The SynchBoard
The Circle of Floyd, Part II
Friday, 22-Oct-1999
216.88.24.134 writes:
The Inner Triangle
Much like the parallel numbers in DSOTM, true album numbers 3, 6 and 9 of the Circle of Floyd can be seen to represent fixed points within the cycle. As the Floyd Dekad can be symbolized by a rainbow, these three points are like the primary colors of light from which all others can be extrapolated: red, green, and blue(-violet). They represent the hidden inner triangle of Perfection within the cycle of the Dekad, represented in the Circle of Floyd by the albums Ummagumma (no. 3), Dark Side of the Moon (no. 6), and The Wall (no. 9). All of these albums are actually double albums, although Dark Side of the Moon is twinned in a secret, hidden way as explained below.
Each of these albums relates a specific story of how Pink Floyd went beyond the Beetles after their two Circles separated. All have to do with the Wagner-like synthesis of sound, story and action (as Wagner similarly went beyond Beathoven).
Ummagumma (No. 3)
Ummagumma represents Pink Floyd's only conscious attempt
at synchronizing their music to an already existing film. The film they
used was Gigi (1958). At least this was the case in *most* probabilities.
It is fairly easy to reconstruct what happened. The studio album Ummagumma
(there is also a live album in the double set), was split into 4 parts,
2 to a side. Each part was assigned to a particular member of the group,
who then individually composed the music for that quadrant. At a certain
(early) point it was decided that the movie Gigi would unify the 4 separate
parts by providing a common visual reference. Each member took a certain
part of the first 45 minutes or so of the film and composed music to it.
This was done quite loosely, the film being only a reference point or foundation.
I do not presently know why this particular film was chosen (this may have
been personal), but Pink Floyd was quite open about the association. They
prominently displayed the Gigi album soundtrack on the front cover of Ummagumma,
and then reflected this album into a picture on the wall (in a type of
mirror within a mirror effect), with each of the Floyds taking their turn
sitting in the stool beside it. Notice also that the name Ummagumma can
be seen to contain the symmetrical initials MGM within its structure. The
movie Gigi was made by MGM studios. The synchronicity is further linked
to MGM through to its starting point, which involves unpausing the Ummagumma
CD at the last (2nd) roar of MGM logo Leo the Lion that begins Gigi.
(Gigi-Ummagumma synchronicity discovered by Andrew Wendland)
Dark Side of the Moon (No. 6)
Dark Side of the Moon was also specifically created as an alternate soundtrack to a preexisting film, this time The Wizard of Oz. The result, of course, is Dark Side of the Rainbow. However, the big difference between this video/audio synchronicity and Gigi-Ummagumma is that, in the great majority of probable realities, Pink Floyd *wasn't* conscious of creating it. This despite the fact that it is a much better synchronicity than the earlier Gigi-Ummagumma. What we instead have, I postulate, is an Outside force entering the center of the Circle of Floyd, exactly halfway between framing endpoints Arnold Layne and Betsy Layne, that unconsciously guided the creation of this synchronicity. We can also assume that Pink Floyd, on an unconscious level, was aware of this guidance and agreed to it. Otherwise the cooperation couldn't have taken place. Just like in the earlier synchronicity of Gigi-Ummagumma, Dark Side of the Rainbow (an MGM film, like Gigi) begins at the last roar (3rd this time) of Leo the Lion introducing the film. We will get to this Outside force in a moment.
The Wall (No. 9)
The Wall is yet another Pink Floyd album that was purposefully synchronized to a film. However, in this case, Floyd decided to not use a preexisting film but create their own, which is also called The Wall. Notice The Wall is another MGM movie. The result, however, as even members of Pink Floyd have admitted, is mixed at best. But it brings us full circle in that we have, like in Gigi-Ummagumma, the conscious creation of a video/audio synchronization by Pink Floyd.
The Ultimate Pink Floyd Synchronicities
Thus we are left with the hole in the middle. How could Pink Floyd have created the quite profound synchronicity Dark Side of the Rainbow and not be aware of it? One possible answer is that it contains some type of hidden message the Other didn't want revealed at that time. The best way into the understanding of this message is to trace its manifestation through what baker calls the ultimate Pink Floyd synchronicities. It appears to begin in the studio album immediately before DSOTM in Meddle (no. 5 on the above list), specifically side two of the album made up of one long composition called "Echoes." This is the sound source for two of baker's four ultimate Pink Floyd synchronicities. The synchronicity JaBtI-Echoes overlaps this song with the last part of the movie 2001. Contact-Echoes overlaps it with the near ending of 1997 science fiction movie Contact.
I would suggest that these two overlaps, with their adopted
sound source, create a resonating triangle of individual components. Further,
I think that at the end of the two involved synchronicities, this triangle
becomes exact, that is, it becomes completely in line with one another,
forming, if you will, a Perfect equilateral triangle. This marks a birth
place that can be symbolized by two overlapping half circles, forming another
Vesica Piscis. These half circles represent the two synchronicities JaBtI-Echoes
and Contact-Echoes, both synchronicities being embodied or delineated by
half of the Circle of Meddle (imperfect). Within this new Vesica Piscis
is created the equilateral triangle representing the number 3 as beyond
the 2ness of each forming circle. The fish shaped Vesica represents the
womb, the opening from which the Other is born.
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In the original form of this draft, I went into great detail about the inner workings of this triangle, and how corresponding points in 2001 directly resontate with those in Contact, etc. I have decided that such detailed discussion detracts from the overall subject matter here. It is, however, easy enough to grasp. Just look at what is happening in both JaBtI-Echoes and Contact-Echoes. I would argue: the exact same thing! It is the gestation and birth of the Other, something beyond the merely human. We can call it extraterrestrial if one wishes; this is how it is portrayed in the individual films and is also the way I discuss it on occasion. But ultimately it is just a different type of consciousness, one that is a little clearer, a little more focused than ours. It is just one step beyond, and a small step at that. One could say it is as close to us as the Earth is to the Moon.
*To Be Continued*
Booker T.