My work is founded on the exploration of Consciousness and the cultivation of Listening.
It is through experience, observation and creation that we may explore as individuals and as communities the full richness of consciousness. When we set upon the understanding and cultivation of consciousness, our potential for awareness and growth may be exponentially realized.
It is my belief that one of the most powerful ways by which we may cultivate consciousness is through our utilization and development of Listening.
For me, Listening is not solely concerned with hearing, it is our whole being Of profound reception and expression. My understanding of Listening was initially formed out of my interest in music and sound. Over the years, this original interest has evolved into my examination of all phenomena and the varying degrees and depths of Being through which I incorporate a number of modalities into my creative work, these include: mysticism, the sciences, philosophy, architecture, martial arts, yoga and other disciplines.
These concepts require a diverse and complimentary palette of expression as they touch on a broad number of issues and concerns. It is for these reasons that I have worked in the mediums of sound and music, literature, imagery and film.
Through my creative endeavours, I am not attempting to define but to explore and stimulate potentialities of what we consider to be the real and the imagined, the possible and the impossible.
BIO
Joël is a composer, writer and multimedia artist.
At an early age, Joël was intrigued by sound, an attraction that began with his father's record collection and lead to his study of music composition. In addition to this profound fascination with sound, Joël was equally drawn to mysticism, mythology and science. This cocktail of interests took him on to further studies of the martial arts, yoga, meditation and bioenergetic modalities.
Over the years, Joël has initiated and collaborated on a number of projects of varying genres and intentions - all in the spirit of exploration and experimentation; to foster greater understanding and experiential richness of consciousness, self-knowledge, creativity, and the mystique of "more" that comes with the wonder and awe of the cosmic dance.
In 2000, while studying Bushido in Japan, Joël began the realization of a large scale work, "The Books of Magra." It is a seven volume series with complimentary albums of music for each individual book.
In 2018 Joël published the first book and album, "The Books of Magra: Hax-Sus;" and in the same year, he contributed sound design to Judith M. Atkinson's exhibit "The Return of the Goddess" (In 2019, "Grand Structures" from "The Books of Magra: Hax-Sus" album was included in Sonologues 2019).
In 2020, "H.R.G.: Sonic Memoriam," an ambient album dedicated to the paintings of H.R. Giger, was released.
Most recently, the very first performance of live music that is a part of The Books of Magra. Specifically, it was "a Luminous Brocade" that was performed by Angelique Po on June 18th at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.