Ecstatic Strife by R.M.F.C.
Realise My Full Capacity: The 6 Tenets of the Ritual Music Freedom Corp
I. Rejoice in mortality, finitude and change
‘Ecstatic Strife’ and ‘Golden Trick’ are two songs from RMFC following their debut LP Club Hits, recorded at home in Sydney in the winter of 2025.
The adapt listener familiar with the RMFC ritual will hear Buz has extended hands across the Tasman. There is a luscious brilliance to this single embraced which recalls the best of NZ post-punk, which is to say Buz agrees with “lovers of The Fall”.
The first tenant of The Ritual Music Freedom Corp involves an openness to change. In the short time between its inception and early offerings, Buz developed his own distinct sound. Club Hits indicated songwriting maturity, and the tracks we have here represent a further development.
In place of a dead-eyed portrayal of the sterility of modern life, Buz celebrates ecstatic strife, the joy of conflict, the joy of change.
Laced with sister Emma Brophy’s spirit sax, bright and extravagant layers of guitar attest: all will change and nothing will change. Life feeds on life and as a body grows in complexity so does the need for greater and greater sacrifices: 100 psychic horses couldn't hold disguise: as though by design. But they know to be born is a death wish.
II. Resist misery. Fear is a choice
The second tenet of the The Ritual Music Freedom Corp involves an explicit reference to creating and putting beautiful songs out in the world.
You must resist the temptation to misery, songs are not repositories for your stress.
In these two songs, RMFC have embraced the second tenet.
‘Golden Trick’ is an expression of sunburnt psychedelia.
III. Realise and Master the Freedom of Chaos
The third tenet is the most important as it links everything together. We're engulfed in Ecstatic Strife. Is it spawned out of opposition or out of spite?
IV. Reality is Movement, Flux and Chance.
The fourth tenet reverse refers to the first but it has a subtle difference that can be meditated on with this lyric from ‘Ecstatic Strife’:
a collection of dice
tossed out upon strife
Understand there is difference.
V. Reject Morality, Fracture your Chains
The fifth tenet refers to the importance of music to not serve as the mere background of a psalm or hymn, a tune for moral posturing, moral proclamations, finger pointing.
Buz: “Ecstatic Strife is when I served wine to Peter Garrett at a Labour rally in Redfern that Abdul's was catering for and watched him unknowingly stand in a plate of hummus and walk it up leaving a trail to the stage to deliver beautiful speech why was I there? How did I land that job? Spiral Target.”
What is the spiral target? Listen.
VI. RELIGION IS MUSIX FUCK THE CHURCH
Nietzsche said without music life would be a mistake. Schopenhauer said music is cocaine for the nose of the world.
The six tenet of the The Ritual Music Freedom Corp is about celebrating all those things about a deeply held religious faith and belief that do not depend upon the structure of the church.
Buz claims: “music is my god”.
The ritual is complete. You are ready to realise your full capacity.
I, _________________________, pledge to REALISE MY FULL CAPACITY
Signed:
Tracklist
| 1. | Ecstatic Strife | 3:17 |
| 2. | Golden Trick | 3:08 |
Credits
Songs written, recorded and performed by Buz Clatworthy. Saxophone by Emma Brophy.
"This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia."
