Cause & Effect: Do What Thou Wilt with DJ Miss Kitty
Today’s show was inspired by a book I recently read by writer and critic Peter Bebergal which illuminates the web of occult influences on rock and roll music: “From the hoodoo-inspired sounds of Elvis Presley to the Eastern odysseys of George Harrison, from the dark dalliances of Led Zeppelin to the Masonic imagery of today’s hip-hop scene, the occult has long breathed life into rock and hip-hop–and, indeed, esoteric and supernatural traditions are a key ingredient behind the emergence and development of rock and roll.”
The word occult derives from the Latin “occultus” (meaning ‘clandestine’, ‘hidden’, ‘secret’) or the “knowledge of the hidden”.[4] In common usage, occult refers to “knowledge of the paranormal“, as opposed to “knowledge of the measurable“,[5] usually referred to as science.
Today we’ll go on a journey of hidden meaning embedded in music from as far back as the 18th century through today and talk about some key players in the rise of 20th century occult popularity like Alatair Crowley and Kenneth Anger. We’ll listen to some well-known artists in popular culture like Black Sabbath, but also lesser known artists like Graham Bond and bands like Black Widow.
Show archive
Playlist
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The Graham Bond Organisation, “Waltz for a Pig”
from Wade In the Water: Classics, Origins & Oddities
Repertoire Records - 2012
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Mentalstärkung, “From Source to Divine Fire”
from The Celestial Monochord (Ancient Sound Healing)
7893376 Records DK - 2024
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Junior Parker, “Tomorrow Never Knows (2024 Remastered Version)”
from Love Ain't Nothin' but a Business Goin' On (2024 Remastered Version)
Unidisc Music Inc. - 1971
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Twin Temple, “Satan's a Woman”
from Satan's a Woman / I Am a Witch - Single
Pentagrammaton Records - 2024
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