Telos, by Theo

Telos

by Theo

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1.	Prelude 01:01		buy track
2.	An Awful Lot Of Taking 01:52	lyrics	buy track
They say life is all give and take. Well, I've been seeing a lot of taking. And I've been doing a lot of taking, Its said that love will come to those who wait. But I've been seeing a lot of waiting. And I've been doing a lot of waiting.
3.	A True Word 02:12	lyrics	buy track
Long stand the old designs My ghost is their company Wide eyed, empty eyed But a true word from a friend Above all noise and petty things Rings out like a bell And silences the murmuring
4.	Ye Wearie Wayfarer 03:14	lyrics	buy track
<The four last lines of this song are lifted from Adam Lindsay Gordon's poem, Ye Wearie Wayfarer. When I went to write the vocals for the final section his words came out> There lies a seed, wanting and waiting for light to strike in that deep dark night It rests at the heart but gets lost beneath the weeds It stays ready, patient as can be. When the drought ends unfolding can begin. We each hold codes; futures draw us into them. Life is mostly froth and bubble But two things stand like stone Kindness in another's trouble And courage in your own
5.	Lunar Return 02:59	lyrics	buy track
I swear the gods knock at our door Stay true; there comes an inner door. And a hidden safe, tucked away, Keeps my bad blood Locked away. It rattles and shakes And begs for transfusion Confusion can't wait Its sureness that denies fate (That divine child) Suspended in the sun Millions of miles Away from everyone So give her your thanks, It's the least you can do When the lunar return Comes out of the blue Comes up out of the blues.
6.	Height Down [John Frusciante & River Phoenix] 03:25	lyrics	buy track
<Cover of an unlikely collaboration between John Frusciante and the late River Phoenix> I'll send, flowers Again for her Blossom castle, sense has her guess A gift described, disguised as my rival Every night, cruel regret Psycho, did you fear Dirty boys always seek that, hold it closer He had a full tailored mic behind it Sure to see hell to pay Gather round the fireplace Feelings prick the sun. Murderless, helping hands In a soul removal Lead us in centuries go Kingship gives it to her for me Feather ascends. Failing light, nailed it fine to the wall and realize There's somethin' after what you plan for I'm bleedin' for don't leave tomorrow to do it right
7.	One-Way Mirror 01:39	lyrics	buy track
I see through My aim is true I never misdirect Let me tell you about you I'm pure heart (That's why) I always get my way I learnt all my lessons So I don't have to learn yours I'm so kind I open doors for me, then you I'm so wise I already know what's true I see your self-deception I see your self-deception Don't ask about mine Don't ask about mine
8.	The Most Precious Tiny Fire 01:52	lyrics	buy track
<This song was written in light of so many lives, including those of precious children, being cruelly extinguished by genocide and war. Every life is sacred and we must always resist dehumanisation>
9.	Three Fates 02:57	lyrics	buy track
Three fates Wait until your back is turned Until your bridges burn away Until you’re certain you've escaped Lachesis Offers a diamon She offers a diamon To light the way The next fate Spins the most beautiful thread Such a beautiful thread Just for you But you're small And you don’t know what race you're in Just heed their call There's greater games than those you're trapped in The third fate Won’t take no from you She won’t take no For too long The three fates Might nudge and disclose for you Love and provoke you To help you find Your Way.
10.	The Whole Merry Band 01:49	lyrics	buy track
Grace is a neighbour Who waters your garden when you're gone She waters your garden when you're gone Fear is the jailer Who holds all your keys Yes he holds all your keys Love is a stranger Who puts you up and takes you in No matter your stripe or your sin. Grace is a neighbour Who waters your garden when you're gone She waters your garden when you're gone
11.	A Waltz 01:58	lyrics	buy track
<Inspired by many beautiful, romantic, even mawkish waltzes> I wanna know you as if I've known you before. Let me sing you this waltz, it’ll open our doors. That's the truth. I wanna hold you and be held all inside your arms. I spy inside your eyes all of the chances, and all of the strife That's the truth.
12.	Dreamscape Promenade 03:14	lyrics	buy track
<A collage stitching together various entries from a dream journal> I sit atop one train with the audience, Its twin runs parallel, the roof littered with small children Afew young boys out of the bunch must fight - dance - manoeuvre there way down the carriages Phil fell down and hit his head, he appeared dead. We set him up, slumped against the sidewalk So that when they found him They would think he was asleep But I thought, We should try and face the dead In the end I rise and walk, on. I come past some kid on something like the Willy Beach promenade I brandish my long stick - four feet with a balloon on it A kid turns and says: "That's almost ash anyway" I start to float And hide in the bathroom Only to come back to the ground She says its been a hard year I was wrapping presents in the front spare room at Euroa house. Laura and Claire were there, its morning Pat was visiting one of her daughters in the city She said usually she has a saint, who walks with me. In the old house, every room I opened held another room.
13.	Note To Self 01:54	lyrics	buy track
<Inspired by the compelling and weird 'Enough About Human Rights', by Moondog. Its worth nothing that I don't think Moondog's piece is properly understood as a critique of human rights per se> That's enough already with self love Enough with self-help And always taking care of number one. That's enough already with self-hate Enough about woe be gone. And control, control, control, control. That's enough already with your way Enough with belief And everyone should think more like you What about everyone else? How about that for a change? Be about everyone else for a change.

about

Under old notions of teleology a seed contains the image of the organism it will grow to become, and that image pulls the seed, as if from the future, to realise its destined form. Purpose was assumed from the smallest seed right up to the whole cosmos. Psychologist James Hillman used this metaphor to describe the ancient Greek daemon, a guiding light one of the three Sisters of Fate was said to confer to each of us at the start of life. The daemon has unwavering conviction about our potential and how we can realise it. In Jungian terms, the personal shadow and the collective shadow contain the elements we're teleologically drawn to integrate into our inner and outer worlds. This transformation process is always volatile and hard, but the rewards are always worthwhile.

I hope that part of the reason I feel particularly vulnerable about this release is that I took risks that were worthwhile. Most of these songs were written up to 4 years prior to recording, so it was strange to record some after so long. I've now lived with them way too long to hear them clearly but hopefully you derive some value from listening.
-Theo

credits

released April 19, 2024

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Original songs by Theo with the exception of track 6. Sincere thanks and acknowledgements go to the following people who offered their time, talent, and creative input into Telos, and without whom it wouldn't have been possible:

+Maisie Mckenzie - Telos Album artwork & for writing and performing the accordion part on 'A Waltz'
+Sebastian Antoine - Wrote and performed drum part on 'The Whole Merry Band'
+Brayden Smith - Wrote and performed bass part on 'The Whole Merry Band'
+Kyle Muir - Recording Engineer on 'The Whole Merry Band'
+Edward Stubbings - Mixing & production advice