tantric cruiser bikes and the perennial androgyne: exploring ferraro's transexual visions of "the real travel from body to body in one body" in the body fusion albums

"the real man, in the plentitude of his ideal personality,  evidently cannot be only man or only woman, he must  possess a unity superior to both sexes. the proper and  immediate task of love is the realization of this unity-the  creation of the real man-that is to say, a unity free of the  masculine and feminine principles, principles that con-  serve their formal individualization, but have surmounted their essential diversity and their disintegration" 

- vladimir solovyov

"in an androgynous interaction, an individual knows the simultaneous working of that intuitive aspect by which he is able to encompass wholes, with the sensate aspect wherein each minute element of a situation is seen and felt in its relationship to the totality.” 

- june singer

when exploring any of ferraro’s hypnagogic escapades, one is presented with two albums, a curiously textured and dense medley of sounds, and a summoning ritual whose object or location reveals itself in piecemeal. and while most of his prolific output during this period falls on a spectrum bound by elation, nervous activity, and surreal repetitions, there’s only one segment among his releases that i'd describe as disgustingly hypnotic, drowned in trance, and bordering on reproductions of cosmic horror. body fusion 1 and 2 make up a duo-logy that comprises of 159 minutes of recurring trepanations that introduce us to choirs from another dimension, sex change clinics flying around sagittarius a*, and light shows flowering around the shrine of eternity. 

  

1. cover art for body fusion 1 and body fusion 2 (left) 2. the garbbha griha (interior) of the mallikarjuna temple 

there’s nothing that comes close to resembling what's found on here, from the weirdly erotic and explicit album art that features a patchwork of adult magazine cutouts and the interior of an ancient hindu temple, to the absolutely lysergic and often frightening compositions, sounds that call back to a deeply buried childhood nightmare from another life, manifesting while we blink away into an endless sleep and through a tear in space, staring at glow in the dark stickers of stars and planets grabbing onto the ceiling. blistering with abrasive psychedelia and a distaste for gravity, these albums are a collection of sonic spill overs from somewhere else. as the first part of ferraro's hypocapnia induced experiments which conceived the summer headrush series, it shares and even dials up those transcendental qualities found amongst its siblings, along with their thematic obscurities. but at its core, it encompasses the journey from the body to beyond the body, form traveling towards the formless. and so, our own journey begins as we consume these two projects starting with the very interesting cover art shared between them.

after drift of traffic and the wind of mars which ascends the mind into alien body experience the Way of the 3 planets rules the travel down the INVISION of female hormones into realms beyond the stars in the stages of life contained

in typical fashion, the collage here is nothing short of weird, with images of hermaphrodites taken out of skin magazines or VHS covers, a harley davidson from the 90's, the night sky with an enlarged image of jupiter, and the interior of the hindu temple of shri mallikarjuna located in pattadakal, karnataka. dedicated to lord shiva, the temple was built in 740 C.E, and worships the image of mallikarjuna (mallika = shakti or the divine feminine, and arjuna = shiva or the the divine masculine), a union of the masculine and feminine. hindu mythology, particularly legends and the symbolism revolving around shiva and his consort parvati depict the androgyne as a state of elevated consciousness. for example, the form of ardhanarishvara which depicts a combined figure of shiva and parvati (shakti), half male and half female, equally split, as the womb of all existence. the very idol of shiva in the form of the linga comprises of a phallic center and a yonic circular base, in the act of penetration and representing the eternal cycle of creation and destruction, along with the merging of the sexual energies that govern the universe.  

1. illustration of ardhanarishvara (left) 2. illustration of rebis (right)

the presence of the alchemical symbol of mercury, along with a miniature pyramidion on the liner notes of the records acknowledges the presence of the androgyne archetype in the west and in ancient egypt, summoning an image of hapi and rebis, the divine hermaphrodite, a merging of hermes and aphrodite, venus and mercury. named quicksilver by alchemists, the element is part of the tria prima of alchemy, which includes salt (brine) and sulfur. the importance and reverence for the element stemmed from its readiness for amalgamation and myths claiming it to be the elixir of immortality, hence its association with synthesis, creation, and higher states, and its rigorous invocation in almost every ancient alchemical text, namely in the rosarium philosophorum which discusses the alchemical marriage of mercury and sulphur, giving rise to rebis (rebis is also another name given to the philosophers stone, eternal life here implies an equality of the sexual energies within oneself). the three primes signify three distinct principles, salt as the body (material) associated with the feminine, sulphur as the spirit (soul) associated with the masculine, and mercury as the mind. 

 

the energy of estrogenising the masculine experience, implant of estrogen ascends the mind into dream beyond the stars and earth naps the souls of the stars which lay underneath the snake lady of night

 

the mediator and the in-between, a manifestation of change and exchange, marking its placement between the male and female heads of rebis (both of whom are accompanied by the sun and the moon respectively). mercury has a presence in eastern alchemy too, particularly in tantric alchemy where it is viewed as a key ingredient in the elixir of life (amrut), as well as a key ritual ingredient in practices such as vajroli, where the practitioner reaches their height of inner cleansing by taking in carefully prepared amounts of the element through their genitals and into their bladder, keeping it filled for extended periods of time and then releasing the fluid, both as an exercise for strengthening the vitality of one's body, and as a pre-requisite to certain tantric rituals whose effectiveness rests on the physical purity of the practitioner. mercury is considered as shiva's fluid, manifesting in forms such as the rasalingam, a linga made out of solidified mercury. all influences eventually boil down to the venerated activity of transformation and existence at the median.

1. egyptian hieroglyph KA drawn like two uplifting arms, standing for the double androgynous personality (left) 2. a rasalingam installed in the sri dattashrama temple in telangana (right)

"division into sexes was the result of sin, but it will come to an end in the reunification of man, which will be followed by the eschatological reunion of the circle of earth with paradise. christ has anticipated this final reintegration. "

- mircea eliade

perhaps it is this very emphasis on transformation and the balance of sexual energies culminating in the form of the divine androgyne that can provide context to the sequence of elements within the album art. tracing our eyes beginning from the right, we are greeted by a hyper masculine signifier in the all black cruiser bike, a conduit for 20th century western machismo, and moving leftwards we end with an androgynous figure. in a poetic sense, the inward journey of the album itself, from viewing the cover, to getting into and dwelling upon the other worldly sounds found within, the entire structure of the project mirrors the architecture of a literal temple. a familiar feature found on the outer walls of many ancient hindu temples is sexual imagery, amorous couples, nude figures, and the like that populate the exterior, catching the eye of anyone who glances at the intricate stone work. as we enter the structure however, these passionate figures are replaced with engravings and art of various legends of the gods, the erotic is replaced with tales of heroism, devotion, and faith. and finally at the center we reach the sanctum, the god head. 

the eyelid operation of nudification represents

the stable breath of the elated our development implants are taken draining the eclipse, the real travel from body to body in one body

the purpose of such design is to ground the devotee in acknowledgment of their surface inclinations, a reminder of the flesh and the material, and as the journey inwards continues, so do the many figures surrounding the devotee transform and mirror the inner journey from base to higher ideals, finally culminating in an effigy of divinity itself. this to me perfectly reflects the listeners journey when engaging with these albums, beginning with shock and disturbance at the explicit imagery they're greeted with, only to leave the occasion with exalted disorientation. even when viewing the cover with its depth in placement, at the forefront we are met with these marks of substance and body, backdropped by the interior of a temple, and at the very end we encounter the universe itself. 

liner notes and illustrations for body fusion 1 and body fusion 2

FANTASY, BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!!! FANTASY, 1-800-660-458!!! FANTASY, ADULTS ONLY!!! FANTASY, ONLY $5 FOR **********inaudible**********!!! FANTASY, 24 HOURS A DAY!!! FANTASY!!!

the sex hotline recordings that mark the beginning of the album's run (and littered throughout) quickly switch to extraterrestrial keys, noodling their way through distant nebulas and in between comets. the whole experience feels like being seated at an open air theatre on an arid moon with nothing but the stars and a distant quasar above, bunched up together with alien deities on either side while a band of singers and dancers perform at the center, oscillating and motioning with each colorful breath of the universe. every movement and compositional change feels like a nail hammered through the top of one's head. the gradual piling on of sonic elements, with dazed vocals, chimes, and synth passages feel like arms subsequently assembling to embrace, and abduct us into the formless void, as we descend deeper and deeper into those gaps between the patterns of phosphene that welcome our closed eyes.

"the problem with which the alchemist-as well as surrealism and analytical psychology are concerned-is to bring this shattering reality back to man's consciousness; in other words, to endow man with the awareness, the alchemical aurea apprehensio (golden awareness) of this marvellous reality: we are gods, because we all are man and woman at one and the same time."

- arturo schwarz

the crossings found here range from the ambient bliss of albums like heaven's gate, to the crazed dynamism of tracks found on genie head gas in the tower of dreams, with the second half of body fusion 1 featuring some of the most beautiful minutes of drone to ever grace my ear, while closing off with a psychedelic yet nightmare inducing assortment of interstellar bells, the whistles and horns of a flying saucer, and vocals that sound like the soliloquy of a demon standing behind. it's nothing short of astonishing what ferraro manages to achieve here with the soundscapes he's chiseled out. body fusion 2 is similar in atmosphere and feels like a continuation of the world building, although with additional moments of percussion and a slightly tamer sound in comparison. reminiscent in style to some of the jarvid-9 albums. although not as meditative, it is much more active while maintaining the same occult air of an estrogen rite happening under a starry winter sky.

UNLEASH YOURSELF IN, FREE YOUR IMAGINATION, ESCAPE YOUR REALITY, IT'S A PERFECT PLACE, THRUST INTO ANOTHER WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, IT'S MAGIC, IT'S ********INAUDIBLE********* WHERE ALL YOUR IMAGINATION ********INAUDIBLE*********

the great tragedy of the two albums is the fact that none of the liner notes on any of the copies are legible, especially the one found on body fusion 2, with only the track titles being clear, erasing much wealth of context.

[1]                                                                                                                                               [2]

BODY FUSION                                                                                     DE JA VU AXIS

SPECIES WITHIN                                                                                 EARTH JUMP

PREGNANT AIR                                

                                              GENETALIA ECLIPSE 

SHEMALE                                                                                             DARK MERCURY

GYNE PLANET                                                                                     DATA IMPLANT

ANGEL ALIEN                                                                                     CLOWN FISH PRAYER 

                                                                                         GENIE    

however, what little has been deciphered (courtesy of the wonderful members of ferrarocord) and uploaded onto the discogs page of body fusion 1 does offer a decent couple of clues. implants, estradiol, injections, drainage, the language used is clinical yet mystical, treating medical transition as a mirror for internal transmutation, mercury and estrogen as catalysts and boundary crossers for the divine sexual balance, alchemical mergers and hormone therapies, expressions of a drive to reunite with the whole. "the real travel from body to body in one body" is perhaps the most clear formulation of what is being done here. a sort of transmigration and rebirth through sexual transitioning, an interior journey without even stepping out of our skin, which when completed enriches our spirit to reveal rebis. what the adult magazine cutouts reduce to shock spectacle, the temple of body fusion elevates to worship. the song title's are deeply evocative of the general theme of the album, from clown fish prayer (sequential hermaphroditism in nature), gyne planet, and genetalia eclipse, to data implant, species within, and pregnant air. dark mercury again ties in the alchemical aspects around this work, alluding to it's shadow aspect and it's nigredo stage (putrefactio or the dark night of the soul), where all true transformation begins.

"i think aspects of human culture that some people regard as unimportant actually operate within a really deep system of ancient symbolism and human archetypes, hard rock cafes, strip clubs, gyms, celebrities, etc. are all great examples of this, of roadside temples"

- james ferraro

interestingly, every rotation of this album differs to me, although its larger nature of an alchemical exercise in dissolving and then transcending the internal sexual binary, and as a sort of abduction from here (similar to ferraro's other album in the summer headrush series pixarni) remains intact, the abstract nature of the journey itself remains open, not to mention the feverish dreams that appear with each listen while falling asleep. i've talked about the general association of ferraro's albums from this era with regards to their role in dreams and blurring reality in other posts , however these two albums exacerbate the strangeness and dissonance of this activity to another level, und unlike the rest of his early discography that almost exclusively operate in the space of transportation, these albums simultaneously engage with an inner pilgrimage and change. the intercessions of the sex hotline recordings in between the tracks feeds the impressions of intergalactic misdials whose hold music physically drags you to different places. andro-hypno that is by far some of ferraro's best work, claustrophobic yet liberating in an almost cosmic sense. the churning in the back and forth of the chaotic noise and euphoric drones refuses any intention to keep this as something playing in the background, the divinations encountered when absorbing this awake or when drifting into sleep is fascinating, burning into one's mind an image of the body fusion found in ardhanarishvara, and of the crescent moon in the night as the half open eyelids of the universe itself.