A day in the company of Sabazius

Yesterday (19th of February 2013) I sat down with the goal of at least try to listen to some of Sabazius – ’The Descent Of Man’ an 11 hour 16 minute and 57 seconds long drone/doom recording.
But as the hours passed I realized that I wanted to complete the listen-through, and preferably do it in one day. My listening experience was documented through tweets on my Twitter-profile (@MajLev) . Below follows a transcript of my impressions during the day and my thoughts after, about this unworldly and somewhat mind altering experience.

The text within the () means it is translated from Swedish and is moderated replies to incoming interactions

Tuesday February 19th 2013, 08:30:

• 08:30 & I just started Sabazius – ’The Decent of Man’. This will be a listen-through w/ breaks. Thanks @doomlobbyn for raising my curiousity
• So far, 22 minutes in, no headache, have to turn the volume down at some points, but it is quite soothing so far. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Damn my eyes are itching today…
• OK 50 minutes in, I have to take a small break (nature calls) & I need some coffee too. But it’s good work music #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Back again and the prolonged ringing vibrating notes with the occasional percussion floats through my brain again #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 1h 24m… new break… #FIKA #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• And I’m on again… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 1h38m: There came the brainwave alternating noise & a slight headache emerged. Turning the volume down for awhile #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Must say that there isn’t much going on in this ’composition’. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• The only good thing with this Drone/Doom/Bass/Noise epic is that I forget my itching eyes every once in awhile 😉 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (By now the man (@doomlobbyn) that tipped me off of this recording starts to listen to, I’m at this point 1h and 57 minutes in. @doomlobbyn wonders if there has been any riffs, and my reply to that is: LOL…. LOL…. LMFAO… ahm riffs??? Wouldn’t say that no. I would describe it as a little sparse)
• 2 hours and 30 minutes in, I’m beginning to wish for some live video footage of this recording. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (According to a reply to @doomlobbyn I have now lost all concept of time and space…)
• 02:34 I actually like what has been going on for the past minutes or so, nice ambience #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 02:36 Oh oh oh It is happening!!!!! Hang in there @doomlobbyn #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Correction… 2 HOURS and 36 MINUTES Oh oh oh It is happening!!!!! Hang in there @doomlobbyn #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (@doomlobbyn has managed to get 54 minuter in, he needs a break after a long period of feedback, I try to encourage him: @doomlobbyn Hang in there, I’m just sitting here enjoying it right now. They have sorted their instruments out by now and seems to have found each others ’flow’ 😀 )
•  (When @doomlobbyn has reached the one hour mark I have to ask him, if he can have an ear out for some kind of vocal during the 2nd hour, as it suddenly hits me that I might have head some during that hour or if it is my mind playing tricks with me)
• 3 hours in, I’m taking a short break now – Lunch. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Lunchbreak is over, now on with work and some more #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 3 h 25 min I’m liking this part 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• OH! Just realized I’ve already listened to over 4 hours!!! Time flies when you are having fun or going insane 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 4 hours 24 minutes: Oooeeehh that was a surprising chord change!!! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (@doomlobbyn confirmes some kind of vocal!)
• (I’ve become in sync with the tune now)
• OK 4h 40min, need to lower the volume, or my ears will bleed… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• At 4h 42min I think they are taking a toilet break :S #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• And there! 5 hours has passed… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 05h04m20s I think that was a yell?! Yes there it came again! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Just gave them a like on FB, that is the least I can do by now… https://www.facebook.com/Sabazius  #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 5h15m this sound is not good for my ears or my brain :S #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (@doomlobbyn experiences his first riff, while I’m going through something horrendous at the same time, something I describe as a air-strike emergency warning sound)
• 5h23min I really need a break now… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 5h31m… With all the guitar feedback you really appreciate the occasional bass chords. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 5h43min – Right now I’m hoping something new will happen soon… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 5h50min TORTURE! My ears! My Brain! My sanity! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 5h53m10s YESSSSS! Oh thank you! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (I’m now warning @doomlobbyn about the 5th hour)
• 5h56m Oh I’m going to cry…. a real structure and drums! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 6h14m Something new is happening, I like it! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 6h18min it is really good now! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (I’m now realizing that the 6th hour is THE HOUR!)
• 6h22min … I’m happy now, this is great, turn the volume UP you need to hear this! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 6h31min noooo don’t stop, I was getting high on the groove. And now feedback again…. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 6 hours and 48 minutes in I need to go home (and take a break), will continue as soon as possible!!! 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Just so I know where to start, when I get home #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan pic.twitter.com/k7EjZSu6
• And I am on it again… realizing I don’t have that many hours to go #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 06:51:20 Oh interesting! Something totally new! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Just past the 7 hour mark and right now the music is soothing and really nice #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 07:09:30 Oh my what is going on ?!?! I like it! 😀 Haha #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (Many surprises around the 7hour mark)
• (Somebody wonders if I’ve been listening to the same all day: Yeah It has been the track of the day 😀 11 hours long… I’m slowly going insane….)
• 7h23m I don’t know why it is hard to listen to it now because it’s actually structured, I feel me brain vibrating #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 7h30m really nice groove, slight headbanging going on… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 7h39m drum solo time!!! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 7h45m Nice! Drums still going, bass kicks in WITH chord changes 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8 hours… I need a small break again… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h2m that sound is not good for my head… low volume from now on, but still listening #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (The bass frequency goes so low that my brain doesn’t really want to play along anymore. Bass – how low can you go?)
• (Only minimal drumming, the bass died I think…)
• 8h15m Only drums now, nice change from the really low-frequency bass, my brain needed a break #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h20m they woke up, had some coffee or something, damn! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h30m Oh there are something that sounds like actual words, repeatedly!!! I’m in awe… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h39m oh nice riffs going on now! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h41minute What is going on?! This is good!!! 😀 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h50m I’m so in the mood for dancing around like a hippie on drugs… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (Fuck it is too good now!!! 🙂 I think I’m getting high on this groove!)
• 8h56m18sec oooooh! ohhh! ohh! don’t stop! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h56m17sec It just gets better and better now! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 8h57m17sec It just gets better and better now! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan (Correction of last tweet, wrong minute)
• (Seriously, it is good now. A shame that I had to wait over 8 hours for it 😀  )
• 9 hours! And right now it has been worth it 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (I’m getting curious about their previous releases now, as this listen-through is my Sabazius debut)
• (Somebody thinks it is intervention time, and I reply: ”Noooo I’ve only got 2 hours left!!!!”)
• 9h16m and some seconds… oh my brain!!! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 9h37m Again an interesting part. I like it! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (A reply about what I’m listening to: I’ve heard MUCH worse in my life! And this is an experience of epic proportions, not likely to be done again! 🙂 )
• 9h43m mmm yeah new sounds are flowing, I like it! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (More reflections about my listening experience to a twitter-follower: hehe there have been loooong periods with nothing really going on, with sounds not good for your ears or brain, but well yeah 🙂 )
• Approaching the 10 hour mark and I’m beginning to think about what to listen to after all this drone extravaganza #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 9h54m oh it is good now, it’s buzzing in my brain… 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (More reflections: The fun thing is that you appreciate the drums when they kick in, you appreciate the small chord changes… and when they stop and the feed back starts again, you long for them to come back 🙂 )
• 9h59m and some seconds: YES!!!!! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• And I’m past 10 hours now and there are new things going on again 😀 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h15m sorry had to take a small break (phone-call) now back with some coffee and the last hour of #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (I’m yet again warning @doomlobbyn about the 5th hour, but also that it will get better!!!)
• 10h25m and I’m realizing that nothing will be the same again after this experience! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h32m these repeated waves of sound that keeps hitting my ears is making me sleepy #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h37m feedback time again… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h38m50sec Thanks…. I can now raise the volume again! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h41m Right now I’m really curious about how the ending will be… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 30 minutes left, already dreading the silence to come… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h53m30sec ok feed back time again after a period of groovy drone. I think the ending is approaching 🙂 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 10h56m30secs Not that sound again! My brain is too tired for that now! :S #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 11 hours!!! Only 16 minutes and 54 seconds to go! #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (Reply to somebody who wonders about my experience so far: Well it has been testing at times, but you find yourself appreciating chord progression on another lever after this 🙂 )
• 11 hours and 8 minutes the ending is near 🙁 #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• Less than 4 minutes left, this has been a very interesting day. It will not be repeated. Once is enough. #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (Me and @doomlobbyn are wondering about the ending, if it will be a massive earsplitting feedback or as I’m replying: Right now it is extremely slow riffs och dull drums, I’m hoping they will let the track die out in a looooong last breath…)
• 11h16m The song is dying, slooooowly, #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• 11h16m54s and there with a smile on my face I hear first the drums & the bass die and fade out & silence… #Sabazius #TheDescentOfMan
• (Not saying too much, the ending was perfectly OK 😀 )
• (Sorry my dear followers, it is now bedtime for me, I hope I will not have nightmares tonight 🙂 )
• (I’m feeling totally empty in my head right now, it will be hard finding any music to listen to tomorrow, maybe I should take a music free day tomorrow?!)

Wednesday 20th of February 2013:

• Morning! At work, first cup of coffee and a strange feeling of extreme happiness in my entire body! 😀 Så jävla peppad idag!!!

Final thoughts:

Well strangely enough I have had the strange urge to start a new listen to this recording, and I’ve been strangely happy and rejuvenated today. Haven’t listened to any music as of yet today, I think I’m still digesting the echoes of the droning riffs in my head.

I see others have started their listen-trough and it is funny to see their remarks, and I’m now happy that I did my tweets along the way, because I would not have known in what hour certain parts started or ended, just that the 5th hour was really hard to get through.

Now go and listen for yourself, and don’t give up! It gets better and it gets unbearable at times, but it is worth it in the end!