Academy Award nominated director Nicolas Winding Refn has a website—byNWR.com—and it currently hosts a feature article about Eden Ahbez written by yours truly (Brian Chidester), as well a preview of “As the Wind,” the documentary film I am currently co-directing about Ahbez with John Winer. The link to the article is here: https://www.bynwr.com/articles/visions-of-glory There is…
“Dharmaland,” the collection of music written by Eden Ahbez in 1961-63 (in the immediate aftermath of “Eden’s Island”), but left in sheet music form by the composer during his lifetime, has been recorded by Swedish exotica quintet Ìxtahuele. The sessions for the LP began in July 2019 and ran through early 2020 and included guest…
It is with great pride that myself and Full Moon Films, the production company behind the Eden Ahbez documentary “As the Wind,” announce that we have been awarded the 2020 Kenneth Karmiole Research Fellowship grant. Besides being a great honor, we are excited to use the funds from this grant to do additional research on…
Bob Hare (1931-2011) was the proprietor of the Insomniac Cafe, a fabled beatnik haunt in Hermosa Beach, CA, which ran from 1958-1965. Legends such as Lennie Bruce, Allen Ginsberg, Van Dyke Parks, and Linda Ronstadt all played there; the cover artist of the Beach Boys’ “Smile” album, Frank Holmes, poured the joe in the early…
It’s nearing the end! I wanted to make a few clarifications, however, so as to avoid confusion. Firstly, a lot of people have asked me in the last year or so, ‘Where can I view “As the Wind: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbez”?’ Or ‘Can we screen your film at our venue?’ At this…
Los Angeles, CA—On July 9, 2019, recording sessions commenced on Dharmaland, the suite of songs composed by Eden Ahbez between 1961 and ’63, but never recorded or released during his lifetime. Swedish quintet Ixtahuele has now arranged and performed the lost project for the first time ever, and they were joined by a host of guests,…
It’s been a few years since I last wrote an update on the many influences of Eden Ahbez in contemporary pop culture and since that time a number of new projects and mentions of the composer have emerged. The first of these is a full-blown ode by former Wall of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgeway (as…
Follow the progress of the Eden Ahbez documentary, As the Wind, with this behind the scenes series. Part one of three is linked here: Vimeo link:
At long last! A 78rpm single, written by Eden Ahbez, which has eluded me for more than twenty years, has finally materialized!! It is titled “Gravy Train” b/w “Two Shades of Blue” and is by Nature Boy and His Orchestra, on Mercury Records. The single was announced in Billboard magazine on March 31, 1951 and…
It gives me great pleasure to announce it first here that I am now working on a feature-length documentary about the life and music of Eden Ahbez. The film is to be titled “As the Wind: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbez” and is currently in production. Here is the promo, or preview, of things…
Last month I posted a quick blog announcing the rediscovery—by David De La Vega—of the flexi-disk of “Divine Melody,” an uber-rare single he produced with Eden Ahbez in 1982. The song, however, was recorded over a decade prior, as well as several other tunes written and performed by Ahbez (also produced by De La Vega). I…
“Divine Melody” is a recording that Ahbez made in 1971 and had released on Elefunt Records (backed with the song “Richard Milhous”). Then, in 1982, Elefunt re-released it as a flexi-disc. Dave De La Vega, the engineer of the record (and label owner of the indie Elefunt) recently came across a small stash of them and…
Erik Davis, author of the book Techgnosis: Magic, Myth, and Mysticism in the Age of Information, recently interviewed yours truly (Brian Chidester) for the Progressive Radio Network about the making of the new Eden Ahbez compilation, Wild Boy, on Bear Family Records. The show is called Expanding Mind and the episode (from December 8, 2016)…
As they say: ‘The hits keep on coming!’ Well, in this case, it’s the same Ahbez hit over and over again. But it’s always cool to see the latest musical legend try and tackle his great standard. Here is Michael Stipe of R.E.M. doing it and looking more than a small bit like Ahbez while…
Well, it’s gotten quiet here in Ahbezland once again; but fear not! Work on all things Eden continues apace!! Below is a new video interview with yours truly talking about the making of the new Bear Family Records compilation, Wild Boy: The Lost Songs of Eden Ahbez. Enjoy!
