to get lost in someone else way of thinking with production, which could rob them of their signature uniqueness. Meade says "Were often overlooked but never imitated!! That means potentially those who suck the life from you in your everyday run around, like parents, the boss, the political leaders, the instant success gurus, producers or any of that, will never cop steal the magic and steal money from you or us, join us in our quest, listen to our magical sounds, envelope yourself in them and let it wash over your soul, you will forever be changed and addicted to the pulsating sound of Guild Navigators magical muscle music. You will want more, I guarantee it". So says the Guilds fearless leader.
He also revealed to me "Sometimes I just don't want to argue about whether the Dali Lama should get first dibs on the PB&J sandwiches resting on a Buddha's foot anymore, DAMMIT" (devilish laughs)
With left field statements like this often occurring and rather somewhat sublimely, their songs like the sandwiches he talks about, give way to their mantra "that the cosmos is old and it's skin is cold, but it's all new to us (laughs) don't let life ever get old, open up your wallets, your minds and your souls to us, we can lead you to a new cosmic dawn. If the west is the best, then the east is the beast".
Guild Navigators are not ones to latch on to the Cliche's that try to work their way so typically and so often into the music scene. "We ignore them and often try to kill them and perhaps resurrect them for our own needs, we don't need YOU!". I ask him about politics in light of recent campaigns and such a significant change in American history with the election of a new bi-racial presidential figure. He goes on to say.. "We don't necessarily support leftists, democrats, moderates, republicans, centralist, fence riding politically idealistic acrobats or anything like that. That's all for narrow view lemmings and followers. We unnaturally do not wish to alienate these people because, well you know, we have been the aliens quite often, more often than perhaps normal, and usually it happens at a Bob Evans Restaurant or the local bowling ally or a Marathon station when we're not on tour across Ohio for the fun of it. Around here it's called "Bobnormalcy" " and then we just sink into our own dark, cool individual living bubbles which is what Punk Rawkness is really all about". But we are strong, very strong and mostly healthy, time machines can aquire many special things for the right seeker. We do it. Just ask Hawkwind they know what thats all about. And like those wonderful aging rock n roll celtic druids, we are harvesters of ancient interplanetary starlight energy. But also you have Captain Beyond or Gong or Steve Hillage or Black Sabbath or Be Bop Deluxe or Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, all significant predacesors to the Guild Navigators.
I ask him about matters on a much deeper more esoteric level. I'm curious to get a feel for his view on life and existence. Von Meade says.. "Ahh yes, The continued existence of existing together but independently. Well, our core beliefs are subject to change at any moment, ""the times they are a changing""" constantly as Bob Dylan prophetically stated in 1963"".
So you could say your flexible?
" If it suites our purposes, whenever and wherever with whomever we want anywhere or anytime and place regardless of prevailing political ideologies or whatever or by whomever a particular politically motivated super-Eco-maniacle-industrial-diatribalists have to say as their free market- Wall Street-Ponzi schemes are collapsing all around."
Ahhh, true words of genius from Von Meade!! Not only that, he goes on to say.. "But I digress!"
My interview with Mr. Mead took a turn towards the sublime as he mentioned to me that no matter who you are, or what your beliefs, you are going to be awe struck by the true forging of an original sound laid down by the musical prowess of a small elite force of 21st Century Sonic Space crusaders. The suave Von Meade had to end our interview rather abruptly as he was to attend a Lunarista Equinox party later this evening. It's my hope to have merely hit the tip of the blazing spear, piercing the heart of the unknowing regular Joe music lover with this interview! And as only the mere bystander, reporting to you the rumblings of a possible new musical phenomenon my suggestion to you oh Mr. Music lover is to go out and track down the Guild Navigators truly amazing latest release Death Race Beyond the Stars a split EP (that stands for Extra Play) CD shared with fellow Sci-Fi rock revivalists, Jet Jaguar. If you can obtain their pioneering first un-official release into the music realm at large, consider yourself lucky. At this interview date, the release is officially sold out. The subtly titles Phase 1 - The Last Decade and Phase 2 - Unknown Zone or more simply known as just "ZONE" with tracks like Lost in Time and Cult of the Rotating Cross, its a must have as well but also succumbing to long since vanquished supplies . DEATH RACE BEYOND THE STARS, an ode to Death, and Rebirth and darkness throughout Space and the Stars or just winter in Ohio!! But don't believe me, seek it, feel it and realize it's true potential of one of the greatest unsung space rock musical creations of now and all time to come.
Christophe Von Mead I thank you for taking the time to be interviewed. "Your quite welcome sir. May I make one last hopefully insightful statement by saying: well you know, if it takes all kinds to make you feel bad for doing what feels good, when your not for sure if your right most of the time, Well then say to yourself your sorta wrong, or maybe just a little confused about things, well then watch those things with TRUE strength survive with their beliefs intact must have WILLPOWER over all and have your own future in your own grasp, not in THEIR less than righteous place, For it shall be that the rock band known as the COSMIC GUILD NAVIGATORS will reign supreme amongst all bands far and wide, and our critics and nay Sayers will be groveling at our feet. Let the powers of the Universe be our sword and shield and talent and capability to conquer all barriers that stand in our way of accomplishing our desires and goals!!!!"
And I as I wrap up our insightful and revealing interview, Mr. Von Meade so prosaically and mysteriously states to all his fans and enemy's alike "you should feel blessed your aloud to disagree with me, I have made it easy for you to do so".
If I were to describe the music of the Guild to a complete stranger, I often like to tell them all the amazing visual and metaphorical references that spring up, whilst in the middle of a midnight stillness, a head phone wearing primal Ordovician jam session blazing harmonic tones of a dark mesmerizing old underworld, whilst absorbing new vibrations from ancient artifacts. They portray dream visions of fallen meteors, somber and galactic interludes of blazing fiery suns and dusty nebulae, ancient decaying Gothic styled cities of ages long past, filled with souls engaged in orgiastic stimulation's, imploding in a lusty orgasmic dreamy star scape excursion of a tumultuous child hood remembrance. And air ships floating by as if propelled by the exhaled aether of a giants lungs.
A Statement from The Guild Navigators: GUILD NAVIGATORS do it OUR way. And what is space rock anyway? I think Sinatra said it best: "forever free and forever on this cosmic rock/metal adventure, you don't need governments and corporations or big time political mob bosses and labels telling you what to do tricking you into allowing them into your life when your just trying to f'n keep up, slogging corn bred down with a Miller Lite at 4 in the morning, trying to be hip, reading murder books and and trying to stay fit". So remember: stay aware of the wolves in cheap clothing, and don't forget to remember to not get un-swindled by those rotten pretty faces because smiling jowls do deceive, don't be a sucker for a bad rendition of Old Bojangles doing a bad Irish Jig at an Amish Supermarket! It's un-parenthetic and hypocritical to say the least!! Keep that grass roots and underground spirit alive, sorta like a sophomorish punk rock-ish, moshing, Amish man, keep it real rebel metal! Its a DIY spirit, that's best served frozen, or like a shepherd shit pie, ya better keep it alive, Aye, it's still alive, AYE??
On a more important and serious note, Here is the latest and greatest contribution to the more important world of music. This is a non-free CD release *only* with original gate fold artwork fromGuild Navigators front guy C.G.Mead. Here is Jet Jaguar vs. Guild Navigators in this 14 song split ep-cdr-maximized for maximal audio enjoyment called:Death Race Beyond the Stars.
PROMO:
You will find a highly imaginative journey into the darkest realms of a musical Science Fictionnetherworld.
From fiery apocalyptic audio scenery to journeys into the future. You will find yourself immersed andmarooned on desert island like planetesimals singing cyberspace campfire punk chants and hollers in some lonely corner of our galaxy. You may findyourself being seduced in your tv room by a sexy fem-alien in the middle of the night. Good head phones are no onlyrecommended but essential!
Come experience first hand the battle that rages between these deep space cruisers and muchmore. Order your copy before they are gone. Available for a limited time as there are only a limited amount pressed. Distributionavailable soon through Black Widow Records and Distribution in Italy.
Original Promo: Imagine yourself somewhere back in time, in a comfy seat at a darkened movie theater watching that mostamazing sci-fi action adventure movie. Remember the amazing sensation it had on you and it's effect on your imagination.
You were excited about the experience and after the film you were amazed and thouroughly satisfied, perhaps even entranced by the experience. That is what this split audio cd attempts to do foryou, but on a smaller scale.
Let Death Race Beyond the Stars take you far out of your mundane reality and send you on an frolicking science fiction adventureinto SPACE the way it was meant to be done, with high velocity electro - rock and roll!
Who's gonna win the Death Race Beyond the Stars?????????? You decide!!! On OVERLORD RECORDS available soon for order from your favorite CD music store. Distribution through SouthernLord and Black Widow. Or hit me up personally for a copy.
LALIENS & GENTLEBORGS welcome to the Race of the Millennium! From planet EARTH, in their custom-built FIREBIRD STARCRUISER with transwarp drive and leopard-skin upholstery…JET JAGUAR! From planet ARRAKIS, in their SUPERSTEALTH HEIGHLINER with a V-80 Holtzman engine and spacefold generator…THE GUILD NAVIGATORS This is a no-rules, no-speeds barred, winner-take-all supergalactic deathrace to Andromeda…and beyond!
Two bands with roots in punk, industrial and post-space rock, Jet Jaguar and The Guild Navigators reactivate yesteryear’s original shareware vinyl parties (The Greasy Truckers, Subterranean Modern) with a vengeance. In the process they create a new sound and vision for third millennium mutants—Free Wave. Each band pays homage to the other, with Jet Jaguar covering The Guild Navigators’ space doom classic “Falling Towards the Sun,” and The Navigators covering Jet Jaguar’s interstellar punkporn epic “She’s an Alien.” Screaming guitars, exploding synthesizers, menacing vocals and a penchant for sci-fi mayhem and madness make Deathrace beyond the Stars the cosmic soundtrack to the movie Roger Corman never made!Jet Jaguar
1. Hot Wheels
2. Blackhole Killer
3. Clones Inc.
3. Falling Towards the Sun
4. Drivin’ to Roswell
6. Warp Out Guild Navigator
1. Intro/Andromeda Crashing
2. Nurse Onboard
3. Ghost of the Cosmonaut
4. Space Ark
5. She’s an Alien
6. Dream Jets Burning/Outro Overlord Records, 4800 San Mateo Ln NE 142, Albuquerque, NM 87109 USAAntidote Records compelation UNDER THE RADAR: Vol 1 OUT NOW!!!
As far as musical institutions go the Guild Navigators have it on lock down. The Navigators (or as they are often referred to as “the spacing guild”) have been functioning in various forms since about 1995 and their time to be heard is due. Epic tales just won’t do any justice to this ongoing motley crue of Ohio sci-fi rock renegades. Punk Rock of course, in its overused connotation, does not truly epitomize the sound of a band that is so genre bending, and “Space Rock” also falls short of their glory. You will even find things Doomish like Metal-core, Prog rock influences and industrial kling clanging interloped with sickly sweet hooks, harmonies and strange cosmic folk ballads. The only way to simply describe their sound is by the multiple styles that are so beautifully inclusive and layered within, but not without proper alchemical mixing, somtimes smoothly, sometimes chunky.
They are truley an experimental band, not just another fucked up noise rock group. The Psych-Rock-Metal craft is still served here, but in thoughtful doses. So what you get are unique elements all mixed with the best musical wizardry that a Gryffindor professor sneaking out the back for a smoke could conjure up in their down time.
Guild Navigators are sexy in a prog rock meets road warrior sort of way, swords and blaster to the hilt, and yeah, that cold mysterious and spooky British vibe is alive and screaming here to be sure, which makes them a little uncanny, being of dark, misty mountain-Appalachian roots. Spaceley dons Robert Calvert's fighter pilot goggles and pummels you with high altitude punk guitarmancy. A cognitive dissonance is created from the particle smashing rhythmic forces, creating entropic space minions, dark chaotic knights, angels and strange creatures of past and future mythos; all are extracted from the spiraling portal. All encapsulated in a sometimes soft spacious stratospheric cloak that lulls you into the billowing cloudscapes of heaven. The lyrics will visually take you there and beyond, its visual music for sure not limited to any boxes or simplistic labels.
Guild Navigators are THEE band to bear the torch as the pre-immanent American Space Rock group for the 21st Century, British citizenry not withstanding. Guild Navigators proved that when they were hand selected to open as the musically linear (stateside) relation for the mighty Hawkwind in June of 2007. Who better for support upon that deep space trudge across intergalactic highways? Only the future can say for sure what may become of this ongoing sci-fi adventure rock story! Only one thing is for certain, the spice must flow!
For booking etc. contact: Chris @ [email protected] Visit our other home world in psyber-space at www.myspace.com/guildnavigators2~ Commander Spaceley~