This is in a series of blog posts about the Rodrigo y Gabriela album 11:11. And why, yes, I do have the current song on repeat one.

Hora Zero is track 8 on the album and the reason I’m starting with track 8 instead of, say, track 1, is because track 8 is my favorite. It’s not hands down my favorite. It’s actually neck and neck with track 10, Atman, for reasons that will possibly become apparent when I write that blog post. But now, onto the song…

There is some glorious kind of wonderful motion-filled energy with this song. The rhythm is easily that of a horse in full gallop, and the energy could be described as that place I achieved at 2 AM in grad school, after some profound procrastination: slightly manic, slightly overcaffeinated, but with a perfectly clear mind and an ability to focus (finally) like whoa, and consequently the ability to churn out 20 page A- papers in six hours. (Don’t try this at home unless you’ve already spent 10,000 hours to gain mastery in writing.)

This song hasn’t, as yet, inspired any particular scene in my writing, but I think that’s because it’s just my go-to song for this part of my life. I have spent several hours listening to it on repeat on the way to and from my parish (which is an hour away from home), just meditating to it, and it has inspired some absolutely stunning visions. (I’m mystic like that.)

When I consider the glorious manic energy and the title together, it makes me think of the very last moments before something extraordinarily fantastic occurs, and it is specifically that moment when you realize that the Time of Bullshit Experiences is about to be over and the Time of Mindblowing Experiences is about to begin. It’s proleptic, even [ALERT, ALERT, SEMINARY WORD. DEFINITION OF PROLEPTIC: already, but not yet.] as it seems to exist in both worlds; it is still in the Bullshit Experiences world, but it’s the last few moments of it, and it points so very clearly to the Mindblowing Experiences world. There are churchier ways to express that, but I think I’ll refrain today.

The band dedicates the song to Astor Piazzolla, and there are no guest musicians on this track. The YouTube video previously referred to concerning this song is really good, but doesn’t quite convey the manic energy that the studio version on the album does. But this video has it. :)