As of late, things have been kind of crazy. I’ve been trying to set up numerous events for the fall, whilst trying to get a summer photo contest underway, attempt to edit my novel, and write two more at the same time. I’ve been waiting on a few email replies as well. Nothing seems to be more aggravating than waiting for an email… especially if it is an important one. So, one night last week, I returned home and eagerly logged on, hoping that I had finally received word about something so that I could put it to rest. No such luck. There was an email, however, from someone telling me how much they loved my Inspiration Through Music blogs. I appreciate this gesture more than you can imagine. Up until now, I wasn’t even sure people were reading these posts because of how little feedback I got in terms of likes and comments. Anyway, they gave me a recommendation for a little band that I hadn’t heard of at the time, Aurah. I listened to their song, Khorwa, and was absolutely blown away. How had I not heard of these guys before? This is exactly the kind of thing I love to listen to while writing.
Aurah is a Swiss band comprised of members Marc Dold and Judith Martin. Their music, a mixture of ambient and new age, contains haunting vocals from Martin as well as Dold’s spectacular guitar solos, all while creating a quiet intensity that is often hard to capture in music. I know for a fact that I will be listening to their latest track, “Khorwa”, when I start work on Book 4 of The Monstrum Chronicles. The song invokes a kind of ancient beauty that I find would work well for the locations I’m sending my characters to in that book. You can find Aurah’s website here where you can download “Khorwa” for free! Today, I’m going to be sharing four songs from Aurah with you and telling you what I can see when I listen to them. Enjoy!
I Decree Peace: The sun washes over the horizon, pushing back the blackness slowly. Huddled against the sand, legs too tired to stand, body cold after the long night, he feels each string of light crawl across his skin. The warmth is so slight, he barely notices it at first. But the further it stretches, its fingers gliding across him, the more he realizes that he made it. The longest night of his life is finally over and the day break was coming to relieve him of all he’d witnessed. Somehow gaining the strength to stand, he eyes the sun as it grows higher in the sky, dying the dusky blue lighter as the stars fade into it. He knows that the sand will soon be boiling, the temperature climbing past this near perfect medium where it sat. He had to find shelter. He had to find a way out. Gathering his bottle, only grains of sand within, he started away from the sun, following his shadow toward the dunes. Somewhere beyond them was civilization. Somewhere beyond them was home.
Khorwa: He dipped his head, his eyes falling to the blade resting in the dirt below him. Blood coated its edge. He glanced up at the village down the hill from him. Smoke rose from its many buildings, the straw roofs filled with holes, arrows stuck in the mortar between bricks. It was all his fault. He hadn’t been able to get there in time. He had let them down while he’d wallowed in his pleasure in the next town over. He hadn’t imagined it could ever be this bad. He couldn’t imagine that this was what things would come to. He knew there were some of the soldiers still down there. There were still villagers badly injured, some grieving over their lost ones. He leaned down and took up the sword, then nudged his foot forward, finding his footing down the steep mountain path. The closer he came, the more he felt a growing numbness consume him. What if he couldn’t take what he was about to see? He shook those thoughts from his head. It was his selfishness that had left them unguarded for the night. He needed to make up for it. He needed to assume responsibility.
Memories 2: She stared at the clouds high above. The tall grass cushioned her as her eyes watched each formation sail across her vision. She didn’t analyze their shapes, she didn’t note their color. This was just vegetation, a way for her to leave her world behind if only for a few minutes… or an hour if she was lucky. Lying there a midst the grass kept her concealed and as long as she was quiet, not a living soul could know where she was. A rustle from behind her startled her. She sat up with a start, her eyes frenziedly searching. Nothing. No one. She lay back down. Not a living soul knew where she was.
To Be Myself: He entered the abandoned house, the wind knocking the old wooden door against the inside wall every few moments. He knew there was no one there though. Everyone had forgotten about this house long ago; everyone except for him. He couldn’t let it go. As long as this place existed, it would always contain some part of him. He walked through the main room, remembering how the woodstove used to burn warm on those cold autumn nights, how he used to hold her close to him and kiss her hair. He moved further through until he found the bedroom. This had been their first home. It had been their last. It had been her last. She had never remarried, even after he’d died. He hated what coming here had done to them. He sat down on the bed and stared out the window, across the ruins of the once prospective mining town. Dried up and blown away… the people along with it. What history remained here was left only with their kind. It disgusted him as much as it relieved him. There was no more opportunity for war, or death. This was finally the end.
Do you like Aurah’s songs? Be sure to give them a like on Facebook as well and help spread the word! More people need to know about this talented duo!
Did you enjoy this Music Through Inspiration post? Have a band you’d like me to check out? Send me an idea! info@voxthebook.com!
~KSilva
The Kat At Night 
Love it!