In February 2009, The Eleusinian Mysteries were recorded live (as always!) in Fine Vermin Studio, powered by the sun and dangerous soft drinks.

The Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of rites that introduced initiates to the secrets of the afterlife. Priests (hierophants) of Demeter and Persephone were responsible for oversight of the weeklong festival. After a ritual purification (myesis), the initiates processed from Athens to Eleusis (pompe) and the rites were begun (prorrhesis). Their fast was broken by ingestion of the hallucinogenic kykeon. The festival then proceeded with various rights (telete), including dancing, drinking, and ultimately, the relvelation of secrets of the afterlife (epopteia). The rites were held annually for 2,000 years until the rise of Christianity in the fourth century. The substance of the secrets remains unknown, as initiates were forbidden to tell what they learned -- upon penalty of death.

Perhaps these formidable audio explorations will reveal something that you haven't seen before; please consume responsibly. And let us know what you see.

Once again mastered at Fine Vermin (San Francisco) and Oakstone (Huntington Beach) Studios, with two subtle contributions made by freesound.org artists Jesges and Aaron. Low cost, hi-fi CDs are available at Lulu.com; no-cost, lo-fi, iPod-friendly tracks are provided above.