'Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or in the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.'
-Only Breath by Jalaluddin Rumi (Sufi Mystic)
In a time, perhaps not too far from now there shall be a great emptiness within humans. After the many beautiful religions of this world spill so much blood in wars that there is little left, but animosity towards faith, an age when spirituality is not tolerated and the concept of religion becomes prohibited, will become even more extreme then historically noted. Humankind will desperately seek connectivity with The Divine and by the most primitive means; art, music, and all underground, separated from the world above and hidden in fear of the punishment for discovering the soul. Here, the cultural and spiritual traditions, which may have been at war with one another, shall be forced into communion.
Monastic comes from the Greek world “Monnochos,†which means solitary person. Thousands of years ago, men and women abandoned the social world and found refuge in deserts, forests, on water, and in caves. Within their sanctuaries they quested for their own deities. This tradition of monasticism has been found in Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Taoism, the many religions of India (also known as Hinduism), Eastern Christianity (Orthodoxy), various Shamanic practices, and even Scientist and early Evolutionists that quested for prohibited wisdom . Often, these individuals shared a portion of their journey with others that followed the same path.
Perhaps there will be a new generation of ascetics in that dark future, where faith is forbidden and belief is banned. As opposed to the natural dwelling places of the ancient seekers of The Divine, these rebellious beings shall find sanctuaries within abandoned subways, dangerous and forgotten urban centers, and other neglected, but safe havens for the spiritually thirsty. Through their graffiti, their contemporary chants, which combine the old and the modern, these followers of the monastic life, shall express their love for humanity and its creator by transforming the darkened into the cathedrals and temples of this future age.
This desperate vision of the future, which may be just underneath our feet, is what has inspired the music of Monastic. Inspired by the vast musical traditions found around this beautiful world and fused with organic and synthetic instrumentation that supports the ageless, genderless, and primative vocals of Anthoni, Monastic finds no barrier between the different peoples and their faiths, but places them together as a common ground to build upon. My hope is to share an appreciation for the various mythos found in the assortment of world religions. There is more that should bind then severe and even by looking towards science we can find commonality and proof that we are all connected.
What is Monastic?
Not a Band.
Not a Religion or Cult
Monastic is a musical concept composed by Anthoni (former Alaska Highway and The Point of Reflection). It fuses Eastern vocalizations with ethnic sounds from all over the world. The music is a celebration of various spiritual traditions and does not advocate any specific faith. From East to West, the Monastic music is Anthoni’s personal experience of spirituality and its contributions across the globe. Except for the few covers, which have been re-visited with this fusion sound, all of the instrumentation and vocalization has been composed by Anthoni.
Bringing this to the stage serves a challenging, since it is not a band. The idea was to have visuals express and interpret the live performance of Anthoni’s vocals and this is what brought Heather into the shows. There are also many guests that have contributed through their added instrumentation such as Celtic Harp and ethnic percussion, but also those that bring ancient fire dancing, illusions, and much more. Each show is different because the cast is always changing except for Anthoni and Heather. In the spirit of the true ascetics, which inspired the term Monastic, this is not a group effort, but extremely personal. Sharing both the light and darkness found in the mythos of many religions, the performances utilize costumes and other artful tools to respectfully expose the audience to the themes.
So what is Monastic live?
Performance Art, as opposed to a traditional band concert, Monastic has had the opportunity to perform at many venues with completely different audiences. The debut show was in Las Vegas during the summer of 2007 and we have also shared this material at Hex Hollywood for their Halloween event at the Avalon, the Annual Pagan Days Festivals, the CEA Solo Artist Showcase, and more.
Most importantly, Monastic is a non-profit and proceeds go to different humanitarian and animal protection charities such as Wolf Mountain Sanctuary.
