John Lennon’s Mind Games (Meditation Mixes) to be released

A special “Meditation Mixes” edition of John Lennon’s 1973 album Mind Games is to be released on 11 October 2024.

The album will contain nine new mixes plus nine mantras. The set is to be issued on as a triple clear vinyl set and on streaming services.

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According to the press release, “Each of the nine mixes has been radically altered, slowed down and extended, ranging from 5 to 10 to upwards of 23 minutes, allowing for the musical soundtrack to wash over the listener and provide a relaxing, immersive, deep listening and meditative experience. Four of the tracks are presented as Binaural versions that each focus on different types of brain waves: Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Theta.”

The 1.8-second mantras will play as infinite loops in the runout grooves of the vinyl discs.

Here’s the full press release:

Following the exclusive release of 9 re-imagined Meditation Mixes of John Lennon’s classic 1973 peace-and-love anthem, “Mind Games” via the consciousness-expanding photo app, Lumenate, earlier this year, Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes, produced by Sean Ono Lennon, will be released digitally and on vinyl as a limited edition 3LP set on October 11 to celebrate John and Sean’s shared birthday on October 9. The vinyl will be pressed on 3 x 180-gram crystal-clear vinyl and be packaged in a triple gatefold mirror board sleeve.

Side B on LP3 features nine unique 1.8 second mantras that will play continually in the vinyl’s run out grooves to create infinite loops.

Sean Ono Lennon
Sean Ono Lennon: You might say meditation is the ultimate mind game. These very abstract interpretations will hopefully assist you in exploring your ‘Innerverse’. I was both thrilled and surprised when UMG said they wanted to make a vinyl edition. This part of the Mind Games project evolved spontaneously and feels like it is sprinkled with just the right amount of good vibes and fairy dust. (Effects may vary).

MAKING THE MEDITATION MIXES
To create MIND GAMES (Meditation Mixes), various sound design techniques and processes have been applied to the original 1973 two-inch multitrack recordings, and in some cases have been enhanced with additional instrumentation from Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon. They were mixed and engineered by Sam Gannon with additional recording engineered by Scott Holingsworth.

MIND GAMES (Meditation Mixes) create their own space while maintaining firm, authentic roots in John Lennon’s original recording of the original song. Each of the nine mixes has been radically altered, slowed down and extended, ranging from 5 to 10 to upwards of 23 minutes, allowing for the musical soundtrack to wash over the listener and provide a relaxing, immersive, deep listening and meditative experience. Four of the tracks are presented as Binaural versions that each focus on different types of brain waves: Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Theta.

Dubbed ‘Mind’, ‘Space’, ‘Spirit’, and ‘Love’, these tracks feature a Binaural Beat, an auditory illusion created within the brain when the left and right ears hear two slightly different frequencies whose difference is perceived as a new frequency which can activate different brain patterns for scientifically proven therapeutic effects. Beta waves occur when thinking, Delta waves are produced when completely relaxed in deep sleep, Gamma waves are associated with high levels of thought and focus, and Theta waves are produced while sleeping or daydreaming.

LUMENATE

MIND GAMES (Meditation Mixes) debuted exclusively on the Lumenate app in May in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month. Each of the nine Meditation Mixes has been paired with a unique, deeply immersive light sequence, using carefully selected flicker frequencies to accompany the mind-and-mood-altering sound. These singular, mind-altering sequences elevate the musical journey, deepen the sense of relaxation, and allow users to see, hear and feel the music like never before.

The Lumenate app uses the flashlight on the back of one’s smartphone strobed at research-driven frequencies onto a person’s closed eyes to neurologically guide them into a state of consciousness between that of deep meditation and psychedelics.

Launched in 2021, Lumenate has been on a mission to revolutionize the mental well-being space by making impactful altered states of consciousness more accessible than ever before. Though many are aware of the benefits of meditation, and the emergent field of psychedelic therapy, due to barriers of cost, time and legality, these benefits are inaccessible for most people. Lumenate is changing that, allowing users to reach these deep, explorative states instantly and effortlessly using only a smartphone.

93% of regular Lumenate app users report a greater ability to feel present in the moment when using Lumenate with 94% reporting a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.

ALTERED STATES

The use of flicker to induce powerful altered states of consciousness dates back to the start of mankind and the deep relaxation triggered by seeing the flicker of the flame. Flicker emerged in the cultural sphere through Brion Gysin’s Dreamachine which caught the imagination of the Beat Generation. It captured the minds of many, including John Lennon, Aldous Huxley, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Iggy Pop, Marianne Faithfull, David Bowie and many more. John had an early ‘flicker machine’ complete with goggles on his bedside table in New York, which allowed him and Yoko to effortlessly tap into deep meditative states.

Meditation Mixes – album layout and designs by Liz Hersch

CREDITS
1 MIND (100Hz Gamma Binaural)
John Lennon: vocals.
Sean Ono Lennon: piano, Roland Jupiter-8.

2 MAGIC
John Lennon: slide guitar, Mellotron, vocals.
David Spinozza: electric guitar.
Ken Ascher: organ.

3 SPACE (8Hz Theta Binaural)
John Lennon: slide guitar, Mellotron, vocals.
Ken Ascher: Organ.

4 SEED
John Lennon: vocals
Sean Ono Lennon: reverse piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, celeste, electric guitars, slide guitar, Moog, Yamaha CS80.

5 YES
John Lennon: vocals.
Sean Ono Lennon: drums, bass, reverse piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Roland Jupiter-8, celeste, electric guitars, slide guitar, Moog, Yamaha CS80.

6 SPIRIT (15Hz Beta Binaural)
John Lennon: slide guitar, Mellotron.
David Spinozza: electric guitar.
Ken Ascher: reed organ.
Gordon Edwards: bass.

7 LOVE (0.5Hz Delta Binaural)
John Lennon: vocals.
Gordon Edwards: bass.

8 SURRENDER
John Lennon: vocals.
Sean Ono Lennon: drums, bass, reverse piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Roland Jupiter-8, celeste, electric guitars, slide guitar, Moog, Yamaha CS80.

9 PEACE
John Lennon: Vocals, Mellotron, slide guitar, Clavinet, tambourine, maracas.
Ken Ascher: Organ, reed organ, piano.
David Spinozza: electric guitar.
Gordon Edwards: bass.
Jim Keltner: drums.

ADDITIONAL TRACKS (VINYL ONLY) – INFINITE LOOPS

10 MANTRA ONE ∞
Gordon Edwards: bass.
Jim Keltner: drums.

11 MANTRA TWO ∞
Gordon Edwards: bass.

12 MANTRA THREE ∞
Something Different (Christine Wiltshire, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Mull, Angel Coakley): vocals.

13 MANTRA FOUR ∞
David Spinozza: electric guitar.

14 MANTRA FIVE ∞
Ken Ascher: organ.

15 MANTRA SIX ∞
John Lennon: vocals.
Something Different (Christine Wiltshire, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Mull, Angel Coakley): vocals.

16 MANTRA SEVEN ∞
Something Different (Christine Wiltshire, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Mull, Angel Coakley): vocals.

17 MANTRA EIGHT ∞
Something Different (Christine Wiltshire, Jocelyn Brown, Kathy Mull, Angel Coakley): vocals.

18 MANTRA NINE ∞
John Lennon: vocals.

CREDITS – ALL TRACKS
Written by John Lennon
Producer (1973): John Lennon
Vocal Production (1973): Roy Cicala and Dan Barbiero.
Recording Engineers (1973): Roy Cicala and Dan Barbiero.
Recording Engineer (2024): Scott Hollingsworth (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8)
Produced by Sean Ono Lennon.
Mixed and Engineered by Sam Gannon.
Stereo Mastering: Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.
Dolby Atmos Mastering: Sam Gannon at REVL8.
Producer & Production Management: Simon Hilton.
© Lenono Music administered by Downtown Publishing Ltd.
℗ Calderstone Productions Limited (a division of Universal Music Group).