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Wednesday 15 December 2021

The Top 50 Albums of 2021


The Top 50 Albums of 2020
I did another thing if you're keen on it.

Twelve years of writing these Top 50 Album articles. Twelve years! You may think it'd be effortless by now, especially considering I authored the official book on the subject, every other book is shit, I am the lone voice of the musical landscape, but nooooo. Each December that passes, I am reminded of my inadequacy as that golf-ball sized lump of stress pops out from my left shoulder. Hello, old friend.

The toughest slab of beef is that I fucking loathe music critics. All of them can go to hell. I consider these people the lowest form of music listeners except for those who listen to the critics themselves. Who calls who the authority? If you do not enjoy a certain act, is that not your problem? If anyone, literally anyone whatsoever, is fond of a particular artist, even if just the artist themselves, does that not automatically justify the music's existence? Should everyone not strive to love and consume as much music (and, indeed, art) as possible? Should we not be embarrassed by the music we dislike because it reveals a lack of capacity to meet it on its level? Aren't our true superiors those who can pick apart what makes any music appealing to others and therefore appreciate anything that brings someone else joy? Yes to whatever I just said. Hence, the individuals who believe their taste is so exceptional that they publicly berate the subjective creativity of musicians are the same individuals who lick their fingers following a masturbation session. Every single music critic who isn't myself does that without fail. Call me old fashioned, but I do not favour such behaviour.

Unfortunately, my system was too strong, and it overpowered me again. I dissected each album I listened to by default. I neatly noted my analyses in a Google spreadsheet. I casually assigned numerical values to separate my favourites. I've been running this process for so long that I no longer identify with another method of listening to music. And so, when the year's concluding days rolled around, over half of this list was already in my palms. What were my options? Hide my findings? That feels like a disservice to music itself. How unfair to a year of material. How blasphemous to the album gods. How could I deserve music after that? How could I look at myself in the mirror? Plus, a considerable amount of readers claim that they dig these blog pieces. If I can prompt some happiness in our confusing world, then surely I'm an asset, and the demons shush for a minute.

At the end of today, I make peace with the annual practice. Do you know why I am an acceptable music critic? Because I only review the albums I adore. I'm never out to insult creativity. I'm pushing positive vibes to the records that others may have overlooked. And in 2021, there were a bunch of them.

I digested 444 myself in total—what a satisfying number from a satisfying twelve months! So much so, selecting the upper 50 was yet another exercise in curbing anxiety. The abundance of decent product is undoubtedly a result of lockdowns, a fresh batch of inspiration juice spewing from experiences none of us predicted yet shared the understanding. Not to mention that the musicians were stuck at home for ages, with no social distractions, no performance responsibilities, nothing but time to murder. And if the sudden rise in quality from the more raucous rock bands is anything to go by, everyone is sick of this shit.

Anyway, I hope you find something to change your life below, and if you do, please tell your hot friends about Jared. Here are this year's most memorable albums, according to me.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 50. Sectlinefor - Kissing Strangers During an Outbreak

50. Sectlinefor - Kissing Strangers During an Outbreak

Alternative Industrial Metal
28 May
Spotify


Respect the hustle! The general consensus is that Sectlinefor's third record stands on top of their catalogue as the (current) peak of their sound—the most comfortable/uncomfortable meeting point between guitarist Piton's progressive symphonics and vocalist Jared's comical aesthetics, representing both the darkness of depression and the colours of comedy in equal measures. And yet the unconventional deliveries and genre-bending spectrum of Kissing Strangers During an Outbreak can't unhinge the coherent ghost of the pandemic locked inside, a record definitely reflecting the "new normal" atmosphere of the world (which, as you know, is anything but normal). Just watch the video for the first single, The Saddest Face in All of Existence, and you'll grasp the vibe without ease.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 49. San Salvador - La grande folie

49. San Salvador - La grande folie

Polyphonic Occitan Avant-Folk Chant Music
22 January
Spotify


I'm sure there's a whole world where music like this flows in abundance, but I am yet to discover it, leaving all reference points nonexistent. I'm not even able to find my jaw, actually, I dropped it somewhere here, have you seen it? Supported by sporadic driving percussion, San Salvador are primarily a vocal outfit—one of the best vocal outfits I've ever heard, at that—passing melodies between each player like juggling balls while layering their harmonies so high that they lick the base of Heaven. The passion, the talent, and the freshness buzz a spiritual reaction inside of me, and I wobble dizzy when imagining how epic this must sound as a live performance.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 48. Nanoray - Zapper

48. Nanoray - Zapper

Hardcore Breaks
8 February
Spotify


Living up to tin’s promise, I can hear this record just by looking at the artwork. Distressed video game energy rushes the party, high on candy intake, glitching from the colours, permanently hyperventilating in full fight or flight mode. It’s a blast! Another welcome side effect is how quickly my fingers type when working to this music, zooming through tasks without noticing what I'm doing because I’m far too busy dancing. The secret to never realising you have a job lies in this album, apparently.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 47. Fire-Toolz - Eternal Home

47. Fire-Toolz - Eternal Home

Post-Industrial Avant-Progressive Electronic
15 October
Spotify


As soon as the black metal vocals tear through the bouncy electro glitches, you know you're in for a perplexing journey, especially after noting the one hour and 18 minutes of endurance time. It goes on forever and ever! And yet, the chaotic overflow of crazy extract and ever-shifting variation of stylistic choices completely sidestep any risk of boredom, the onslaught eventually overriding the brain, tuning into a foreign planet countless years away. Lifetimes pass until you reach the end, a brand new person, wondering what happened, only returning to reality because a different album came into your headphones. And then it's like, oh, actually this isn't a different album! It's the same album! It's still going! It was one thing, and now it's another thing, then it's back to the same thing as before! It's so many different things at once that I keep forgetting what I was doing! What is this?? Do I even like it?? Irrelevant. Produce a record as surreal and eclectic and interesting as this one, and you're guaranteed a slot on my list. Good work, Fire-Toolz. Come and collect your gift certificate whenever you have a spare mo. 


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 46. Amigo the Devil - Born Against

46. Amigo the Devil - Born Against

Gothic Country
16 April
Spotify


"I never knew how patient I could be until I watched you bleed". Hey, so, gothic country is a fun idea! Ah, Born Against, I geddit! Haha. I like it. The Devil is in the details, Amigo. The darkness hides solely in the lyrics, rubbing its pain in your face raw over those storytelling pluckings only them folky southerner folks can accomplish without sounding silly. If you're the same as I am and wish to have a good time while thinking about death, check out this record over here. It's not your average cabaret bloodbath, take it from me.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 45. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power

45. Halsey - If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power

Alternative Electronic Art Pop Rock
27 August
Spotify


What a delight when a project's backstory is as exhilarating as the content itself. Legend tells that Halsey had already completed If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power when she morphed from the star into the groupie. She reached out to her heroes, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, essentially begging them to produce the work by promising them full reign over the end product. What trust! Surprisingly to everyone, the duo agreed and proceeded to strip the songs into little bits, reconstructing each one until the record was less a Halsey effort, far more a Nine Inch Nails affair. How often does that happen? When the production team outshines the leading voice. When listeners click the link for the names inside of the cover, not the front. When a remix album comes out of an original that doesn't even exist. And yet, you've got to hand it to NIN for serving the tracks above their egos, forever recognising the moments where best to play it reserved by nudging the vocal hooks upwards, then knowing when to shove their industrial fists through the spotlight, knocking the centrepiece off to the side. That said, it's not fair to altogether remove Halsey from the creative praise here because her role came with its own signature magic. According to the artist herself, "this album is a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth", and there is something infinitely special in that idea—the miracle of procreation within your female anatomy standing as your primary muse. It's a topic no male could ever comprehend or write about in any genuine fashion, and I find this theme so beautifully inspiring that it's worthy of the consideration alone irrespective of the Trent factor (even though the Trent factor is 100% why I've included this record, soz).


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 44. Rochelle Jordan - Play With the Changes

44. Rochelle Jordan - Play With the Changes

Alternative R&B UK Bass
30 April
Spotify


Rhythm and blues and drum and bass. Who knew? Rochelle Jordan knew. But while the sexy softness of her vocals keeps the clouds afloat, it's the super clean production that jolts the euphoria, never letting go of its clubby undertones, invigorating a faster heartbeat with busy percussion patterns that seduce you onto the dancefloor long into the night, then disappearing in the morning, leaving you feeling a little bit sad. Still a good party, though. No regrets.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 43. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Illusory Walls

43. The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Illusory Walls

Post-Rock Midwest Emo
8 October
Spotify


Leaving nothing to chance, The World Is a Beautiful Place have sacrificed every trace of energy they have into making this their most potent album to date. The dense production towers above the listener yet grants ample breathing space, never suffocating the ride, ensuring maximum power. The male-to-female vocal dynamics balance one another into a singular coherent system, missioning fiercely forward, aimed at a shared target. The lyrics are aware of... something, revealing deeper theatrics at work while the songs themselves are simply epico, swirling massive feelings inside me that weren’t placed there by accident. The proficiency of this record outshines the rest of their career, which is surprising when learning that two founding members were absent this round, namely Tyler Bussey (guitar, vocals) who quit, and Tom Diaz (keyboards, guitar, vocals) who sadly passed away in 2018.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 42. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

42. Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Conscious UK Hip Hop
3 September
Spotify


As this record explodes itself over every end of year publication, I hastily shove it into mine to protect my ass, but I'll readily admit I take issue with it. And that issue is how deep Little Simz is into her own shit, an arrogant attitude flaunting her greatness as if this entire album is bigging herself up in the mirror—a lyrical approach so typical so the genre that I no longer vibe the vibe. Her pretentiousness then leaks outward onto me, preaching advice like a motivational Helvetica Bold poster, which does not inspire me in the slightest. On the contrary, it cringes me. However, I can push that aside if needs be and focus on what does deserve the accolades. Fast flows. Thoughtful word choices. And, above all else, the production, which is oh-my-immaculate, not making a single mistake despite running for well over an hour. So I bow my head with grace. My complaints were opinion based anyway, and everyone has an asshole.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 41. Black Sheep Wall - Songs for the Enamel Queen

41. Black Sheep Wall - Songs for the Enamel Queen

Atmospheric Sludge Doom Metal
26 February
Spotify


In a year when metal has turned soft and bendy, the hungry must seek vindication wherever we can, even if we have to confront the darkest mucks of nihilistic hatred. Black Sheep Wall are the ideal candidates who take the metalcore torch dropped by Norma Jean in the mid-2000s and then run with it straight into a jagged rock. Be warned of its aggressive heaviness that dribbles poison through bared teeth, but in the same moment, admire its quivering eyes that betray a vulnerability, losing a tear during melodic moments, wanting to die and wanting you to die in no particular order. Personally, I’m open to the conversation. I wasn’t doing anything else.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 40. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever

40. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever

Contemporary Alt-Pop R&B
30 July
Spotify


Think back to the 2010s. Was there anyone who shot to the superstars faster and higher than then-17-year-old Billie Eilish? Her stainless debut pinned her name upon every map, a pressure none of us could fathom, personally or creatively. What goes up must fetch hype, and an endless line of critical pens clicked, ready to scrutinise this sophomore via any holes necessary. But their ink ran dry long before they found the words. Meet Happier Than Ever. Instead of pandering to what fans asked or shutting herself off in protection or desperately attempting to reinvent what she'd created, Billie invites us into the roundabouts of her newfound lifestyle. She candidly reveals how her intensely focused fame forced her to mature quicker than her years, an older soul dealing with the attention weighing upon her every move until she learns to stand up for herself and say no. Thankfully, she does not take this stand alone, with her brother Finneas returning with his production so uncluttered that he disguises his magic within the subtleties—truly a family of incomprehensible talent. That said, Happier Than Ever isn't perfect. It's longer than it needs to be, and it's not as exciting as her previous record either. But it unquestionably carries some of her finest songs, and even more importantly, it proves Billie is the real deal with every sign of a true artist laid out for the globe to drool over. She followed up the impossible follow up, and now she owns the foundations to build a solid career for a long time. Like, a long long time. Decades of Billie still to come. She's only 19!!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 39. Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés - Clamor

39. Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés - Clamor

Glitch Art Pop
5 March
Spotify


Maria sure can sing, layering her gracefully light Spanish cream upon itself thick until the ethereal project threatens to drift away. But it’s the much darker production that keeps our feet grounded, then dropping us to our knees, creeping along, praying we don’t get caught. There is a scarier presence here that Maria appears to be hiding, the record containing something much larger than initially apparent. And with each curious listen, this thing escapes further, introducing itself louder, getting acquainted with the world outside of the music. It’s up to you how far you’re willing to let this go, so be careful.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 38. Ross From Friends - Tread

38. Ross From Friends - Tread

Future Garage
22 October
Spotify


You had me at your DJ name, bro. Is this a 90s ecstasy euphoria throwback? Or is it downtempo house running along the cutting-edge of modern clubbing? If you can consecutively ask those two questions, then the explanation is timelessness, the precise record you're always aching for when you limp into the comedown tent seeking a saviour. Yeah, ok, sure, it loses a couple of points for being so gloriously top-heavy, but it manages to clutch the sentiment until the end, concluding as my favourite chillzone electronic offering since 2015's In Colour by Jamie xx.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 37. Fawn Limbs - Darwin Falls

37. Fawn Limbs - Darwin Falls

Avant-Garde Mathcore
13 August
Spotify


As is the nature of elitist metalheads, it's always a risk to veer too far off the blueprint. The audience starts asking questions! But in Fawn Limbs' case, they appear to have found an original cranny that even the most snobby of the mob can observe with nods of agreement. The "metalcore" sections are typical to the genre (screamy and sufficient within their derivatives) yet it's the innovative downtimes that snag the ear with an unsual twist. Like finding yourself stuck in an audiobook, the protagonist relays tales via croaky spoken words. He takes the listener on a dangerous adventure, beckoning us to lean forward to better hear the narrative before smashing us back in our seats with that same metal punch, the two-gear dynamic all the more satisfying when working together. It's truly a unique experience and worth its weight, which is saying a lot because when it's heavy, it's fucking heavy, man!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 36. Underscores - Fishmonger

36. Underscores - Fishmonger

Electronic Indie Hyperpop
25 March
Spotify


Throughout the internet, barrels of this bedroom Gen Z electricity are overflowing, but something about Underscores' pop variation is fizzier than most, and I'm delighted to climb inside whenever. I know I'm in strange company. I accept that it's a reflection of a generation younger than me. But perhaps it's that same youthfulness I crave that fills me with such joy, and even if I don't possess the contemporary lingo to fit in with or describe this crowd, I know that whatever I'm trying to say has cartoon hearts floating around it.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 35. CHANCE デラソウル - CHANCE デラソウル

35. CHANCE デラソウル - CHANCE デラソウル

Future Funk
27 March
Spotify


Hello, Chance de la Soul. Productive much? Eleven albums in five years? At times clocking in at over an hour a shot (including this one)? And yet no steam appears lost, this self-titled offering celebrating itself, bouncing your emotions like a ball until your mood levitates up and out of the house, gone. Furthermore, it never demands participation, just a background joy forever ready for you to dip in and out whenever you feel up to it. Only party if you want to! Because this subtly funky record simply wishes to assist your good times, not be the good times, you know? Maybe the production errs on the side of amateur, and perhaps a few track cuts would have served the overall voyage, but it lightly rubs me in just the right place and slots so cleanly into my memory that I want everybody to know. And now you do!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 34. Backxwash - I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses

34. Backxwash - I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses

Industrial Hip Hop Horrorcore
20 June
Spotify


Do I blame hip hop? Or myself? Usually such a dependable genre, it's worrying how few rappy releases impressed me this year. Thank goodness for Backxwash, then, for not only releasing my favourite "hip hop" record of 2021 but ensuring that hardly any other hip hop fan would have the stomach for it. Because I Lie Here is not your usual lyrical flow meets casual beats; this is hardcore, where the darkness drips heavy into realms much closely related to metal. It's also worth noting Backxwash's place in the subcategory of trans artists aggressively conquering the modern industrial scene—except she appears to have no interest in sounding feminine whatsoever. Instead, Ashanti Mutinta sticks to her masculine vocal cords to deliver her message, happy to allow a very deliberate selection of guest stars to balance her out, including Ada Rook from Black Dresses and Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz. It's intense stuff! So much so, that even if the competition weren't so thin, this would surely remain one of our year's most remarkable rap contributions, period.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 33. Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth

33. Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth

Neo-Soul
5 March
Spotify


Like any worthwhile art piece, Smiling With No Teeth comes loaded with so much duality that I'm unsure which words to use when describing what I'm hearing. There's that retro funky hip hop feel placing it way back when, yet the playful production is so unmistakably modern that it could never exist before the now, confusing the entire neo-soul narrative until it extends across a parallel timeline of its own creation. The minimalist beats smooth the land, allowing Genesis to flex his upbeat deliveries, exuding so much skill that it's borderline excessive. I can't eat all of this! But you know you're onto something when a 50+ minute album flies past at what feels half the time because... fun!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 32. LOREM IPSUM - Vivre Encore

32. LOREM IPSUM - Vivre Encore

Avant-Folk Screamo Chamber Music
28 January
YouTube


And once again, another hybrid comes along to prove the human voice can scream over anything and produce something decent out the other side. In the case of Vivre Encore, the passionate cries of French words jut out from a much softer yet highly spirited baroque orchestral feel, a combination of seemingly juxtaposed worlds collaborating so well that the choices appear painfully obvious now. Certainly, we can label it a one-trick gift horse, but it's one helluva trick, and for me to sit here in 2021 and sincerely tell you that I have never heard anything like it is alone an astounding feat.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 31. CFCF - memoryland

31. CFCF - memoryland

Indietronica Dance Music
9 April
Spotify


The only foolproof excuse one can apply when releasing a 1h11 long record is variation, and CFCF has achieved this so well that I initially assumed I was listening to a compilation instead of a singular overarching mind. And from there, the man proceeds to breathe life into the machine, a rare example of where electronics boast more intelligence and heart than what some artists achieve using more organic materials. Hence, albums like this erode the argument that digital is soulless and perhaps even suggest that one day the robots may supersede our human abilities, utilising expert precision to manipulate the human flaws within? More perfectly human than human? Not to say we’re quite there yet, but based on this offering, the movement is moving and is also happy to take its time doing so. Meanwhile, no 2021 release sticks into my mind at the same place as this one, and I contemplate it often. I guess that’s why they call it memoryland?


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 30. Every Time I Die - Radical

30. Every Time I Die - Radical

Math Metalcore
22 October
Spotify


As a long-term but casual ETID listener, never in all my reviewing years did I think this band would release something impressive enough to touch my precious end of year list. Then Radical burst out and POW, here I am, writing these glowing sentences, what a world. Because even if this is not some grand departure from paths they've bulldozed before, it's where their two strong decades of training has finally paid off. Just listen to them exploding with energy, dancing around their competition, aggressively throwing wild swings that land every punch. Moreover, they're blatantly having a ton of fun doing so, not taking the fight seriously in the slightest, laughing internally behind those angry faces. Goddamn, I want to say it's the best record of their discography, but it's so good that I suddenly feel compelled to rethink my lax attitude towards their entire back catalogue too. Brb.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 29. Leah Blevins - First Time Feeling

29. Leah Blevins - First Time Feeling

Neo-Traditionalist Americana Country
6 August
Spotify


When nothing but that genuine traditional Nashville country flavour will satisfy, consider giving Leah Blevins' debut a spin. Because First Time Feeling not only hits the spot, it crams its Americana gum into every available gap until the spot isn't even visible anymore, delivered with a smile, you're welcome. Each year has its country darling, and my 2021 money is on Leah, relieved to hear a newcomer pulling shots as confident as the veterans who have come before. Sadly, nobody else seems to have noticed her yet, which is why I dub this album as the most overlooked diamond on my entire list. Fine by me. Either she blows up, and I get to say, "I told you so, na-na!" or she doesn't, and I get to keep this one to myself. I can't lose!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 28. Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic

28. Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic

Smooth Soul
12 November
Spotify


Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak walk into a club. How quickly do you think they each get laid? Here is the sexiest record of the year from the two contemporary kings of smooth moves. They're feeling themselves in the most laid-back of manners and on the prowl for pussy yet almost entirely avoiding the scent of sleaze. Almost. Either way, their joyous rapport booms through each line, an enjoyment of the craft that one cannot fake, oozing such fun vibrations that I bounce behind my desk just to take part. I'm not gay, but I'm fully turned on here.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 27. L'Rain - Fatigue

27. L'Rain - Fatigue

Neo-Psychedelia Soul
25 June
Spotify


Less than half an hour runtime means if you blink, you may miss it, which is precisely what the whole world has done. Fatigue is one of my uppermost choices for overlooked album of the year. I've never quite heard anything like it, coming across like a compilation of interludes that refuses to settle, blurring together fields of jazzy chaos and ambient soul until the picture is nothing but an unrecognisable mess of colour. It's as trippy as I make it sound, yet also highly attractive. Stop inhaling those fumes though. They're changing you.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 26. BRUIT ≤ - The Machine Is Burning and Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again

26. BRUIT ≤ - The Machine Is Burning and Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again

Post-Rock
2 April
YouTube


It’s always impressive when a fundamentally instrumental album manages to invoke conceptual visions, but BRUIT ≤’s debut convinces me that it's an environmentally-driven record, accurately reflecting the apocalyptic fear of a dying world. Of course, destroying something beautiful means something beautiful was there to begin with, and that's represented too. So when the swells of orchestral emotion lift the dark curtain to remind us of the life we once had, you may be tempted to whisper the same thing as everyone else. “This sounds like a Godspeed You! Black Emperor record”. Ok, true. But Godspeed also released an album this year. A mighty fine record at that. Except, for my money, The Machine Is Burning is better. And if this was a Godspeed release, we’d be shitting ourselves at such a late-career epic, calling it one of their overall best. So there!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 25. nouns - Lonely Place of Dyin

25. nouns - Lonely Place of Dyin

Experimental Post-Hardcore Emo Rock
9 August
Spotify


A (very quick) 24-minute record featuring two (very long) tracks, Lonely Place of Dyin is not reliant on its tried-and-tested loud-soft dynamic that tugs the heart down then slaps you in the face. It's also not all about the lo-fi bedroom production, which sounds even louder without the gleam. Instead, it's about the stories, both songs processing the loss of a loved one through the ups and downs of emotions some of us are unlucky to understand. If you truly want to grasp what makes this album unique beyond its surface area, please read the eulogies on Bandcamp. They shine a dim light into the darkness, and it will make you sad.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 24. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World

24. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World

Dance-Synthpop
8 October
Spotify


Stealing the cutest cues from classic disco dance floors (think Kylie) and more modern synthpop angles (think Grimes, think Purity Ring), Mercurial World claims a distinctive zone by avoiding too much nostalgia-play and refusing that final sachet of artificial sweetener. And while the temptation is to stack your best songs first, Magdalena Bay's strategy was far more balanced. They offer the listener an easy entry point initially, then use their most interesting songs to build a bridge over the midway sag, ultimately reaching the final stages safely before signing off with their biggest bangs yet. Such a lack of flashy arrogance and not caring about "being something" encourages me to suggest this as the "pop" pop album of the year. Although, full disclosure, certain fringe moments do irritate me. At least I'm honest.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 23. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg

23. Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg

Spoken Word Post-Punk
2 April
Spotify


How well can the modern middle-class British attitude front a jangly breed of post-punk artiness? Perfectly, as it turns out; proven by Florence Shaw's sardonic poetics that desaturate the mural into dreary monotones, giving zero fucks and all of the fucks simultaneously. Call it hipster, call it a stream of nonsensical phrases, call it a Rio de Janeiro bouncy ball filter, call it whatever. But the disinterest in vocal effort, studio trickeries, or contemporary genres is precisely what will keep New Long Leg on the timeless shelf for ample years to come (even if the repetitiveness might slightly lower the price).


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 22. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - CARNAGE

22. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - CARNAGE

Chamber Art Rock Pop
25 February
Spotify


Pretending this is a Bad Seeds record (and I fucking do!), Carnage is yet another definite progression for artists who have not made a wrong step for over four decades. And while the title got me salivating for an old school hark back to previous post-punk recklessness, it sticks to the trend set out by recent offerings. Cinematic ambience. Unsettling thumpings. A natural flow. Familiar, but a touch different to any ground covered before. And like we’d established many (many (many!)) records before this one, Nick is the archetype of a rock god growing old with charm. His voice has only improved over the years while his ultracool style exudes from his every lyric, his every gesture, his every pore. Hence I will mimic his every move for as long as I live because, historically, nobody has progressed with as much class.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 21. death's dynamic shroud.wmv - Faith in Persona

21. death's dynamic shroud.wmv - Faith in Persona

Glitch Pop Vaporwave
1 November
YouTube


Talk about a numbers game; by my tally Death's Dynamic Shroud.wmv released 11 albums this year! Whaaaat. And while it's up for debate which one stuck the best (I was rather partial to Sleepless myself), it was November's Faith in Persona that appeared to capture the most substantial section of our collective imagination. Perhaps this success can be attributed to the atrocious artwork that lures a false sense of cheap progressive metal, conning clicks from fanciers of that subgenre? But therein lies additional appeal when listeners slap flat into an uplifting pop record that dances on the line between commercial hooks written for radio and abstract dreamscapes that ensure the radio wouldn't know what to do with it. I've read multiple fans lauding this release as a peak of the vaporwave genre, and I fully slam down my stamp of approval upon that notion. JARED RECOMMENDS, my stamp says.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 20. black midi - Cavalcade

20. black midi - Cavalcade

Avant-Prog
26 May
Spotify


Considering black midi’s 2019 debut, Schlagenheim, was one of the most forward-thinking spazz-outs of that decade, a ton was riding on their follow up. Did they harness enough genuine inventive genius to somersault over the sophomore slump? Or would the sudden spotlight pressure melt the insane drive into mundane dribble? Are you asking me? I’m unsure how to answer. On the one hand, they have drastically diluted the hysteria, trading the wild knife stabs for a more sophisticated form of avant-garde lounge music, less nervewracking but more unsettling. Yet this risk alone cements their position in the highest calibre of new experimental rock bands, unafraid to build a boat that works then promptly diving off the edge into unexplored waters. And while it initially caught me off guard (and while I still prefer their previous job), I recognise how difficult it is to successfully create peculiar art in our current desensitised zeitgeist. Not for midi though, as they slide straight through everything and hit their intended target dead-centre again. Keep it coming, boys!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 19. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I

19. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - Bloodmoon: I

Atmospheric Gothic Sludge Metal
19 November
Spotify


My kingdom to be a bug on the wall, listening to this meeting. I can only imagine the excitement for everyone involved when some genius proposed the idea, “Why not a collaborative album between Converge and Chelsea Wolfe?”. Holy shit balls of darkness, I get chills! Because, even without the album existing, you know what it would sound like, and Bloodmoon: I sounds exactly like that! Except it’s better. Both artists muster their A-game without overstepping into another’s path or sacrificing their personalities to appease the counterpart, instead melting into one another by doing precisely what they can each do better than everybody. And here we hold a cold, fierce, and uncompromising treasure, prompting me to secretly pray that this is not the end of such a perfect creative marriage. Hold up, did you say Bloodmoon: I? As in, the first one??


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 18. Black Dresses - Forever in Your Heart

18. Black Dresses - Forever in Your Heart

Electro-Industrial Rock
14 February
Spotify


In record time, Black Dresses have risen as a phenomenon within the underground contemporary industrial scene, swallowing up a portion all to themselves and repeatedly dominating it. Five albums in four years (excluding copious solo/guest work) is a testament to their high-speed productivity, proving they’ve found their exact vein with zero traffic, racing through the system, bursting every artery along the way. They walloped me from the get-go, my playlists well-acquainted with every album, the majority of their releases infiltrating my final Top 50 articles of those respective years. Hence, it provokes great fear when I conclude Forever in Your Heart as their most impressive work to date. The rise in appeal could be the lean into more commercial aesthetics, yet this record is the opposite of selling out. They’ve only gone harder! Sharpening up their electronic distortions so intensely that they are swinging scissors dangerously close to metal now. I’m just glad their prior break-up announcement turned out to be void, and while that move only added to the accusations of their arrogant personalities (which many find intolerable), the art speaks for itself, loud and clearly louder still. Meanwhile, the rest of us can only brace ourselves for whatever attack comes next, even though it won't help.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 17. Low - HEY WHAT

17. Low - HEY WHAT

Experimental Post-Industrial Ambient Pop Rock
10 September
Spotify


When 2018's infinitely acclaimed Double Negative dropped, the indie spectrum dropped with it, floored by the slowcore that had glitched beyond recognition, and what's more, from the heavyweights who had singlehandedly designed the genre landscape anyway. So when HEY WHAT joined the party, all predictions were off, and I was pleasantly surprised to note the band's half-step back towards their ambient roots yet still embracing their late-career fascination with electronic blips and fuzz-time distortions. It's encouraging to witness decades-old artists who have forever refused to compromise their visions, sticking to their craft without preciousness. They've allowed their sound to evolve naturally yet (in these cases) very abruptly without reservations, coming out the side with work that is their most relevant while rivalling their very best. And as we analyse a flawless 13-album-strong discography, what you're actually watching is one of the most consistent and greatest bands the planet holds right now.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 16. Tinashe - 333

16. Tinashe - 333

Alternative R&B
6 August
Spotify


A tsunami of R&B heavyweight records drowned out the 2010s, but like all good things, it pulled back across the shore, leaving fewer treasures in the wake of recent years. Speaking in 2021 terms, the lack of blinding glitter provided Tinashe with the perfect clear shot to pin the genre's AOTY, but the triumph wasn't exclusively contextual. Her audio smoothie of pure quality ingredients offered only absolute pleasures, including specific songs that completely slap the game out of orbit. Consequently, when analysing this analysis, it's obvious that Tinashe has really struck something special on 333, but we must also appreciate that this isn't even the first time she's done so. She's been smashing it since 2014! I love everything she's done! And I'm always in the mood to listen any of her work because she pulls me onto her level and takes care of me until I feel better. So thanks again, Tinashe!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 15. Giant Claw - Mirror Guide

15. Giant Claw - Mirror Guide

Progressive Electronic Collage Music
14 May
Spotify


The most agonising mistake I made with Mirror Guide was embarking on my first listen with a hangover. Man, my anxiety poked a hole through the ceiling. It was like getting stuck in the world's longest Windows start-up sound, and I kept having to turn it off every 20 seconds to catch my breath. But despite my struggles, I knew something unusual was to be found here, so I revisited the experience plenty. And eventually, I discovered myself within this futuristic "music", scattering minute details in every direction, these fast-forwarded jitters tiptoeing through my brain without any regard to the shine they left behind. It's utter madness. And I'm convinced I have some permanent damage now. Because I think about it. All. The. Time.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 14. Remi Wolf - Juno

14. Remi Wolf - Juno

Contemporary Indie Pop R&B
15 October
Spotify


Far from attempting to rewrite the rulebook, Remi primarily prioritises having fun, effortlessly allowing her talents to spill out smarty-pants lyrics stacked on top of cheeky cultural references, verifying that she's been paying attention in class. The tried-and-tested pop formula is on full display here, and Juno definitely doesn't sound like anything new, yet when I sought artists to compare her to, I came up dry. That's when I realise there's something else going on here. It's a record that is, by every criterion, trendy af, but it does not succumb to any absolute trend, creating the illusion of following a beaten path, when in actuality, it's cutting a groove solely unto itself. And that goes for each one of these infectiously loveable songs, the album seemingly getting better per every track, per every spin, per every time my excited memory reminds me of its existence, lifting my mood waaaay up! :D


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 13. Anna B Savage - A Common Turn

13. Anna B Savage - A Common Turn

Art Pop
29 January
Spotify


Savage by name but not by game, Anna won't tear into your heart using wild force but instead edges her way inside with deeply personal confessions and a strangeness of infinite discomforts. Of course, you will agree that her monotone melancholy steals the show, but once you can slip beneath her haunted covers and relate the beautiful mess to yourself, you may appreciate the true genius of the subtle instrumentation, gifting her/me/you/us the mattress to ache from. It is simply one of those impossible debuts that takes its total length of time before you realise how slowly you've been fucked. And only at the end, you're like... oh my god. Oh my god!!


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 12. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams

12. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams

Bedroom Pop Neo-Soul
29 January
Spotify


Based on multiple reported observations (plus a direct Thom Yorke name-drop on Too Good), we Radiohead scholars/junkies have praised Arlo Parks' debut as some distant cousin to the critically worshipped In Rainbows. Because it is. And when you approach Collapsed in Sunbeams from that perception of soft arty guitar progressions and emotionally intelligent lyrical flows, the influence becomes inescapably obvious. Hey! Arlo birthed the In Rainbows sequel we never knew we needed! Hallelujah! And while every song deserves everyone's full awareness, there are special tracks that sweep me off my chair, which occurse integrity of what made them so special in the first plac frequently, dotted about until the very end, proving her pedantic attention to perfect track sequencing as well. Fast-forward several months, and this album won the 2021 Mercury Prize, squeaking me with joy, eep!.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 11. Black Swan - Repetition Hymns

11. Black Swan - Repetition Hymns

Ambient Drone Tape Music
8 January
Spotify


When the euphoria tumbles into the dust and its mood swiftly turns ugly, Repetition Hymns will be there. It laps its textured tongue over you like waves that drag you under for so long that you almost hear a song down here somewhere. But even the darkest of attics have cracks where the light can creep through, penetrating the atmosphere with something nice, something optimistic. Go on and pick up that dirty euphoria. Wipe it off, and show gratitude for an experience so far removed from everything else that, no matter what 2021 holds, this record's position remains unaffected.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 10. Turnstile - Glow On

10. Turnstile - Glow On

Post-Hardcore Punk
27 August
Spotify


In one of the most surprising curveballs of 2021, American hardcore scene leaders, Turnstile, traded their gritty tricks and fast bites for a more delicious poppy progression, and what's more, it worked! How did they do that? By never abandoning the integrity of what made them so special in the first place. Instead, they sought joy within what their boundaries allowed, ultimately offering the most unified record they've made yetnot a substantial departure but a conscious stride, one masterful shift seldomly executed so well in modern music. Honestly, I am yet to read a single critic who can describe this record adequately. That includes me.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 09. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

09. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

Indie Chamber Pop
4 June
Spotify


As my age inescapably increases, I find myself far more impressed with the no-frills, zero-gimmicky, anti-shock tactic styles of artistic output. Give me strong songwriting presented within clean production value, and I’m at the mercy of your palm. Hence when I read the accolades raining down upon Jubilee, the most exuberant sense of hope about the entire future of modern music swells inside of me. Every song on offer deserves its timeframe, functioning to build a cohesive mood smoothed throughout yet void of repetitiveness; a complete collection of upper-quality gems that each satisfy with their own unique sparkle. It's so good it could be a best-of compilation! And that's why I struggle to think of any reputable end-of-year publication that would dare omit this entry. You'd look like a fucking fool.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 08. S280F - 28

08. S280F - 28

Ambient Epic Collage
28 April
Spotify


A gentle piano tiptoes across light strings, placing soft cotton into your ear canal. And then a fucking monster comes out of nowhere and kills everyone you've ever loved. Oh god, no, this is not a meditation! This is a surgery! Electronic demons live here! Come quick, we better run! But where do you go when there's nothing but a lone 56-minute song? We're already lost, and there's no trail back. So we frantically turn dark corners in terror, vocalising our fears each time the sharp instruments cut into us, listening to the biological sludge as the operation intensifies deeper within our auditory orifices. How is anyone supposed to deal with something like this? The only way is to hold on. The only way is to accept this as the most beautiful pictureless horror film I've ever heard.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 07. IOSONOUNCANE - IRA

07. IOSONOUNCANE - IRA

Post-Industrial Darkwave
14 May
Spotify


An hour and 49 minutes is an unreasonable amount of time to invite an album into your house just to summon demons, but IRA is one of those exceptional records where the length is part of the act. It wouldn't be such a monstrous masterpiece at a smaller size, so you give up, you let it in, and you sit verging on a panic attack as each haunted song introduces itself as an individual spiritual being. They're well-composed. Polite. Never disorderly. But as they bind themselves to your cerebral walls, you might find yourself permanently possessed by a presence far darker than IRA's demeanour initially allows you to understand. Quite a peculiar vibe, to be fair. One I'd only cautiously recommend to a very select few of you.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 06. Origami Angel - Gami Gang

06. Origami Angel - Gami Gang

Midwest Emo-Pop
30 April
Spotify


Hey, have you seen that midlife crisis high school film where Jared Woods dances around his room in his underwear? Everyone has been stuck in such a dark rut since 2020 that perhaps Origami Angel's brand of super-pop optimism smashed through the murk by relativity alone. But it boasts the skillset to justify this position all the same, refusing lazy chord changes and using every four bars to unwrap a special surprise just for you. Except it's not some experimental artsy-fart or mathy flexathon either! It's nothing but smooth moves, baby! Only the juiciest vocal melodies effortlessly commanding the hookiest songs I've heard in this genre (or any genre, for that matter). Every song could be a single! Every damn song! Which is a dangerous game, of course. The shelf life of something so extra sticky will always be a concern. Ugh, future problems, right? For now, here is my guiltiest pleasure and most pleasurable guilt of the decade thus far.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 05. Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready

05. Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready

Neoclassical Avant-Folk Darkwave
6 August
Spotify


While so many musicians shamelessly speak of the devil in hopes of scaring their audiences into darkness, Lingua discovered a much more disturbing key hidden deep within the opposite direction. Satan isn't scary. God is scary. Religion is scary. And that's why she writes albums that trap you in cold churches, whipping your dirty soul with sermons so terrifying that you repent! And repent! And repent! Please, I repent, Lingua! I repent!!! Very few artists legitimately strike a quiver into my day, but Ignota's work persistently ruins my life, and it's exclusively because her delivery sounds far too genuine. I believe her every word.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 04. Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs)

04. Bo Burnham - Inside (The Songs)

Synthpop Musical Comedy
10 June
Spotify


With touring opportunities evaporating in the COVID mist, it appeared every artist and their dog released a lockdown album. But, note what I say, no record will go down in history as a more accurate time capsule than Burnham's Inside. It's so modern, in fact, that in a few decades, it might make little to no sense. Right now, thoughlike right right nowthese songs are so relatable that I heard them in my head before I heard them here. Evidently, the pandemic soil proved fertile for Bo. His genius signature brand of woke comedy and competent songwriting found access into the pulse of current conditions, capturing everyone's unrest in such a hilarious manner that everything feels so much worse now. I laugh out loud, but it frightens me, and if any album nearly drove me to suicide, this would be the one.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 03. Yola - Stand for Myself

03. Yola - Stand for Myself

Country Pop Soul
30 July
Spotify


Every once in a long while, a record will come along that not only belongs to the decades previous but challenges the highest calibre of classics that age boasted. Point proven: if someone told me that Stand for Myself was the greatest record of the seventies, I’d listen to it and would not have the ammunition to disagree. My only complaint, then, is against myself. I am shamefully aware that something as flawlessly executed as Yola's sophomore deserves to be the Album of the Year, no questions asked. And yet, my cursed preconceived notions of what such an honour means blocks me, and I gently pat it down to this unfair (albeit hugely respectable) slot. But the secret is out: this release is 2021’s absolute best.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 02. Fucked Up - Year of the Horse

02. Fucked Up - Year of the Horse

Post-Hardcore Art Rock Opera
7 May
Spotify Act One; Act Two; Act Three; Act Four


In an ever-transforming industry setting, only the fittest musicians can make a dent. But what Fucked Up have executed here is one of the biggest dick moves in the history of streaming favouritism. For Year of the Horse is less of an album, technically four EPs kind of, except they've split each release further down into 16 - 25 tracks a pop on Spotify. Meaning, if you listen to this full record only three times, that's 240 streams already. Talk about conquering everyone's end of year Wrapped lists! Whether you like it or not, welcome to your most listened to album/artist of 2021! Thankfully, the band earns the right, galloping short tracks past you so fast that it's impossible to lock focus on a singular idea, yet it's also impossibly consistent with zero loss of steam, an achievement that is utterly baffling to me. Who has such a bountiful mix of talent, stamina, and ambition to birth an idea so monstrous? Fucked Up, I guess, doing it all and doing it very well, finally nailing their perfectly juxtaposed confrontational/vulnerable dynamic after 15 years of trying.


The Top 50 Albums of 2021: 01. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time

01. Black Country, New Road - For the First Time

Experimental Post-Punk Rock
5 February
Spotify


What am I supposed to do? Not compare For the First Time to Slint? Maybe. I despise music comparisons anyway. They're frequently a crutch of lazy journalism, and this applies particularly strong to a band as uniquely creepshow as Black Country, New Road. But when I take a deep breath and resign to writing my review from this angle, what's important to note is that I mean it as the uppermost grade of a compliment. No album has come within inches of echoing that Spiderland overflow of intellectual and emotional anxiety, but for the first time since that 90s release, I think I can see the experimentally-posty-rocky bar rising. And the biggest difference is that Slint always sounded like they got lucky with that record. Black Country, New Road sound like they know exactly what they are doing. Additionally, according to the band themselves, there is more of this panic coming on this release's one year anniversary in 2022. How cool! And it's that type of crazy productivity mixed with such attention to detail that we love around here, arming a project with an additional wink and a nudge up to the top spot of my trembling heart. The end, goodbye. 


Tuesday 12 October 2021

Pantheism: The Golden Thread Combining Religion, Philosophy, and Science

Pantheism: The Golden Thread Combining Religion, Philosophy, and Science

The following is an extract from the Janthopoyism Bible (Chapter 1.2. Pantheism: The Golden Thread Combining Religion, Philosophy, and Science). The publication will be available in 2022. Please sign up to the mailing list if you'd like to stay informed about future magic times.

1.2.1. TERMINOLOGY

Before I attempt to convince you why Pantheism makes more sense than any other spiritual belief, there are some other terms to discuss first. These ideas may have distinct meanings, but from a Janthopoyism standpoint, we recognise that they stem from the same soil.

Pantheism states that the collection of everything functions as a unified system or "organism". We label this as an all-encompassing "God", even though you don't have to. It is a version of "monism", noting that we have merely divided the Universe into subcategories to analyse it more easily. Yet, it is all the same thing, and even these divisions are made of the same substance anyway (atoms). Using this, we shift into a gear of idealism, where matter presents different attributes when perceived, whereby the Universe's awareness of itself (through minds like ours) creates the reality as we experience it.

Every idea we're exhibiting here loosely falls beneath the panpsychism umbrella. This viewpoint asserts that everything in the Universe features some manner of a "mind" or "spirit". Janthopoyism sifts this down to an atomic level, where energy (electrons) group to create organic material through consciousness, building together as one ultimate system. Developing forward from that angle, panprotopsychism teaches that everything is protoconscious (i.e. sustaining a secondary form of consciousness) and that we are only fully conscious as a singular unit. Similarly, cosmopsychism states that each of our individual consciousness is simply the building blocks to a bigger cosmic mind, whereas micropsychism moves from the opposite direction, stating that consciousness itself only exists at micro-levels. The philosophy of Janthopoyism can effortlessly accept any of these proposals.

Panentheism is an intriguing theory that elevates to a stage where Pantheism and monotheism connects. It suggests that the Universe lives within God, meaning the supreme being transcends and is greater than the Universe. These meditations are undeniably possible and are not something we reject. But as we cannot prove/disprove the concept, Janthopoyism prefers to stick to the one thing that we do know: the collective Universe as a combined entity is the highest power we can speak of without assumption.

Emanationism is another fun conversation. It concerns an original "perfect God" as a source essence, the underlying principle to all of reality. From this Absolute Godhead, all things flow and evolve/emanate, expanding out from God like hairs; the more we materialise, the further away from divinity we go. Many faiths refer to this as the "Breath of God", believing that we are currently on an exhale but will ultimately retreat into the source once we've reached a particular potential. Interestingly enough, the word "spirit" comes from the Latin spīritus, which means breath, so take that as you will. Regardless, even this stimulating notion is too unprovable and specific for our tastes and is only applicable from certain Janthopoyistic grounds.

In the end, the above examples each grant us a puzzle piece that blurs into consolidated understandings of common denominators, slotting together in views that have existed since the birth of thought. And from those foundations, we build upwards into a Janthopoyism rocket and then blast off into the stratosphere of improved living. Hopefully, by the end of this lengthy five-part chapter, we'll illustrate how so many of us got there.

Janthopoyism: Your New Religion

1.2.2. RELIGION

Buckle up, children, because here comes an extensive history lesson about Pantheism and its cornerstone position in religion as a whole.

But first, please note that Janthopoyism does not advocate "teachers" who manipulate interpretations of scriptures to support their narrative because one could conjure any message using this process (like so many have done). However, the following documentation comparing Pantheism to other world religions is vast and worthy of the exercise. We hope you'll allow it.

So Pantheists define their doctrine as one "which identifies God with the Universe, or regards the Universe as a manifestation of God." The word itself has Greek origins from pan ("all") and theos ("God").

Interestingly, our vague descriptions of "God" and the "Universe" utilise identical terminology applicable either way, even if by our adversaries. We hear classifications such as "origin", "eternal", "omnipotent", "omnipresent", "indestructible", "infallible", "infinite", and "permeating time and space". Already on a language basis, we can effortlessly grasp the abstractions as the same.

Janthopoyism believes that ancient civilisations knew this. They were far more in sync with a spiritual intuition because their brains had not yet matured to demand a logic-based world. Instead, they spent their lives gazing at the stars while observing patterns in reality that responded to their emotional offerings.

This tradition can be dated back to the oft-argued first religion that studies are aware of, called animism (a practice still prevalent in many cultures today, and fundamentally connected to the panpsychism term we noted earlier). Animism teaches that everything (plants, rocks, water, animals, people, smells, musical notes, symbols, you name it) harness a spiritual essence. Sure, animism lacks the undivided definition of Pantheism (monism), but the core concept is undeniable: a spirit persists throughout all.

One unique sub-branch of the animistic tree would be the 10,000+ years old Aboriginal mythology dubbed Dreamtime. It's a frequently misunderstood and generalised worldview, so much so that the "Dreamtime" label itself is a mistranslation of the Aranda people's word "Altjira". Latter-day academics now agree that Altjira is not necessarily about dreaming whatsoever and instead means "uncreated; springing out of itself; having originated from its own eternity". Sounds familiar.

Animism evolved to shamanism, and that's where everything went wrong. Here, specific "chosen" individuals were deemed more in harmony with this spiritual essence and therefore could communicate with it. Such a self-appointed skill allowed them to influence the natural world as well as receive messages or chase away the ghosts of deceased loved ones. It established a hierarchy of holiness; a practice excessively exploited to this very day. 

It's also worth acknowledging that some variation of shamanism and animism developed on every continent seemingly independent of one another.

"Every seed is awakened and so is all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being and we therefore yield to our animal neighbours the same right as ourselves, to inhabit this land." ― Sitting Bull (1831-1890), Hunkpapa Lakota Holy Man

These ideas eventually unfolded into polytheism across the globe, which is the fun practice of worshipping limitless pantheons of anthropomorphic deities. We can see how animism naturally reached this point, but we can also clearly note the Pantheistic ties. These (now firmly defined) religions personified pieces of the natural world into bite-sized beings to better relate to them, making it easier to manifest through them. In every polytheistic canon across continents, these deities shared obvious characteristics, including gods of the sky, water, farming, fertility, the Sun, and the Moon.

Be that as it may, it's significant to note that above every deity was always the "creator" or "overseer" who came first and made everything, including the lower gods we spoke of previously. It was a spirit above the spirits, the monism "God", the Pantheistic source glueing the faiths together. Examples include Ptah in Ancient Egypt, Nammu in Sumerian, Chronos in Ancient Greek, and Tengri in Tengrism, as well as Olodumare (Yoruba), Unkulunkulu (Xhosa), and Nhialic (Dinka) in African mythology, to name only the most popular. But none are as closely fixed to the Pantheism model (and more central to Janthopoyism) as Hinduism.

Despite standing as the oldest practised religion in the world (and the third biggest), the teachings of Hinduism are infinitely intricate and continue to inspire many forward-thinking spiritual seekers to this day. Their colossal polytheistic Pantheon totals millions in numbers, but these deities and everything else lives within one essence, namely Brahman.

"Brahman alone is real; the world is the appearance." ― Adi Shankara (8th cent. CE), Indian philosopher, reported avatar of Lord Shiva, Vivekachudamani

"Brahman is one, without a second."Chāndogya Upaniṣad (oldest Upanishad, Vedic Holy Text)

"All this is Brahman."Chāndogya Upaniṣad (oldest Upanishad, Vedic Holy Text)

"All life comes from the one universal source, call it Allah, God or Parmeshwara." ― Mahatma Gandhi (1869―1948), Hindu political ethicist

Thanks to the supreme Brahman unifying the entirety of the One Universal Soul, Hinduism goes from a polytheistic to a monotheistic, but more accurately, a full-on Pantheistic belief system. Moreover, within each of us lives a vibrational section of this Brahman energy substance (Atman), which you may be more acquainted with as your soul (aka the True Self), an allocation of divinity within you.

"Brahman [Absolute Reality] is the only truth, the world is unreal, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and Atman [soul of individual self]" ― Adi Shankara (8th cent. CE), Indian philosopher, reported avatar of Lord Shiva, Brahma Jnanavali Mala

Much of Janthopoyism relies on this revelation.

Sticking in the East, even Hindu-inspired non-creationism religions such as Buddhism and Jainism could not escape the scent of Pantheism lining their carpets.

"The Buddhists or the Jains do not depend upon God; but the whole force of their religion is directed to the great central truth in every religion, to evolve a God out of man." ― Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), Indian Hindu monk

One of the most important (Mahayana) Buddhist philosophers, Nagarjuna, taught of an absolute reality. The highly influential Mahāyāna sutras of East Asian Buddhis, Avataṃsaka Sūtra, tells that a singular pure awareness lies beneath all phenomenon. And the tantric practices of Tibetan Buddhism perform secret mantras to merge energies with deities.

"Who, then, is 'animate' and who 'inanimate'? Within the assembly of the Lotus, all are present without division. In the case of grass, trees and the soil... whether they merely lift their feet or energetically traverse the long path, they will all reach Nirvana." ― Zhanran, the sixth patriarch of the Tiantai school of Chinese Buddhism

"If you want to understand all the Buddhas of the past, present and future, then you should view the nature of the whole universe, as being created by Mind-only."The Avataṃsaka Sūtra, a Mahāyāna sutra of East Asian Buddhism

Jainism is so acutely tied into the souls of all creatures that their monks sweep the ground before themselves to avoid accidentally crushing bugs. They do so to maintain a sinless energy in hopes of attaining the same properties as a god-figure.

"All souls are equal and alike and have similar nature and qualities." ― Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism

Along the road to China, two distinct and immeasurably persuasive spiritual principles grew almost concurrently: Confucianism and Taoism.

Confucianism's Tiān (Heaven) was considered the celestial aspect of the Cosmos, a supreme source of goodness that overruled human efforts, something in which Confucian placed complete faith. Additionally, pioneering Neo-Confucian philosopher, Zhang Zai, spoke of forming one body with the Universe.

"Heaven is my father and Earth is my mother, and even such a small creature as I finds an intimate place in their midst. Therefore that which fills the universe I regard as my body and that which directs the universe I consider as my nature. All people are my brothers and sisters and all things are my companions." ― Zhang Zai (1020-1077), Confucian philosopher and politician, The Western Inscription

But that is nothing compared to the schoolings of Taoism/Daoism by the legendary Lao Tzu.

The Tao/Dao is "The Way". It is the name of the name of the thing that we cannot name. It is undefinable by words but is everything and nothing, the vitality of the Universe which becomes physical matter but also exists between it. There is nothing that is not the result of the Tao.

There is something
that contains everything.
Before heaven and earth
it is.
Oh, it is still, unbodied,
all on its own, unchanging,
all-pervading,
ever-moving.
So it can act as the mother
of all things.
Not knowing its real name,
we only call it the Way.

Tao Te Ching, XXV (Ursula K. Le Guin translation)

You would struggle to find words more congruent with Pantheism there.

In Japan, two other prominent dogmas arrived, sharing Pantheistic characteristics. The indigenous nature religion of Shinto speaks of Musubi (the creative principle saturating all of existence) and Kami (the natural spirit manifestations that live in everything). And then the more recent Tenrikyo religion describes the Universe as "the body of God", which is a better description than anything we've come up with.

Eventually, polytheism fell out of favour, and monotheism conquered much of the globe. One would think that monotheism being the personification of a sole over-arching "God" would be even closer to the unified energy understanding, but thanks to the strict Abrahamic timeline and its dramatically rigid texts, the opposite occurred. Thus, whenever an argument about God or the Universe comes up, you will usually find an Abrahamic definition on the opposing side (including when the opposition is of an atheist persuasion).

Although, that is not to say that it's impenetrable! Many Biblical pages describe the monotheistic creator deity on Pantheistic levels, if even just metaphorically. Starting with the Hebrew Torah/Christian Old Testament, we read submissions such as:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." ― Genisis/The Book of Bereishit [1:27]

We could interpret the above as humans receiving life as an extension of God, evolving from his substance. Furthermore, we find:

"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High." ― Elohim/Psalms [82:6]

Our Judaism conversation does not end there either as we move deeper into the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah. Here, we discover Ein Sof, God's most basic essence, existing for eternity before it manifested into tangible material. Eventually, this Ein Sof removed its limitlessness to create a finite space within itself. From this new standpoint, it birthed the Universe, its presence now woven between the consciousness of reality. This process is known as Tzimtzum by those Kabbalah mystics.

The mighty Christianity followed, and despite much historical animosity towards the Pantheistic ideology (including violent executions), their holy scripture does hold some lines that reinforce our causes, such as:

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." ― Luke [7:21], King James Bible

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." ― Romans [8.9], King James Bible

"Jesus said: I am the light that is above them all. I am the all; the all came forth from me, and the all attained to me. Cleave a (piece of) wood; I am there. Raise up a stone, and you will find me there." ― Gospel of Thomas [77], Blatz (extra-canonical)

To conclude Christ's input, we have the Latter Day Saint movement who also put forward some unignorable Pantheistic interpretations when it comes to the religion:

"This is the alight of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and in the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made; And the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you stand. And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which alight proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—The alight which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the claw by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [88:7-13]

The Abrahamic chronology keeps marching forward until we catch up with Islam, another complex case regarding Pantheism, as they've forever fought against anyone who challenges their traditional monotheism. But there are some slivers to clutch here and there, such as:

"To Allah belongs the East and the West. So, whichever way you turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing." ― Al-Baqara [2:115], Quran

"He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is All-Knowing about every thing. He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He positioned Himself on the Throne. He knows whatever goes into the earth and whatever comes out from it, and whatever descends from the sky, and whatever ascends thereto. He is with you wherever you are, and Allah is watchful of whatever you do." ― Surah Al-Hadid [57:3-4], Quran

"Said those who disbelieve, 'The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment) will not come to us.' Say, 'Why not? By my Lord, the knower of the Unseen, it will come to you.' Nothing in the heavens and in the earth, even to the measure of a particle, can escape Him, nor is there anything smaller than that or bigger, but it is recorded in a manifest book." ― Surah Saba [34:3], Quran

Now, much like the Kabbalah of Judaism, Islam also has its esoteric reflections (Sufism), which too lean much deeper into Pantheistic philosophies. Exceedingly influential Sufi mystic, Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), wrote:

"God is all things. The Cosmos is His form. The forms of the Cosmos are the manifest Reality, He being the manifest. He is also their inner essence, being also the unmanifest. He is the first, since He was when they were not, and also the Last, since in their manifestation He is the Essence." ― Ibn Arabi, The Bezels of Wisdom

"None sees Him, save Himself. None perceives Him, save Himself. By Himself He sees Himself, and by Himself he knows Himself. His Veil is part of his Oneness; nothing veils other than he... His Prophet is he, and his sending is He, and His word is He." ― Ibn Arabi, The Treatise on Being

And then there was Muslim Sufi Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi (830–871) who offered us this quote which is so hugely favoured that it's often misattributed to the prophet Muhammad:

"Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord." ― Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi

Finally, let's look at one of the most well-known Sufis and Islamic scholars ever, Rumi (1207-1273). Always the poetic wordsmith, he blessed the world with some immensely profound Pantheistic gems, some of which goes a little bit like this:

"I speak of plural souls in name alone –
One soul becomes one hundred in their frames;
Just as God's single sun in heaven
Shines on earth and lights a hundred walls
But all these beams of light return to one
If you remove the walls that block the sun
The walls of houses do not stand forever
And believers then will be as but one soul"

- Rumi, Masnavi 4: 415-18

"You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean, in a drop." ― Rumi

To wrap up the Abrahamic story nice and neatly, we have the new-ish (yet oft-outdated) Baha'i Faith, where their founder Baha'u'llah tried his best to unify every religion as one, focusing mainly on the Judo-Christian-Islam grouping. The faith teaches that God is an eternal and infinite yet uncreated being who is the source of all of Life. Mere mortals cannot comprehend such a supreme power; hence, it creates "Manifestations", chosen humans designed to deliver a message for those specific times, be it Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, or whomever. Such an admirable approach does not wholly conform to Pantheism, but it helps erode the separation enforced by strict monotheism.

As spirituality has evolved, the prehistoric components of Pantheism have persisted, gradually breaking through into a large portion of modern tutoring. For example, Helena Blavatsky's (1831―1891) Theosophy religion was heavily built upon Eastern esotericism, referring to the Pantheistic Absolute as the essence of everything. She also details concepts such as a Universal Mind while stating that all matter is energy, as the materialism of spirit.

"Once we admit of a Deity, the God of the Pantheists seems the only reasonable one. True Pantheists do not say that everything is God ― for they would be fetish-worshippers then; but that God is in everything and the whole in God." ― Helena Blavatsky, Cosmogony and Anthropology

Meanwhile, a combination of Hinduism and Islamic Sufism spawned Sikhism, which also dances with Pantheism in its divine scripture from the very first sentence:

"There is only one God, and it is called the truth, It exists in all creation, and it has no fear, It does not hate, and it is timeless, universal and self-existent!" ― Mul Mantar [verse 1], Sri Guru Granth Sahib

The list continues on and on with any New Thought/New Age derivative swearing by a supreme everlasting spirit of energy as the Ultimate Reality that lives within all. At the same time, Pagan/Wiccanism/Druidism explicitly worships the divinity of nature. And for all its humorous qualities, even Jediism is accurate in its Pantheist perspective, educating us about the life force that exists around us and inside of us. Who better to trust than Yoda?

"You must feel the force around you. Here. Between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship." ― Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

1.2.3. PHILOSOPHY

When considering the vast array of polytheistic societies, it's impressive that Greek mythology is often the first to capture a scholar's attention (especially when analysing the Egyptian influences and Roman appropriating). But at its peak, it was Greek philosophy that thrived as somewhat of a religion on its own, setting in motion perhaps the most critical Pantheistic conversations that are still prevalent in Western culture today.

"All things are full of gods." ― Thales of Miletus (626/623―548/545 BC, pre-Socratic period), one of the Seven Sages of Greece

"God (theos) is day and night, winter and summer... but he takes various shapes, just as fire, when it is mingled with spices, is named according to the savour of each." ― Heraclitus of Ephesus (535-475 BC, pre-Socratic period)

One of the most lauded Pre-Socratic philosophers, Xenophanes, believed God was the unity of everything, and our world of plurality was merely a manifestation of this intelligence.

"...all things are one, that this is unchanging, and is god, that this never came into being and is eternal, and has a spherical shape." ― Xenophanes (570-478 BC, pre-Socratic period), paraphrased from Cicero's Prior Academics

For Pythagoreans, underlying mathematical and geometrical formulas ruled the cosmos; numbers at the essence of the harmony within everything, the logic of God's mind identical to the laws of nature.

"Number rules the universe [...] Man know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God." ― Pythagoras (570-495 BC, pre-Socratic period)

As the ages rolled on, there became no more revered and quotable Pantheists than the 3rd century BC Greek Stoics, who taught the Universe as a unified construction made of logic, ethics, and monistic physics. It is one of determinism, where the unfurling of external events is wholly out of our control while interchangeably using the terms "God" and "Nature" as the same.

"God is not separate from the world; He is the soul of the world, and each of us contains a part of the Divine Fire. All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with Nature. In one sense, every life is in harmony with Nature, since it is such as Nature's laws have caused it to be; but in another sense, a human life is only in harmony with Nature when the individual will is directed to ends which are among those of Nature. Virtue consists in a will which is in agreement with Nature." ― Zeno of Citium (334―262 BC, Hellenistic period), founder of the Stoics

"The universe itself is God and the universal outpouring of its soul; it is this same world's guiding principle, operating in mind and reason, together with the common nature of things and the totality that embraces all existence; then the foreordained might and necessity of the future; then fire and the principle of aether; then those elements whose natural state is one of flux and transition, such as water, earth, and air; then the sun, the moon, the stars; and the universal existence in which all things are contained." ― Chrysippus (279–206 BC, Hellenistic period)

"Never forget that the universe is a single living organism possessed of one substance and one soul, holding all things suspended in a single consciousness and creating all things with a single purpose that they might work together spinning and weaving and knotting whatever comes to pass." ― Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD), Roman Emperor

Rewinding a few centuries and we bump into "the founder of Western political philosophy", Plato. Although one can widely interpret his material, Pantheists agree that his principles involve a duality between the absoluteness and relativity of the divine.

"Thus, then, in accordance with the likely account, we must declare that this Cosmos has verily come into existence as a Living Creature endowed with soul and reason [...] a Living Creature, one and visible, containing within itself all the living creatures which are by nature akin to itself." ― Plato (428–347 BC, Socratic period)

Plato's impact on modern thought can not be overstated as one of the most substantial in history, laying the fertile breeding ground for many philosophies and spiritual practices to flourish alike. These include a plethora of mystical beliefs that toyed with the line between science and religion, evolving into some of the most prominent occult sects the world has ever seen.

Hermeticism was a big one. Dating back to 100 CE, they referred to God as the Ultimate Reality. They defined it as the all-encompassing nature of the cosmos, in which we too participate. This doctrine assisted the idea that our minds could influence or even manipulate nature, a notion that has persisted through any secret circle that practises spells or the like.

Even closely related to Plato was the aptly named Neoplatonism, a 3rd century AD philosophy encapsulated by Plotinus. Their chosen title for God was The One as an unknowable absolute subsistence that developed into everything.

These two examples inspired various esoteric trains of thought, still fixed as building blocks within almost all Western occult movements today. But, sadly, these obscure explorations were driven far underground when Christianity conquered the land around the 2nd-3rd century; Pantheism suddenly regarded blasphemy resulting in severe consequences. Just ask renowned theologian philosopher Meister Eckhart (1260-1328), whose Pantheistic murmurings ended with the charge of heresy.

"All things are contained in the One, by virtue of the fact that it is one. For all multiplicity is one, and is one thing, and is in and through the One. The One is not distinct from all things. Therefore all things in the fullness of being are in the One by virtue of its indistinction and unity." ― Meister Eckhart, Sermon LW XXIX

This battle between free thought and religious restriction raged through the Renaissance period. Authorities confined Tommaso Campanella to house arrest for two years after stating nature was a living organism. An even worse fate fell upon occultist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), whose Pantheistic speculations famously got him burned at the stake in Rome.

"Thus the single spirit doth simultaneously temper the whole together; this is the single soul of all things; all are filled with God." ― Giordano Bruno

Thankfully, during the 1600s, Pantheism made its comeback owed massively to the great rationalist philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677). He was such a figurehead in the movement that some amusingly refer to him as the "prophet" of Pantheism, and practically all modern Pantheistic standpoints are synonymous with his interpretations (known unimaginatively as Spinoza's Pantheism).

"God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things." ― Baruch Spinoza

Interestingly, Spinoza's analysis of divinity wedged a distance between the Church's personal God and another more natural force-type of Higher Power (even if Spinoza never argued against the Christian deity). This prospect excited many atheists to change their tune, including the most famous nihilist of all time, Friedrich "God is Dead" Nietzsche (1844 – 1900), himself.

"I am utterly amazed, utterly enchanted! I have a precursor, and what a precursor! I hardly knew Spinoza: that I should have turned to him just now, was inspired by 'instinct'." ― Friedrich Nietzsche

"We find in all philosophies the proposition – everything is one!" ― Friedrich Nietzsche

Once you start to recruit the heathens, you know you're onto something good, right?

To end, let's give some love to someone who not only endlessly influenced the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, literature, philosophy, and psychology but also very much Janthopoyism's teachings in itself. We are, of course, talking about notable Pantheist Carl Jung (1875-1961), who firmly stated that "nothing separated man from God", leading to his psychological concept of a collective unconscious, profoundly impacting New Age practices for decades to come.

"Nothing could persuade me that 'in the image of God' applied only to man. In fact, it seemed to me that the high mountains, the rivers, lakes, trees, flowers, and animals far better exemplified the essence of God than men." ― Carl Jung

1.2.4. SCIENCE

Of course, what concern is religion to a nonbeliever? And can we not simply write off philosophy as an exercise in mental wankery? Hence, we ultimately turn to science to provide answers of a more infallible nature.

When it comes to topics of spirituality, the scientific community is notoriously challenging to convince because matters of faith are not matters of logic. However, Pantheism has received a surprisingly warm embrace by many top minds in the field.

Have you ever heard of Isaac Newton (1642-1726)? He is easily one of the greatest mathematicians and scientists of all time, and while his stance on God is far from established, the Pantheist organisation have snapped him up into the crew. This move is not without merit, especially in regards to Newton's idea of "absolute space", a relation between God and nature where space is an "attribute" or "extension" of God. As noted in Newton's Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis and Opticks, God appears less as a creator but more a presence that organises via physics.

"[God] is not Eternity or Infinity, but Eternal and Infinite; he is not Duration or Space, but he endures and is present. He endures forever, and is every where present; and by existing always and every where, he constitutes Duration and Space." ― Isaac Newton

One of my favourite Pantheists is the physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted (1777-1851). He is the scientist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields, which is already deeply tied into Janthopoyism's perception of the Universal Energy anyway. In 1849-50, he hypothesised the unity of mind in nature, published in his most revered work named Aanden i Naturen, which quite literally translated to "The Spirit in Nature".

"The laws of Nature are the thoughts of Nature [...] these thoughts of Nature are also thoughts of God." ― Hans Christian Ørsted

The next Pantheistic fan favourite is Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), another man recognised for his contributions to understanding electricity. His comprehension of the Universe is so in tune with what we teach that we can let the man speak for himself:

"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." ― Nikola Tesla

"What one man calls God, another calls the laws of physics." ― Nikola Tesla

"When we speak of man, we have a conception of humanity as a whole, and before applying scientific methods to the investigation of his movement, we must accept this as a physical fact. But can anyone doubt to-day that all the millions of individuals and all the innumerable types and characters constitute an entity, a unit? Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them. I cut myself in the finger, and it pains me: this finger is a part of me. I see a friend hurt, and it hurts me, too: my friend and I are one. And now I see stricken down an enemy, a lump of matter which, of all the lumps of matter in the universe, I care least for, and it still grieves me. Does this not prove that each of us is only part of a whole?" ― Nikola Tesla

Or how about Nobel Prize-winning physicist Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), whose work has led him to be dubbed "the father of quantum mechanics", vastly shifting our model thoughts of reality without losing his keen interest in the mysticism of religion.

"Multiplicity is only apparent, in truth, there is only one mind." ― Erwin Schrödinger, The Oneness of Mind

But there's no bigger gun than inarguably the most famous and greatest physicists of all time, Albert Einstein (1879-1955), who was a proud Pantheist without room for doubt in any direction. Again, our attempts to articulate his beliefs would fall short of allowing Einstein to do it himself:

"I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings." ― Albert Einstein

"If there is any such concept as a God, it is a subtle spirit, not an image of a man that so many have fixed in their minds. In essence, my religion consists of a humble admiration for this illimitable superior spirit that reveals itself in the slight details that we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds." ― Albert Einstein

"A human being is part of the whole called by us universe... We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive." ― Albert Einstein

Cool, huh? If nothing else, we've got some good company in this Pantheistic land

And finally, just for fun, let's hear from perhaps the most well-known modern solider of atheism, Richard Dawkins. Expectantly, he places such extreme limitations on the Pantheistic term that he misses the point, approaching it from the complete opposite side that we do. And yet, even he cannot disagree with the idea, and instead, desperately seeks to squeeze it beneath his own little umbrella.

"Pantheists don't believe in a supernatural God at all, but use the word God as a non-supernatural synonym for Nature, or for the Universe, or for the lawfulness that governs its workings. Deists differ from theists in that their God does not answer prayers, is not interested in sins or confessions, does not read our thoughts and does not intervene with capricious miracles. Deists differ from Pantheists in that the deist God is some kind of cosmic intelligence, rather than the Pantheist's metaphoric or poetic synonym for the laws of the universe. Pantheism is sexed-up atheism." ― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

And thus ends the holy trinity of thought, each pursuing distinct approaches to achieve the same mission of unwinding the mysteries of the Universe, yet every conclusion seemingly braided together via the shared thread of Pantheism. And once you find yourself accepting this as the true lowest common denominator, you are ready to continue building upwards with Janthopoyism for the rest of our scripture.

However, if you still disagree, then take a moment to reflect on this. Don't you think it's strange that your brain believes itself to be more intelligent than the most brilliant brains that have existed throughout our planet's history? Could you possibly be drowning in the arrogance of your ego? Or trapped in a box nailed shut by your convictions? Perhaps this blinding excess of self-importance warrants your attention before you seek any spiritual growth? Just a suggestion.

1.2.5. APPENDIX: ART AND LITERATURE

The great Pantheists of history are not limited to the above subjects, and to demonstrate, here's a bonus punch of creatives you may have heard of before, each armed with quotes to reveal similar spiritual philosophies that we teach.

"Nature alone is the master of true genius."" - Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), painter/scientist

"Nature is a glorious school for the heart! It is well; I shall be a scholar of this school and bring an eager heart to her instruction. Here I shall learn wisdom, the only wisdom which is free from disgust; here I shall learn to know God and find a foretaste of heaven in His knowledge." ― Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), composer

Side note: Beethoven's philosophies on the interchangeability of "God" and "Nature" has been well documented and he has, in retrospect, been called an enthusiastic Pantheist by modern scholars.

"It is from the more or less obscure intuition of the oneness that is the ground and principle of all multiplicity that philosophy takes its source. And not alone philosophy, but natural science as well. All science, in Meyerson's phrase, is the reduction of multiplicities to identities. Divining the One within and beyond the many, we find an intrinsic plausibility in any explanation of the diverse in terms of a single principle." ― Aldous Huxley (1749-1832), author

"Travel why to Nature, when she dwells with us? Those who lift their hats shall see her as devout do God." ― Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), poet

"We are Pantheists when we study nature, polytheists when we poetize, monotheists in our morality." ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), poet

"Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of One hidden stuff." — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), poet

"The soul or spirit transmits itself into all matter." ― Walt Whitman (1819-1892), poet

"One grand great life throbs through earth's giant heart,
And mighty waves of single Being roll
From nerve-less germ to man, for we are part
Of every rock and bird and beast and hill,
One with the things that prey on us, and one with what we kill."
― Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900), poet, playwright (taken from his Panthea piece)

"You are that vast thing that you see far, far off with great telescopes. You don't look out there for God, something in the sky, you look in you [...] Life is the universe experiencing itself, in endless variety." ― Alan Watts (1915-1973), writer

"What did the Pantheist say to the hot dog vendor? Make me one with everything." ― Hilarious Pantheism Joke