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I speak with electronic, dance and rock inspired group ‘Henge’ who are quite literally out of this world. Their main focuses stem from teaching the human race about how we need to change our planet which is increasingly deteriorating due to many factors including the environmental crisis the planet is currently suffering. Henge talk to me about their plan on how they will change our planet for the better by hosting their gatherings, where their influences come from and what life is like outside of earth...
How and why did Henge start?
We took the name HENGE 4.5 Earth years ago. We are so named after our rendezvous point on Planet Earth; an ancient stone circle where I, Zpor, and my extra-terrestrial travelling companions met our human contact, Grok. We had previously made contact with Grok in the astral realm and this human was able to guide us to a safe landing on your dangerous, militarised planet.
This is not how we started of course. Our history spans vast amounts of time and space, amounting to billions of Earth years and limited neither to your solar system nor to your beautiful galaxy.
Perhaps the best way to answer your question is to explain our reason for returning to Planet Earth at this particular time...
We have been watching your species evolve and are delighted at your progress towards high intelligence. However, the survival of your species is under threat! ...not just from man-made catastrophe but also from natural disasters such as asteroids and super volcanoes. All the while you squander your resources on making weapons of war when you should be making every effort to set up human colonies on other planets. Our current mission on your planet is to encourage humans to reach their potential, to cast aside war and to unite in your endeavours to save your species.
You seem to connect with your audience like no other band I have seen. Are you channelling a serious message or is it all a bit of a lark?
YES! and YES!
I'm sure that most living beings will agree...there is no message that is more serious than the survival of its species. And yet, we have observed that human's capacity for playfulness, humour and fun have been instrumental in your evolution to a higher intelligence.
It is puzzling to us that some humans would seek to extract the fun out of living. We are deadly serious in our mission to encourage joy and silliness. It is vital to the health of your species and a crucial component of the next phase of your evolution.
My closest description of Henge would be The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band meet Pink Floyd; would you agree at all?
I'm afraid we have not got around to listening to these artists yet. We are indeed charmed by the human music we have heard so far! Be it 'classical,' 'jazz' or the music you call 'jungle'. But you must excuse me - the last time I was on Earth was over 3000 years ago and I have not had enough time to catch up on all of your popular artists...
Our music is of the genre 'cosmic dross'. It is not of this world; as an artform it predates Planet Earth. Our sound has its roots in the ceremonial music of my planet, Agricular in Cosmos Redshift 7, and has undergone various mutations. For example while on Xylanthia in the Sirius Star System I was fortunate enough to encounter a creature known as Nom. He is a skilled mebranaphone player. He shared with me a psychedelic plasma after which we fell into a musical trance. During this time Nom's amphibious rhythms interfaced with my own Agriculan music traditions. When we awoke from the trance we found that a new genus of the cosmic dross sound had emerged. A similar process occurred when the Venusian, Brother Goo, joined us. His tendency towards violent bass further changed the music. And likewise, through the influence of the human - Grok, we have witnessed another positive mutation of this living artform.
Thus any similarities between the aforementioned artists and our particular strain of cosmic dross is coincidental... perhaps resulting from a subjective auditory hallucination on the part of the of the listener.
Could Henge possibly have the answer to whatever the question is?
You must first ask the question. Then apply logic, experience and scientific method to answer it yourself.
Have you toured any other galaxies and what was the response?
We have not yet left the Milk Way Galaxy as this combination of beings known as 'HENGE' but I have personally travelled in other galaxies. I was in Andromeda before I came to your galaxy. There are some interesting creatures round those parts...although we tend to get a better response here on Earth. Humans seem particularly receptive to the sacred frequencies of cosmic dross.
Musically, Henge seem to have no boundaries; have you ever considered that enough is too much?
Do you want less than enough?
Give good reasons why Earthlings should attend a Henge gathering?
A HENGE gathering differs greatly from other musical 'concerts' that you might attend. During the transmission of cosmic dross human participants are actually observing a mixture of real performance and telepathically transmitted hallucination. This unique (at least to Planet Earth) blend of reality and collective phantasm causes a side step in the brain which is instrumental in catalysing euphoria.
Will Henge continue to perform music here on Earth or do you have life forms to entertain back home?
We will remain on Planet Earth until either ALL HOPE IS LOST and an apocalypse is underway OR our mission is completed and you have SUCCESSFULLY DEMILITARISED your planet and have thriving human colonies elsewhere in space. Only then shall we leave you.
The new single Demilitarise has a thousand layers of melodies that overlap until they can’t overlap any more. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
The universe!
Finally, what does the future hold, both for Henge and all civilisation?
I am not blessed with the gift of seeing the future. Hopefully humans can avoidextinction for many millennia to come. Your fate is (to some extent) in your own hands. In the short term you must make urgent changes to avoid man made catastrophe, and you MUST continue to search for a new home in space.
HENGE will continue our mission on Planet Earth for now. We encourage you to come to one of our gatherings and to join us in joyous celebration for the edification of your species.
Henge have plenty of new upcoming tour dates including the London Garage on the 8th November while also playing famous festivals like; Camp Bestival, Victorious, Beat Herder, Bluedot and even Glastonbury. Big thanks to Henge for taking the time to answer my questions with their absurd yet amusing responses!
Article by Holly Turner
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