Friday 10 April 2020

ILLUMI NATION by Long Lastin' - Album Review


ILLUMI NATION
Produced by
Long Lastin’ (aka Kit Glover)
Album Review



First thing for me to note is that this review is one of those that dropped through the cracks due to the huge upheaval I experienced at the end of last year and as such I am getting this one out to you now.

Now, it is not very often that you get the chance to immerse yourself in a musical experience that brings together two things that have a huge impact in your life but, this album was one of those moments. From the time I first saw this on Bandcamp; I was excited and knew I wanted to listen to it. Now Kit was kind enough to send me a copy and on its arrival I was quick to get this playing in my car, back when I had one that is... 

Illumination, originally released some five years ago, cohesively blends Hip Hop beats and vibes with subjects that are often considered to be outside the box, esoteric or for weirdoes. I’m talking about UFO’s, Aliens, NWO, conspiracies and so on. The album was the culmination of five years research and a desire to put the information out there. As I was someone who immersed themselves in these subjects for over 30 years, I knew this would something very interesting and sort of that would get conversations flowing for hours.



The album is 17 tracks deep and kicks off with The Battle for Our Souls which immediately drops you in at the deep end with the battle of good and evil, the grip of Money on us all, the brainwashing by Mass Media and the battle that exists within each of us as we constantly battle with our own demons, all this over a heavy beat and a piano loop which create a soundscape that fits exactly with subject matter. Corporations and the powers that be, thrive of this battle within us and as a result many people have begun to understand what is going on which has given birth to Conspiracy Theories. Now there are more of these out there than ever before and there seems to be a conspiracy theory around anything from bank notes to Viruses, UFOs and so much more. Now many of these theories are created by those might be kooks and so on but, there is also so much too many of these theories, if you are willing to look deeply into it that the truth is often stranger than fiction. The beat here has a simplistic drum beat with some laid back piano and electronic vibes all mixed to focused. One subject that has had more than its fair share of conspiracy theories is that of secret societies and that is what is presented in The Biggest Secret. A heavy booming track which takes you through the inner workings of these types of secret societies and what their place in within our own society. T.V Mass Deception looks at the one weapon we have in all our homes, the television. TV and those who control what comes into our homes have the greatest influence on our thinking. Most of us believe everything we see on TV but, don’t believe everything you see or hear. Production here is a more jazzy style beat, with some sweet cuts, that has a more laid back feel to it. 

Holders of the Light takes you on a journey deep into the Illuminati and how they got their name. Here the track is a banging beat backed by some ethereal vocals creating a surreal vibe. Now you may or may not believe much about the Illuminati but, they did exist and many believe they still exist in the shadows controlling world affairs and these theories are not going away anytime soon. The next subject is that of Lucifer. Taking a heavy beat and more ethereal vocals to capture that eerie feel, our minds are taken on a trip through just who is or was Lucifer and what he means to many, including those who call themselves Luciferians. 

Next we are taken back into the realm of black projects, the type of things that governments pour huge amounts of money into in order to do things that would, ordinarily, outrage the general public. First up is the CIA’s Mind control study MK Ultra. Utilising some mind bending electronic sounds and a really heavy beat, we are immersed into what was MK Ultra, what it was for and what it ultimately did to those who were used in the program. From mind control we move to climate control with the US military’s HAARP program. HAARP or High frequency Active Auraral Research Program is a, still active, program using high frequency radio waves to manipulate weather and more. Utilising a more military type beat alongside electronic sounds to give you a vibe that fits perfectly with the subject. 

From black projects, we drift back into the realms of the Illuminati with the Birth of the Illuminati. A more funky style beat and some jazzy piano back the story of how the Illuminati came to be and home it evolved.

Now we move into a subject that is really at the heart of this album, and that is sound. What is Sound uses some electronic sounds and a steady beat to provide the background to story of what sound really is and what it has been used for throughout hundreds, even thousands of years. This is something that is hugely important in our current climate and what we are experiencing but, not just sound itself, just as important as sound is of course music and with music it is important to note that the frequency at which you record music is critical. This is all explored in 440Hz Tuning and the mood is set here using more ethereal vocals, strings, keys and steady beat to accompany what is probably one of the most important subjects explored on this album. Make no mistake, sound and music really does have the power to heal, when played in the right frequencies...

 No album focusing on this wealth of esoteric information would be complete without looking at aliens and first track looking at this subject is Ancient Aliens.  Using many quotes from the infamous TV show, we are treated to a heavy vibe with an eastern undertone running through it. You may believe this or not but, if you chose to really look deeply into this subject there is evidence out there that simply defies explanation, it is a compelling and extremely interesting subject. Next we move to The Great Pyramid, taken on a journey through electronic sounds over an instantly recognisable beat, with a few angelic vocals thrown in. Again the great pyramid of Egypt is an enigma, the true purpose of which is as yet unknown. It contains no burial chamber but, does exhibit interesting sound qualities as well as evidence of extreme heat. There is also no conclusive fact of how it was built or by whom, only theories exist and these are yet to be proven. If you are going to explore aliens and the subject of ancient aliens then you will, at some point, discuss UFO’s and this is the subject of the next track. This track starts with the original radio broadcast of the Roswell UFO crash back in 1947. A nice funky little track with some horns, this track gives you a great introduction into lights in the sky, actual craft and more. I studied Ufology very heavily myself for many years and so this is a subject still close to my heart but, I will resist the urge to go off at a tangent here...

A soft piano takes into the next track. Leading a nice funkier vibe, Negative Energy looks at the association between positive and negative energy and how focusing too much on those negative thoughts will bring forth a negative experience but, by focusing more on the positive outcome, we can transcend the negative impact. If you think of what is happening at this time. There is a huge negative impact on the world but, at the same time there is a huge shift toward positive actions. There are no wars as opposing sides are coming together for the greater good. Now think of what is achievable if the world is able to retain this positive focus once the corona virus is gone? If positive thought and action is maintained, then anything is possible. Wake Up!!! Now takes the notion of positive overcoming negativity and uses a very familiar tune, underpinned with sweet beat, to develop on the positive direction. There is a deeper message here. If we simply wake up to giving life a positive focus we can move forward without the need for wars, disagreements and even money...
Taking the piano vibe we have already heard here, the album moves into its final track with The Revolution Within. Here it is really about taking everything you have heard throughout this musical documentary and use it to create your own internal revolution. Understanding, knowledge and an open mind are individual keys to unlock the door to creating a new you.

So, this album really asks the listener to have an open mind when playing this album. Yes there is a nice Hip Hop vibe that permeates the entire album from start to finish and, yes, that Hip Hop vibe is tweaked with sounds and other vibes that create a varying energy as you drift from subject to subject across an hour or so of knowledge and information that might leave you a little exhausted by the wealth of everything you have just taken in, in fact it may well take a few listens to really absorb everything. But, this album is a great introduction to what is out there in the public domain for you to go dig up if you really have the interest.

Ultimately this album gives you just enough information to get conversations going and to get you mind opening to possibilities you might not yet have considered.

For me I enjoyed everything about this album. The production was well crafted and created some nice mental pictures around the information that came across in each track. There was not too much information to overload you and as such it created a highly listenable album even if this subject is not really your cup of tea. It also demonstrates the desire of Long Lastin’ to create a platform to present you with important information from what he himself has researched.

I would ask you to give this album a chance, especially with regards to the section on sound and frequency, I consider this a hugely important subject and would like to see more music produced in a variety of frequencies and it is a project I have been trying to give some time to for a long time.
I will finish by saying that you should check out the links below because if this is really not your scene that there will be something there, from Long Lastin’, that will appeal to you.

On that note, I’m outta here.
Stay Safe people. 


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