I was in San Francisco, October 2017 during the wildfires, the fear, the tragedy, the smoky air, watching it live on the news. Unprecedented destruction. I wanted to capture quickening, the forces of nature…I never forget the burning..thoughts and prayers and healing.
I currently working on my new instrumental album ‘Candle Gardeners’ which will be released on my Birthday, May 30th 2018.
When the Sun reaches highest in the sky. We celebrate Midsummer. Litha. The Summer Solstice is a beautiful time. Gatherings, celebrations, rituals.
Yesterday (13th May 2017) I began writing and recording my new Earth Tree Healing album. Called ‘8 Sabbats.’
The music journeys through the sunrise to a crescendo of celebration. This album will feature a lot more acoustic instruments such as the sitar, mandolin, autoharp and my guitars. Getting back to my roots. Which began with folk, evolving to Grunge and beyond with the influence of the 80’s. I’ve found my Zen with Paganism, Mother Earth, Spirituality, Meditation and Reiki.
I’m releasing this as a single on digital stores June 3rd. Enjoy. Claudine.
This one goes out to the little people..The door mats, The trodden upon. We’re meeting at the Left Lion….Track 3 in the month of March from Claudine West’s album ‘Becoming Moons’
‘Seeking solace from mind chatter. Music heals. In these moments I sit a protective circle of inner peace on a beautiful prairie. Where cotton floats in the breeze under a metallic blue sky. An emerald forest, where ferns caress as I pass. I reach the beach. This place is golden and blissful. The waves gently tantalise the shoreline. The air I breathe is fresh, it revitalises me. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. I am grateful for amazing during this alive time in this body in this life.’
When I close my eyes and channel energies. A comfort blanket of darkness envelops me and I drift. I drift to pure relaxation. Upon waking body and mind are calm. I feel good. Coping with everyday stresses I now tolerate. Coping with the other things.. It gives me comfort and strength. I regularly speak to Angels. I ask for help, advice and sunshine.’ Enjoy.
Close your eyes, get comfortable, focus on your breathing and let this music help you connect, travel, relax, vision quest, explore, communicate…
‘The album is relaxation sustenance for the soul. Great for Yoga, meditation and chilling out. From the opening track ‘Guardian Angel’ to the deep and cosmic ‘Metatron.’ I listen to this when I travel, can’t sleep and practice Reiki. Connecting with the angels is a journey to embrace. I’ve found a deeper inner peace. Reassurance that we can ask for help, guidance, protection. This is the sounds of blue skies that break through dark clouds and show the sunshine. The smell of freshly mown grass after the rain. The crystal clarity of visions during meditations. The signs. The calm. There is also the first album to try. P.S. Also good while doing the housework!’
The tracks Guardian Angel, Ariel and Metatron are tuned to 432HZ. Some say this frequency vibrates with the Universe I personally, (during the mixing and mastering process) compared these 3 tracks to the usual 440HZ tuning and found the experiences to be more relaxing at 432HZ.
Released digitally 25th February 2017. This follows ‘The Journey’ a collaboration with Sally Wathen at Rainbow Bridge, who always makes me feel better everytime we visit. She helps confirm that making music is my path, ignoring that path is not an option. Which is why once I invested in new studio equipment after my old Fostex machine retired by both effectively ‘dying’ on me after 20 years. I’ve invested in Logic Pro X and am learning its use step by step by watching Youtube videos as lack a good attention span with I worked mostly evening and weekends around my day job. Inspired and indulging in blissful musical quiet times making these albums.
Becoming Moons is the new album by Multi-Instrumentalist & Songwriter Claudine West. From the debris from a galactic collision.. Comes something whole. Alternative rock with acoustic colours. Avante garde explorations, therapy, spillings, worries, dreams and meanings. Album cover comes from a guitar art piece.
This project; It’s an evolving beast. A song will be added each month until completion. Track 1. January 2017 saw the release of single and first song ‘Mantaray.’
Joanna Thompson“Mind-blowing harmonies, the most beautifuliest of lyrics constructed so perfectly. really impressive work, you’ve real skill, keep it up and i know you’ll soar!”
A video by Claudine West accompanies this:
A strong believer in recycling. A rejected song ‘Automatic’ from band Strange Currencies Claudine had recorded the music for, was edited, with new lyrics and Claudine’s vocals.
THE FEAR THE FEAR THE FEAR. Skirts lyrically around anxiety, paranoia and anger. Backed by a rock alternative musical core. A reflection lyrically of feeling felt during the day of writing and recording it.
Surrounded by storm sea surges, snow sprinklings and a panic winter press sensationalism. I’ve sat in my little music cave Claudsville Studios. With some instrumental ‘rumpy pumpy’ the first of my new born kids being dropped off at the pool is Mantaray. This embryonic adventure into haunting piano and loops, Fender guitar expelling mellow cries into the night air for alternative progression on this track. With recording equipment situated on my old Reiki treatment couch (for the vibes) I sat in the glow of a salt lamp with a Crassula Ovata (money plant) for company, while the love of my life slept in the next room. As she stirred in slumber, she believed she was sweet dreaming, listening to my early morning vocal take yawns, harmonies and lyric editing as I progressed. With an oceanic theme around rescue. The song explores the burden of love. A song that arouses from the deep blue ocean then grabs souls with its undertow. This track is number 1 of a new solo album in progress. I’ll add each song as they unfold. Under the Stephen Fry inspired working title of ‘Babbling Merchant of Drivel’ progress is inspired in a Rue Morgue kind of way.
I’m currently in the middle of recording Strange Currencies album ‘Making Monsters’ So it a very musically indulgent time. Pretty darn cool actually. I’ve spent the last 2 evening sessions suffering low mood and red light fever recording the acoustic guitar parts for ‘Stay Down Kid.’ My one take wonders rule left me for dust! With cats jumping all over the studio during takes, and sore fingers. I’m hoping next weeks session will tell a different story. Luckily the swearing flowed like warm pee then the boiling hormonal blood ran free and with a little assistance from some garnet gemstone in my shorts pocket. I kind of nailed it last night. We had recorded a live version to work to. PP Johnson liked his live vocals. So as I’ve just D.I.’d the acoustic. I’ve had to overdub it and mic my trusty ‘Taylor’ up. A song that has been played loads live with my eyes closed… Well.. maybe I should have swapped mugs of tea and vitamin water for Rum. But I think its kind of there ready for mix and master. As this album evolves.. getting the right balance of ballad, funky, poptarty, dirty, distorted and hints of country. Even though I know it will work out great in the end. I learn Logic Pro X as I go. The January blues will depart and be looked upon kindly as a productive time in the darkness.
Whispers on the waves of silence I sensed the love in buoyance In the eye of a hurricane Our ship sails for America A vortex where the renegade goes This riptide rides the ebb and flow Chorus Jettison flames This cargo is killing me Mantaray Set me free Verse 2 Those that inspire me, desire me I’m certain of the dance Lethal switchblades and urban food chains Bridge The world lights up and jettisons The embers burned you, The embers burned you, The embers burned you,
Chorus
Verse 3 I buried myself in the Earth To seek what it was worth I carried strength and faith around Buried scars and saviours I quit the bad behaviours I stopped this drowning before it took you down
Released January 9, 2017
Written, performed and recorded by Claudine West 2017
Welcome to the flood…When the molten core of a sublime energy is explored. With the energy that flows through a conduit from Heaven and Earth. Bliss…and …well being create a beautiful sky of oranges, blues, purples. That Zen moment when worlds collide. The physical and metaphysical, emotional and spiritual. When one exists in peace, safety, purity and decisive thought. No longer a traveller along the rivers of blood that the world created many seasons ago. In a time before a time. With a trigger of recognition and fortitude. The formative years flash forward into a rainbow of light. Do you now sink back and become the absorbed kin that always was? Feel comfort and gratitude for the visions that present themselves. Or fly on the magic carpet of good vibrations? Where it’s a happening or a happened. Enjoy, deal and deliver yourself. Sometimes you don’t need pictures, you just need sounds. You are the audience to yourself.
I channelled Ki Energy last night. I lit my salt lamps up and treated a friend to a Reiki Session. (I had begun channelling before I studied Reiki techniques) I’d not practised in a while- well only during the writing and recording process. It felt great. I wrote the music I made for this kind of adventure. Last night I put them both together and road tested. Track ‘Raphael’s Healing’ definitely did the trick as I worked on her Chakras. It’s a raise in key as well as vibrations.
Bit of Trivia: The beginning of ‘Ariel’ there is a clip of owls in the woods. I recorded this one night on my phone when we were staying in a log cabin in Somerset this year. (We travelled around Dorset and Devon exploring)
Angels are always invited and assist. In 2016 I released the albums ‘Citadel’ and ‘Archangel Divination.’ It’s been a creative journey. Under ‘Earth Tree Healing.’ 2017 will see the release on digital stores of the Guided Meditation album ‘The Journey’ featuring Sally Wathen at Rainbow Bridge.
Then ‘Archangel Divination 2’
Close your eyes, open your heart and mind and listen.
I recorded the Journey. One of my first ventures into Guided Meditation Music with Sally Wathen at Rainbow Bridge. Sally is mine and Ange’s Yoda. Even when life is giving lemons, Mercury is in retrograde, lessons are being taught or negative being sent – Sally make us feel alright, motivated and back on the mission. This album is dedicated to Doug (Sallys late partner) who always lent his dry humour, warm hospitality and great cooking at her Psychic Suppers.
Earth Tree Healing 