Скачать или смотреть Ben J. Connolly - Phaethon, Becalmed (Full Album & Visuals)

Animation by the wonderful @kb__artwork

Phaethon, Becalmed is a musical reimagining of the Greek myth of Phaethon.

Phaethon (meaning ‘The Radiant One’) is a young man struggling with finding his place in world,
lacking a sense of his own identity.

He is raised by his mother Clymene, who regales him with tales of his absent father, the great Sun
God, Helios. Motivated in part by his rivalry with another young man named Epaphus, son of Zeus,
Phaethon decides to undertake the journey of a lifetime. He travels to the edge of the world where
he will meet his father for the first time. There, he will endeavour to drive his father’s Sun Chariot
across the sky, in an attempt to prove his greatness to Epaphus and his peers. This however, is no job for a mortal, and in his attempt Phaethon causes worldwide chaos, which ultimately leads to his own tragic death.

Phaethon’s story mirrors ailments of the modern world. It is a cautionary tale of hubris and pride,
exemplifying the pitfalls of an obsession with prestige and power. In a world of where we are
becoming more and more absorbed with presenting a contrived image of ourselves to the wider
world, this story highlights the perils of pursuits that are ultimately fuelled by the need to impress
others; by indulging our insecurities. Phaethon's obstinate insistence on attempting to fly the divine
Sun Chariot has wider connotations too. It is a striking metaphor for Humanity’s efforts to dominate nature, rather than working in harmony with it; for our efforts to ‘play God’. We interfere greatly with the balance of the natural forces of our planet and are ultimately suffering the consequences, as we now face the challenges of climate change.

The story is told through these 17 pieces of music.

00:00 - 1. Phaethon - The all too familiar feeling of being stuck; of having no wind in your sail. Phaethon as a young man finds himself without purpose in the world.

02:57 - 2. East to Oceanus - Phaethon begins an epic journey born of desperation in his search for meaning and identity. He decides he will traverse the ancient world to meet his father, the Sun God.

05:19 - 3. Intervention I - Helios is informed of the boy’s struggle to reach him, and sends his Sun Hawks to carry him the rest of the way.

08:11 - 4. A Different Kind Of Light - Phaethon awakens at the very edge of the world, the river Oceanus. His journey is complete and he prepares himself to enter the Sun Palace.

10:14 - 5. Helios - Phaethon meets his father meet for the first time. For his countintued absense in fatherhood, Helios offers Phaethon anything he wishes for.

12:56 - 6. A Terrible Fate - Phaethon reveals his devastating wish to drive the Sun chariot, and his father is unable to dissuade him.

15:23 - 7. Eos - Phaethon is graced by the presence of Eos, as he prepares to drive the chariot. As Dawn breaks he begins performing his father’s divine duty and he feels invincible.

20:00 - 8. A Tug Of The Reins - Phaethon loses control of the Sun chariot, and causes worldwide chaos as forests burn and oceans freeze.

22:11 - 9. An Elegy For Earth - The earth is seemingly dying, and all because of Phaethon’s foolish actions. Phaethon, overcome with fear and remorse, prays for help.

24:29 - 10. Intervention II - Reluctantly, Zeus has no choice but to strike Phaethon down with his lightning bolt to save the earth.

27:00 - 11. Phaethon Is Falling - Phaethon falls from the chariot, back down to earth and into the river Eridanos.

28:37 - 12. Cycnus, Becalmed - Cycnus, Phaethon’s lover and closest friend, mourns his tragic death.

32:45 - 13. Intervention III - The Gods wish to free Cycnus from his misery, and the also wish to put an end to his ceaseless wailing, and so he is transformed into a mute swan.

34:37 - 14. A Swan Song - As a mute swan, Cycnus lives the rest of his life in silence on the peaceful river. Some years later, Cycnus sings his final farewell.

38:14 - 15. Auriga - Phaethon is placed by the Gods among the stars.

40:40 - 16. An Ocean of Emptiness - Auriga rests in the unfathomable vastness, as Phaethon’s story is commemorated in our night sky.

42:40 - 17. Phaethon (Reprise) - A closing tribute to Phaethon, his virtues and his flaws.

All music written by Ben J. Connolly and released on Neue Meister on January 19th 2024.
Strings performed by Echo Collective
Tuned Percussion performed by Ramon Lormans
Vocal performed by Andrew Dickinson
Engineering by Brian Crosby and Fabien Leseure
Mastering by Trevor Michael