Baphomet, by Retribution Body

Baphomet

by Retribution Body

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$5 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
glass-mastered CD in a gatefold slipcase with photo booklet, edition of 200

Includes unlimited streaming of Baphomet via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 7 days

edition of 200

Purchasable with gift card

$10 USD or more
Full Digital Discography

139

releases

Get all 139 Full Spectrum Records releases available on Bandcamp and save 80%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Cocoon, Plays CAMP, The Poet, Since 2016, If The Thought Evaporates, To Be Human, Confirmation Bias, Convexity, and 131 more. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

$139.40 USD or more (80% OFF)

1.	The Astral Light of Universal Equilibrium 12:17	buy track
2.	Cadeceus Ouroboros 06:39	buy track
3.	Solve et Coagula 21:10	buy track
4.	Baphomet 33:09	buy track

about

As winter gives way to the spring thaw, Full Spectrum Records welcomes Matthew Azevedo’s Retribution Body into the fold, who graces us with their immense new work, ‘Baphomet.’ The official follow-up, of sorts, to releases for Glistening Examples and Type Records, ‘Baphomet’ stands tall as a roaring statement of intent, all visceral sturm und drang, utterly enveloping drone, and infrasonic frisson.

Drawing a direct line between the acoustic sensibilities of Pauline Oliveros, with whom Azevedo studied at Rensselaer Polytechnic in 2010, and the earth shattering sonics of doom titans SUNN O))), the focus of the Retribution Body ethos has always been centered on the behavior of physical sound in space, combining eurorack synthesis with a custom backline amplification rig dubbed the “Siege Tower.” This behemoth system is capable of putting out a clean 117 dB sine wave at 20 Hz and thus far has proven indestructible, despite Azevedo’s most deliberate efforts.

Where albums like ‘Enemy of the Good,’ ‘Aokigahara,’ and ‘Self-Destruction’ aimed to capture the effectively physical experience of Azevedo’s live performances to varying degrees of success – an early master of ‘Self-Destruction,’ in fact, carried so much low frequency information that it produced virtually no sound whatsoever on common consumer-grade speakers – they set out to create a more expressly listening-focused work. After being brought in to handle some acoustical consulting at Methuen Memorial Music Hall and hearing their 160 year old Great Organ, replete with 85 stops, 6,088 pipes and a frequency range that extends down to 16 Hz, and the hall’s natural four-second reverberation, Azevedo knew that this would be the birthplace of ‘Baphomet.’

After capturing several hours’ worth of material, Azevedo set about whittling this raw mass of sonic material in a coherent whole. During this process, they kept returning to the image of Baphomet, the idol of the Knights Templar’s heretical mystery religion that was given modern form in the illustration of Eliphas Levi’s 1856 book ‘Rituel de la Haute Magie.’ Often misappropriated in popular culture as a symbol of Satan, Baphomet’s true nature is one of universal duality – human / animal, male / female, light / dark, above / below. As a nonbinary-identifying, neurodivergent person, this symbolism resonated deeply with Matthew and reflected what they heard in this music – sound / vibration, acoustic / electric, loud / inaudible – culminating in the pairing of their modern electronic synthesizer and the Memorial Music Hall’s Great Organ. A fitting symbol for this monumental work.

credits

released March 25, 2022

Performed and recorded by Matthew Azevedo at Methuen Memorial Music Hall, August 20-21, 2020

Mixed & Mastered by Matthew Azevedo at Azevedo Audio, Providence, RI

All photography by Janice Checcio

Logo and title calligraphy by Josh Yelle

Layout by Gretchen Korsmo

FS121

license

about

Full Spectrum Records Littlefield, Texas

Full Spectrum Records releases the works of experimental musicians and sound artists, with an ear towards idiosyncratic tones, extended time frames and unique compositional approaches.

If you like Baphomet, you may also like:

Living Torch
by Kali Malone

supported by 16 fans who also own “Baphomet”

My heart is beating slower and faster at the same time kwellou
go to album
The Reinvention of Romance
by Sarah Hennies

supported by 13 fans who also own “Baphomet”

My humanities professor showed me this piece and i cannot stop coming back to it. Something deep and alluring of this piece keeps me wanting more. Absolutely one of my favorite cuts from last year. Ra!
go to album
Everywhere at the end of time
by The Caretaker

supported by 13 fans who also own “Baphomet”

Actually astounding and emotionally moving, creating a community that I have been proudly a part of for 2 years OrsonXD
go to album
Lives
by St Celfer™

St Celfer returns with tracks culled from a series of live shows, each one a showcase for his inventive experimentalism. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 26, 2023
go to album
Fifty One
by St Celfer™

Seattle’s St Celfer returns with four more boundary-breaking electronic compositions sparked with sudden bursts of melody. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 6, 2022
go to album
Radioactive Desire
by Bob Bellerue

Recorded on the hottest days in the longest year, "Radioactive Desire" is an avant-garde piece with an almost visceral impact. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 5, 2021
go to album
a softer focus
by claire rousay

supported by 12 fans who also own “Baphomet”

Evocative and engrossing. burntstick
go to album