THE CHORONZON MACHINE
A MULTI-MEDIA MULTI-CULTURAL MULTI-SUBCULTURAL RITUAL OPERA
A Metamorphic Ritual Theatre Production, with Musick by
The CHORONZON MACHINE is NOW A FILM. The original footage from the already spectacular live production has been edited, deconstructed and reconstructed and enhanced with effects, animations, and diverse studio-recorded music.
The first ever feature-length film of a MetaMorphic Ritual Theatre Production.
The DVD (cover design above) was launched in Melbourne (Australia) on April 1st ('06) at The Chapel Perilous together with 'In Mata's Pyre', the new Book of Orryelle's INDIA JOURNALS '05
The CHORONZON MACHINE FILM -which features the Fool's Journey through the Tarot major arcana- screened at this April Fool's Day launch.A DVD of the film is now available with credit card ($16 US through Paypal) as above, or send a cheque or money order made out to Geoff Day, of $20 AU within Australia, or from anywhere else $26 AU (prices include postage), to:
iNSPiRALink.
P.O. Box 2149
Fitzroy B.C.
Vict. 3065
Australia
Please specify if you would like a mono version of the DVD, as the stereo effects will cause loss of important sounds on a mono system.Available in PAL (Australia, UK, Europe) and NTSC (US, Japan) versions.
Above: A still from the EMPEROR/DEVIL scene
NEW VIDEO SAMPLE ADDED: CLICK HERE for PRIESTESS/DEATH Scene Extract -in which the Magickian summons his Holy Guardian Angel as mirrored twin
CLICK HERE for ADJUSTMENT/SUN Scene
Quicktime video Sample
For those with slower connections (and those with faster ones who want to see more), there is a lower-res sample, from the Lovers/Star Scene, further below. There is also a film sample linked from the EMPRESS SCENE page
The Choronzon Machine's cogs and pistons turn and churn, pumping out fractal forms which drift and split into myriad mandalic tentacles of possibility. The Great Wheel in the centre ROTAtes, clickering and clanking into place each time a new pair of coupled arcana are presented. The Fool skips and bounds along, oblivious to or at least unhindered by the gyrations of the gears and strange vapours wafting from the cantankerous piping and serpentine tubular transparencies with their gossamer shimmering undulations.
THE CHORONZON MACHINE AUDIO CD
by The HarleQuintet -containing the full songs of the entire ritual opera, plus extra tracks- is also still available. An extract from the track 3.33, 'The Choronzon Machine Reprise' is now loading/playing. (Words & music (c)04 Evan Flux.) For more information about this CD see The HarleQuintet page.
Further audio extracts with the scene pages indexed below.
'The CHORONZON MACHINE' Ritual Opera, a magickal musickal journey through the Tarot trumps, originally played for 3 nights at The Carlton Courthouse Theatre (Melbourne, Vict.)It has since evolved further, as the recurring third (of 3.33...) performance mutates beyond its original structure. At the EXODUS new year 2002 Festival in Tenterfield (Northern NSW).
installation genius Amordios Gobblyn-Smyth expanded his original prototype of the mechanized Tree of Life Machine with spinning Sephiroth wheels (picture at left) for the outdoor setting. After the initial performance of the opera we went into freeform spaces with our invoked characters, interacting with punters and breaking down the barriers between 'audience' and 'actors'. Initiates were invited through the Tree Machine to its nightside Tunnels and chambers on the other side...
For pictures and accounts of the Exodus performances and installations go HERE
On this page are photographs and video stills (with no digital alterations) from the original Melbourne production.
Below are a series of links to further sequential stills and lyrics from the Ritual Opera, with ainimations and filmm extracts from the new CHORONZON MACHINE DVD now added. Because of the size of the image files I have separated them into different Scenes...
The DVD Launch almost became an impossible deadline after advertising it: Editing the Blasted Tower Scene of the Opera caused a major computer crash, after footage was compressed to 333% of its real-time speed and played backwards. It only occurred to me when the machine mysteriously repaired itself the day after that the 12-hour stint on this scene -that of the card of Havoc and unexpected change- had created the catastrophe...
Above: Evan as the Magician attempting to banish the rampant Chaos of the Universe in the pen-ultimate scene.
On the last night I asked Jackal 1 (Ra'en) to quip, 'Break a leg' as he hoisted me upinto Hanged Man position. He did so and I almost broke my neckinstead. The ankle noose was mis-adjusted and while holding on with anklepower only (angling my foot to keep it in) Jackal 2 onstage below discoveredhe had brought out the wrong large tarot card for that scene: As hesaid, 'The Hanged... uh, Death??' I murmured, 'um...this doesn't feel very safetonight' and was let down and restrung. People sensed the reality of thedanger and it charged the whole performance.
At least if I had have brokenmy neck I had another six in reserve, as I was still costumed as the Beastof the Apocalypse from Scene 0, with seven skull (dog, fox, pig, goat, etc.)heads with snapping jaws and eyes which lit up when they opened thanks tomechanical sculpture genius Amordios GobblynSmyth.
Right: -Jackal one-third (Ashe) greeted people arriving at (or walking past!) the Theatre perched like a gargoyle on the Gate, baying at the full moon above!
Photo (c)2001 Saskia
The original live production, being the Fool's journey through the Major Arcana, was alsothe launch of my Tarot Deck, 'The Book of KAOS' in a signed limited editionof 111 copies. Empress Card below. More sample Cards and ordering information for the new unlimited editionHERE.
(Animation at right may take a while to load)
Evolving collectively from the groupmind of the Order ov ChAos, THE CHORONZON MACHINE took on a life of its own, blossoming like a miraculous psychotropic garden.
It turns out the 4th of July, the first of the 'Dog Days' -when we opened the gates to the Syrian Stars and the Acaciac records with Syrian Rue and Acacia bark extract (DMT) was the beginning of Evan FluX's 33.3 recurring birthday party. Evan is the Fool in the play, for in real life he was born on April the First -thus the day we are now launching the DVD also- he is the first and last arcana, he is Zero. The play is the continuation of this recurring celebration.Choronzon 333 is Zero's adversary and his twin, and Orryelle who played Hir in the Ritual Opera is now also 33.3 recurring... ... ...
In the ritual musickal device we call The Choronzon Machine the Audience Initiates follow the Fool Initiate's journey through the Great Wheel of the TARO/ROTA, as he cycles through different refractions of Self as reflected through the Major Arcana. On one level this is a personal journey, as the Fool with a child's innocence heedlessly plunges past the dweller on the threshold and into the Abyss.
Through a series of ordeals he learns to fear but then to accept the shadow of Choronzon, as he progressively opens up to see ever more layers of complexity in the hidden mechanisms of the Universe. Overwhelmed with the diversity and chaos of it all, he ultimately realizes the Unity of All and shifts perspective back to the innocence of Zero (but with a new layer of experience, Wisdom and Understanding)...
Another level of the Play is socio-hirstorical -a demonstration of the escalating frenzy of 'progress' and technology in the modern world -and how the Fool apprehends and deals with this. The audience also must work out how to deal with it all. It is they, after all, who are controlling the Machine, putting the 33.3c Illuminati coins -collected by Jackal one-third (she and one of the coins are depicted right at the bottom of this page)- in it which make the cogs start turning to generate each new scene of coupled polar cards...
Of course its not real, its just a Play, an Illusion generated by the Magicians for the Audience, a collectively willed hallucination.
Is there a play? Is there a ritual? Do we have lives? The HarleQuin de-faced itself. The machine goes on... Civilizations rise and crumble and rumble and fall. Were they ever There at All?
More Video Stills, Audio samples, Script extracts and Song Lyrics from the Melbourne Production:
ACT I
SCENE 0 Fool) /11 (Strength/Lust)
[Includes 10 (Wheel)/21 (World/Universe) Beginning...]
SCENE I (MAGICIAN)/ 12 (HANGED MAN)
SCENE 2 (PRIESTESS)/ 13 (DEATH)SCENE 3 (EMPRESS)/ 14 (TEMPERANCE/ART)
(This Scene includes a video sample)
ACT II:
SCENE 4 (EMPEROR)/ 15 (DEVIL/PAN)
SCENE 5 (HIEROPHANT)/ 16 (BLASTED TOWER) and SCENE 14 (TEMPERANCE) REDUX
SCENE 6 (LOVERS/PARTING of the WAYS) /17 (STAR) -Please click on the image above for a Quicktime Video Sample from this Scene
ACT III
SCENE 7 (Chariot)/ 18 (Moon):
SCENE 8 (Justice/Adjustment)/ 19 (Sun)
SCENE 9 (Hermit)/ 20 (Judgement/Aeons) [Includes 10 (Wheel)/21 (World/Universe) Ending...]
With Ra'en, Kestral, and Evan Flux.
Original CHORONZON MACHINE Concept devised by Kestral and Orryelle
Also incorporating ideas developed by the Metamorphic Ritual Theatre Company, Cast and Crew of the Ritual Opera:
CAST & CREW of THE CHORONZON MACHINE RITUAL OPERA:
Fool (/Magician/Emperor/Hermit)-Evan FluX
Director, Choronzon/ Melek Taus, Ardhanarishvara -Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule
Co-director, Stage-Manager and Hierophant -Ra'en
Fool's Holy Guardian Angel/ Priestess, Iris/ Maat -Hiedi
Babalon/Empress -Kara
Jackals -Dorryn, Ra'en, Ashe, Amordios
Moon -Kahn
Choreography -Zya Arkane
World Dancer -Jessy
Choir of Angels -Dinesh, Karen, Kestral
Musicians - The HarleQuintet(animated above): Orryelle (violin,vocals), Kestral (guitar, vocals), Amordios (samples, percussion), Evan (synth, vocals, bass)
Hiedi (vocals), Laylah (vocals), Dorryn (piano-accordion -below)
plus special guest of chaos Raysles from CURSE ov DIALECT
Live and pre-edited Video projections -Soncha (Chameleon Productions) and Orryelle
Set Design -Amordios Gobblyn-Smyth and Ra'en
...and to set the cogs turning,
Put a Coin in The CHORONZON MACHINE
Images (except where noted otherwise) and text copyright (c)02 Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule
Animated Cogs courtesy of SevenOaksArt
EARTHING The TUNNELS of SET -Opera and interactive extensions at Exodus new year '02.
Back to INDEX of SCENES (photos and lyrics)
The Book of KAOS Tarot - launched at the opening of the Choronzon Machine Ritual Opera
More about CHORONZON 333
CHORONZON's GARDEN - 'Lord of Hallucination'
The HarleQuintet -the Musicians behind the Production
MUTATION PARLOUR HOMEPAGE