Memnon Sa - World Serpent - DAMAGED COVER

"It may seem somewhat out of character for what is ostensibly a Metal oriented record shop and label to release a record such as World Serpent. An album filled with pulsing synthesisers, saxophonic flourishes, and soporific tones. Maybe so. However, Misha Hering's Memnon Sa project has mutated in many ways since its origins. Its earliest output was a kind of eccentric and experimental Black Metal, reduced to pure aura, bereft of its traditional instrumentation. As the project pushed forward the darkness of those early recordings remained, and is equally present on 2017's Lemurian Dawn albeit somewhat of a departure from its origins. With World Serpent this darkness is tempered by lightness, the horrific and crepuscular partially bleached by a rising sun, the truly evil finds itself in contention with the divine, elevating World Serpent from the extraordinary to the sublime. Metal, and Black Metal in particular, has always had a relationship with ambient music. Many a metal record collection is peppered with copies of albums by such sonic luminaries such as Jim Kirkwood, Tangerine Dream, and Klaus Schulze. I hope Memnon Sa's World Serpent will join them." 

- Crypt of the Wizard

World Serpent is the fourth album from London producer and composer Misha Hering, under the Memnon Sa banner, and the debut release on Hering’s own Holy Mountain imprint, a new label dedicated to very special productions from Misha’s now reputable studio of the same name in East London. It is released in partnership with specialist Metal record shop and label Crypt Of The Wizard.

World Serpent is an album in the classic sense of the word, a 40 minute, psychedelic document of deep exploration, high drama and gleaming production. Misha Hering has used the last decade forming Memnon Sa into a psychomagical Black Metal and Prog studio project trawling forgotten lore and legend, using his Holy Mountain HQ to slowly grow his ritualistic membership to form an otherworldly orchestra, which this time features members of experimental art-pop group Virginia Wing, sludge veterans Ghold and Wren, with appropriately cosmic cover art designed by another Holy Mountain alumni: Alexander Tucker.

Mythology
“The myth of Apophis is what inspired the record. Apophis, or Apep in ancient Egypt, is a snake deity made out of stone. It is the god/goddess (its gender is fluid, changes depending on the myth) of chaos and destruction but also rebirth. It lives in a parallel dimension to earth, in an endless ocean of black water, the sole inhabitant. If we had the ability to peel back the veil between our dimensions, wherever we are on earth, we would peer into a world of perpetual darkness and solitude. A truly terrifying myth, and yet, Apophis was venerated. This made me think of the juxtaposition between ecstasy and horror. I thought it was very fascinating, the idea of making music that on the surface sounded triumphant and uplifting, but had a very sinister subtext, almost like cheering for the bad guy. I enjoyed this tension so much that I tried to write an album around the concept. That is how world serpent was born.” - Misha Hering

Methodology
Recalling the acid and occult-soaked aesthetic glory days of Aphrodite’s Child, David Axelrod, The Vertigo label and Popol Vuh, World Serpent seemingly consolidates a creative journey that has seen at points, collaboration with musicians as, broad and esoteric as Alexander Tucker, Spiritualized, Virginia Wing, Puppy, and Ghold, Hering has been able to assemble a group of performers to assist him invoke this most grandiose vision within World Serpent, The album was entirely recorded by Misha at Holy Mountain in London. All synthesisers are analogue, and it was recorded and mixed without any plugins, using the acclaimed API1604 desk. Guest performers include most notably Merida Richards (Virginia Wing) on vocals (“she plays the role of a grecian choir almost”), Chris Duffin (James Holden, Xam Duo, Virginia Wing) on saxophone (“summoning pure Pharaoh Sanders witchcraft on golden Ram Of The Sun”), Seb J Tull (Wren) playing drums and Oliver Martin from Ghold returns to conjure other-worldly throat singing and terrifying Minoan chants. Hering has placed himself at the centre of a handpicked coven of artists, and with World Serpent has produced the ultimate sonic mythical evocation for the 21st century 

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