"Aphelium" album concept description

The creation of the album took six months. The inspiration came from first and second wave space rock, ambient music, philosophical reflections, and a personal fascination with astronautics.

The album is a kind of a sutra. Like ancient Eastern philosophical teachings, it can be viewed on three levels: external, internal, and secret.

Orbital mission

The external level describes the journey of an astronaut who embarked on a year-long mission on the International Space Station. Each composition reflects the stages of his mission: launch preparation, liftoff, docking with the station, performing various tasks, moving in space, intercom communications, routine station checks, spacewalks, experiments, and finally, return to Earth.

Microcosm

The internal level tells about the astronaut's journey into the world of his own emotions, dreams, and thoughts. Each composition sequentially reveals different states of his consciousness and reflects the path of qualitative change in mental habits. The palette of emotions changes from inspiration to doubt, then to awe and catharsis, ending with final understanding.

In the silent void of space, he becomes an observer of his own life. As if under a magnifying glass, a panorama of his experience, values, and beliefs unfolds before him. On a subconscious level, space removes all his mental impurities, and the astronaut gains wisdom and maturity through the experience of this flight. At the end of the journey, the astronaut comes to an epiphany: the only reality is the "present moment". Realizing this becomes the meaning of his existence. The Path becomes the Goal, and the Goal becomes the Path.

The Path of bodhisattva

The secret level reveals the spiritual path of one person, a Buddhist monk. Each composition reflects the stages of his inner growth.

Initially, after long preparation of body and mind in the monastery (similar to an astronaut preparing for the flight), he decides to immerse himself in a long solitude in the forest (similar to flying into space).

Yet, he feels anxious and doubtful before "launching". He thinks "Should I leave this world forever? Should I enter nirvana completely?" he discusses this with his fellow monk (another crew member), who has also decided to go on a retreat.

When he reaches the secluded forest dwelling, sitting on the cushion, he feels weightless, light, and his doubts fade away. Days go by, and positive results quickly manifest; he sinks deeper into concentration, and wisdom grows within him.

In one of the meditations, he "goes into open space" of the consciousness, and his true nature reveals itself.

Life is divided into before and after.

A prolonged state of deep comprehension arises, which does not leave him even during sleep or eating.

He lives like this for a while, witnessing the unseen and experiencing the incomprehensible.

Time passes, and doubts again infiltrate his mind: "Should I leave everything and dissolve? What about others? If I don’t help, they might not grasp what I’ve understood. I can’t leave them".

And then, in the mind of the noble monk, a deep feeling of empathy and compassion arises. He realizes that his solitude can now be completed. "I will return and help others, showing them the path I have discovered", he decides.

With these words, the his mind is cleansed of all mental impurities, and he attains perfect, all-encompassing enlightenment. Gathering his belongings, he sets off to share his knowledge with the world.

And who knows how many beings he will liberate and direct on the Path?