Undermedvetenheten by Undermedvetenheten

Undermedvetenheten (“Under-med-veten-heten”) is a unique and highly unusual new project led by Scotland-born, Sweden-based Lost Map long-timer John B. McKenna, best known for his work as Monoganon. On June 12, 2020, Lost Map will co-release on limited-edition 12” vinyl and via digital platforms a mesmerising 10-track album of minimalist synth drones, playful electronics and freestyle penguin samples that comprises the soundtrack to a live action role playing game (LARP) titled Undermedvetenheten, developed alongside London games company Frand. John composed and recorded all the music on the record from his base in the city of Malmö, Sweden; the concept of the project is a collaboration with Richard Greenan from London’s Kit Records, who co-release the album together with Lost Map and John’s imprint Foundation of the Teacherock.

The ambient feel of the record follows John’s experimental collaboration with Richard under the name Devonanon in 2016, and his solo explorations on the Isle of Eigg as part of Lost Map’s VISITATIONS residency series in 2017. “The music is definitely what comes first,” explains John, “but Richard and I went wild with the concept and ended up taking the whole project to a new plateau of madness. The Undermedvetenheten is a strange government entity that has made contact with Carl Jung's collective unconscious (the name is a stupid bureaucratic Swedish pun of the “collective unconscious”). But the music is truly very simple, like me playing with mud and sticks and it is really all about my strong desire to communicate with animals.”

Included with the record, Undermedvetenheten is a simple, science fantasy game for 1-12 players, with a focus on atmosphere, storytelling and player cooperation – perfect for newcomers to live action role playing. It takes two minutes to set up, lasts around 30 minutes, and no two games are ever the same. Players take on the roles of humans aboard a vessel on an endless journey into the depths of space. They are not lost, but all hope is, as they hurtle stricken into the void. Their only access to the universe outside is through the ship’s altruistic artificial intelligence, Mima, with whom they must interact in order to shed light on the universe around them, indulge in fantasies of worlds past, or attempt to right the ship’s blighted trajectory. Can you make sense of the abyss?

DIY label, run by Pictish Trail, from his caravan on the Isle of Eigg, Scotland.