Not long after we decided to name our long distance COVID boredom project Hidden Extra Skull I had an odd hypnagogic vision riffing on the theme. In it, I’m behind the counter of this seaside curiosity shop with an apparent flair for marketing mysticism. Our most popular item is this life-sized toy crystal skull spirit communication device, which is presented like the next coming of the Ouija board. They come in this slick black cardboard box with neon green lettering and the light refracting shiny faux bone face exposed through clear plastic. We can’t keep the goddamn things on the shelves and I must confess that they do look pretty slick. In fact, a young man almost leaves home crushed by the news of our depleted stock after waiting in line so patiently before I remember that, wait a minute, I do in fact have one more I forgot about hiding back in the break room. You’re in luck kid.
Yup. My unconscious imagination created a scenario in which the ridiculous moniker we’d chosen made perfect narrative sense. In all truth the name is an incredibly obscure reference to the video game No Man’s Sky, which is almost more of an infinite art creation device than a linear plot type experience. Super great to zone out to when you’re extra baked and listening to obscure psychedelic records too as there’s no real benefit in playing with the sound on. Highly recommended.
When we first started jamming together I had zero clue where it was going to lead but I was in fact playing a lot more video games because of the isolation. What we were intuitively doing struck me as like a soundtrack to a psychedelic art house sci fi game that only exists in the outer reaches my weirdest dreams. Maybe by creating such an odd soundtrack to a fictional world, a game strange and eerie enough to befit such sonic dementia will in fact be summoned forth into existence.
I’m not saying it’s impossible but what I do know for sure is that the toy crystal skull vibes were absolutely on point. As impressive an achievement as the creation of a day-glo algorithmic alien infinity like No Man’s Sky is, the real infinity already exists in the outer reaches of the human imagination and when you think about it, has the true nature of our imagination ever really been human anyway?
You’re in luck kid. Trance away with the pulsating sounds emanating from your sonic spirit box skull device and freak yourself out into the great beyond. Our external expressions of digital infinity are but a metaphor for what has always already existed and always will. I know you’re familiar with your skull good people, but like, are you familiar with your Hidden Extra Skull? Have you ever been experienced? Turn up, turn on, and get gone with your bong. Nice and toasty like. Nice and fucking toasty.
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