Jagad Guru Chris Butler & Friends – Mantra Electric


Imagine if you will, Carlos Santana fronting Pink Floyd circa Wish You Were Here, with a dash of Camel and a little Popol Vuh for flavoring.  Add some synth and smooth melodic vocal harmonies chanting devotion to Hare Krishna, and you’ve got the sound of Jagad Guru Chris Butler’s “Mantra Electric” double LP.  Released in 1983 by Butler’s own Science of Identity Foundation, this Hawaiian guru managed to record one of the more enjoyable musical paeans to his God(s) from the era.  While there are numerous websites with information and quotes from Butler, there seems to be very little information to be found about this album.  According to a post on the Cult Education Forum, this was Butler’s second release, and a bit more upbeat than the first (titled Gentle Force), described as follows:

The operative words are GENTLE (deceptive) and FORCE (coercion). But to look at and listen to Siddha’s album you would just see it as new agey music made by this nice spiritual guy. At the time, Jagad Guru Chris Butler Siddhaswarupananda Paramahansa, founder of the Science of Identity cult, did not refer to himself as a pure devotee or messiah of nations – at least publicly yet. He had his senior followers spread that rumor for him very well. ACB was still “on the planet”

When the album came out Siddha ordered all of his followers to call the radio stations to request a song. This was to increase the air time and popularity of the music. Problem is that it wasn’t that popular of a style of music. The D.J. got really pissed one night and yelled at one of the girls calling saying he was sick of how Siddha got all these young girls to call for him and he flat refused to play anything because of that. Decades later Chris Butler still employs his followers in the same way to donate money to political campaigns or write letters to newspaper editors in attempts to change public policy.

Needless to say the album was a flop. It cost him more money to make than it ever made. The weirdest thing is that followers were not allowed to “enjoy” it’s music either. His own followers were told not to listen to it, but were allowed to play it for “new” people. Followers listened to it any way and there were a lot of bootleg copies. It was nice music, though Siddha’s voice was a bit thin and weak. He used good studio musicians in L.A. on a lot of tracks that were not followers.

His next album, ‘Mantra Electric’ came out in response to criticisms of the style of music from Gentle Force (not rocking enough) and from the Haribol community that the album was too secular in its lyrics, not enough chanting. This cassette was produced completely with follower musicians.

In addition to the cassette mentioned above, Mantra Electric was also released as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve.  Songwriting and musician information is listed on each label of the LP, so we know that Butler handled lead vocals, with background vocals by Devavani dasi.  Lead guitars were by Eddie Hansen and Harvey Mann, while the drums were by Glen Absolum, and synthesizers by Eddie Hansen.  All songs were written by Butler & Hansen, except Nitai Gaur, by Butler and Mann.  According to the liner notes inside the LP, “Simply by listening to these mantras we can gradually become purified and enlightened and begin to taste that happiness for which we are always searching.”  With soaring guitar leads, synth soundscapes, gentle vocals, and eastern influences, Mantra Electric seems to fulfill that promise.

MANTRA ELECTRIC – Nitai Gaur

MANTRA ELECTRIC – Beautiful Govinda

MANTRA ELECTRIC – Haribol

5 Comments

  • fuck you shitbag says:

    yeah.fuck this shitbag. fuck him and fuck all that he has done. if you see him make his life hell. if you know of him then fuck you for not punching this shitbag in the face. fuckyou chris butler. may you fall and catch yourself on a pile of hot coals. you are the horrible person and fuck your false hope. you know nothing of life or of science. you will go to hell. a hell for liars and thieves. your cunning will only damn you. you will be tortured on the false promises to your followers. your life may be good but your afterlife will certainly be hell. because all of these souls will make it so. fuck you and fuck your followers and descendants for all of eternity.

  • Seva says:

    This album is very nice to listen to. Soothing vocal arrangements with amazing musicians to boot. The mantras are enjoyable and make for a relaxing yet upbeat listening experience. Thank you for posting samples from this album!

  • Stephen Parker says:

    How can I get a copy of this album??

  • bhagavathi mayi says:

    I never got into this Guru, but used to listen to this music over and over in the 90’s. It was a cassette back then. I totally loved it. Please tell me where can i buy the CD. I’d so much like
    to enjoy this music again. I hope you will write. Kind Regards. Mayi

  • Rama Ranson says:

    Well said, braddah! I was born and raised in this cult, we were literally mind controlled to serve and adore Chris Butler, told we were safe only when hearing his voice chanting Hare Krishna, listening to this crazy album over and over and over again. Nothing but this and tapes of Chris chanting.

    Check out my public posts on facebook or google Rama Ranson for some of my articles. my blog linked above.

    My mainstream article:
    part 1: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68603231/i-survived-a-krishna-cult

    part 2: http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/68483000/Disciples-deities-and-development

    help spread the word, http://www.flashlightonroaches.wordpress.com is acurate and 100% focused on the Chris Butler cult.

    However colorful the first comment above is, believe me people have been so wronged by Chris Butler, it is starting to come to light. I second their angry comment and whole heartedly condone every word uttered. Amen my friend.

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