Ad Astral Podcast, Episode 29:
The Tree of Ubiquikin-Shownotes
Submitted by DJ Burnham on Friday 14th April 2017
(The Tree of Ubiquikin was written in June 2005 on the Greek island of Kefalonia. It first appeared in written form on Silverthought.com.)
I wanted to write a short story that was, in part, a spin-off from my novel 'Flux'. As I said at the end of February 29th, the starting point goes way back to episode 2 of Ad Astral when Maurice Hunter was providing the voice of Commander Xyton and he was talking about being born on 29th February so he only really gets to celebrate his birthday on the actual day once every four years. Another influence was the novel "Star Maker" by Olaf Stapledon, which made me think about other worlds and how to reach them. The idea of sleepers and beings seeded into another world is one that's been explored by other writers, but I wanted to create a society of quantum beings who have access to the entire universe and the alternative realties, ubiquitous kin - as it where, and how our own cerebral evolution is crawling along in contrast to the triggered acceleration of consciousness that Jiva experiences in the first episode. The life patterns of the troll-like creatures living on the high gravity planet was inspired by a Roy Harper song called "Pinches of Saltî from the "Garden of Uranium" (or "Descendants of Smith") album and the lyric ìWith the tune of the moon on the oceanî. Roy has this to say in his book ìPassions of Great Fortuneî : 'It's nobody's fault that the confluence on the planet is being tipped into the chemically abstract, because, after all, it's perhaps only the very slow waveform provided by the sister planet that has drawn any life into being in any case. Are not the tears in my eyes but an expression of the same emotive pull in microcosm?' Right at the end of this episode I needed some music to convey the everlasting union of the Ubiquikin couplet and a sound that would convey the last vestiges of a life force being dissipated out into the cosmos. Roy Harper wrote a wonderful song called "Miles Remains" (from his album "Death or Glory") in itself a tribute to Miles Davis and in the closing seconds he picks a string just above the nut of the guitar with a little touch of reverb to sustain it and creates - to my mind - an image of a candle fluttering out, releasing a puff of smoke like a soul or energy signature and that has stayed with me. Thank you, Roy, for giving me permission to use part of that track to close the second episode. CHECK OUT ROY HARPER'S WEBSITE AT ROY HARPER.CO .UK for more information.
The artwork shows once-Jiva, transformed to full Ubiquikin, traveling the conduits of the Flux.
This episode is dedicated to the memories of Jim Burnham 19.9.1930 - 7.11.2015 and Wendy Pratt 12.3.1960 - 29.2.2016 Music: Last note at the end of the episode is from the end of
'Miles Remains' from the album "Death or Glory' by Roy Harper. Two podcasts in which Dave and Sue were
interviewed in 2008 about the music of Roy Harper and their involvement
in promoting gigs for him and his son Nick - and a short chat about Dave's
writing. The Roy Harper Podcast: Episode 8 The Roy Harper Podcast: Episode 10 Back in 1994 Dave interviewed
Roy Harper upstairs at the Half Moon music venue in Putney. The interview
was transcribed and appeared in Issue 18 of the Ptolemaic Terrascope. Dave
found the original tape recording recently but when played back it made
Roy and Dave sound like Pinky and Perky. However, Paul Davison, who hosts
the Roy Harper podcast, managed to play about with that recording and it
now sounds great. The Roy Harper Podcast: Episode 26 See below for other musical contributions Sound Effects Many come from The Freesound
Project. Other effects: Various from Apple’s Garageband library. Other effects tailor-made by Ad Astral. Scene 1 Scene 3 Scene 4 Closing music = Floating in The Midnight Breeze by FoolBoyMedia of the Freesound
Project Visit our Facebook page for comments and
discussions This podcast is published by Libsyn
Suddenly a thousand butterflies appear
Carrying her spirit every year
Past meadow valley flowers and orchid hills
With the scent of mountain herbs the air is filled
Kissed by the sun with the olives and the grapes
A legacy of laughter and Celtic shapes
Jiva’s final period of transformation and jump into space = Quiet space.mp3
by alaupas of the Freesound Project
Jiva’s cranial sparkles = popibuuns.wav by Corsica_S of the Freesound
Project
Orbital atmospherics = evolving drone pad.wav by brogenhogen of the Freesound
Project
Scene 2
Opening music = Floating in The Midnight Breeze by FoolBoyMedia of the Freesound
Project
Jiva’s beacon = Space Beacon 2.aiff by gnrja by FoolBoyMedia of the Freesound
Project
Sparklehead sparkles = popibuuns.wav by Corsica_S of the Freesound Project
Jiva’s final period of transformation = Quiet space.mp3 by alaupas of
the Freesound Project
Harmony = euphoria.wav by djgriffin of the Freesound Project
Biofield signature = spacex11n2 by Setuniman of the Freesound Project
Red-shifting space jump = TimeTravel.wav by jameswrowles of the Freesound Project
Alien Manta flight = Dark Ambience by PatrickLieberkind of the Freesound Project
Alien Manta boom = Deep reversed boom (with reverb) by Xanco123 of the Freesound
Project
Deep Space aliens = Viral_Erra Ector.wav by PoisedToGlitch of the Freesound
Project
Hi gee planet court = Medieval Music.wav by Kevzog of the Freesound Project
Harmony in court = Sunday Morning In The Great Hall by FoolBoyMedia of the Freesound
Project
Ubiquikin observations = haiku cb2rmx b2 30.wav by ERH of the Freesound Project
Red-shifting space jump = TimeTravel.wav by jameswrowles of the Freesound Project
Behemoth = under_alien_ocean.mp3 by harri of the Freesound Project
Micro Avians = Zetauri_Alien_Birds.wav by Zetauri of the Freesound Project
Flatchian pygmy mouse = Mouse Squeaking.wav by Nakhas of the Freesounds Project
Young Planet = Lava loop.wav by Audionautics of the Freesound Project
Harmony = euphoria.wav by djgriffin of the Freesound Project
Micronova = Cinematic Deep Bass Rumble by mmasonghi of the Freesound Project
Sparkles = popibuuns.wav by Corsica_S of the Freesound Project
Scene 5
Background atmosphere = ethereal as Syn b2 1.wav by ERH of the Freesound Project
Scene 6
Ship Landing = ship landing 3 by dggrunzweig of the Freesound Project
Ship collapses = Massive Drop by DaveN of the Freesound Project
Random gas discharges = Steam Vent by botha9johann of the Freesound Project
Hatch opens = SFX Door Open.wav by Paul368 of the Freesound Project
Sneeze = sneeze.wav by Zajjman of the Freesound Project
Chain Saw = chainsaw.wav by BeeProductive of the Freesound Project
Industrial sounds = ab6b 60 industrial.mp3 by ERH of the Freesound Project
Space ship takeoff = Space ship taking off by jmayoff of the Freesound Project
Grazing creatures = 20090827.wav by dobroide of the Freesound Project
Urination = fountain in store 001.wav by yottasounds of the Freesound Project
Flames = big_fire1.mp3 by Taira Komori of the Freesound Project
Stampede by benjaminharveydesign of the Freesound Project
Scene 8
Flux = Ambient 18062016 by cabled_mess of the Freesound Project
The last flicker of the candle’s flame = the last note on the track “Miles
Remains” from the album “Death or Glory” by Roy Harper.
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