pijo
Member
Ok, I know there's a cliched "faux hippy" image around incense these days but I'm interested in looking beyond that if anyone's up for it. I find a good incense can be immediately calming and can transport me to a different time and place in the right setting.
I feel like incense and music are intertwined in my life. I remember getting my first hit of Nag Champa at a gig in the 90s. It's funny I can't remember the band but I remember the experience, there was a stick of incense poked in the mesh of a guitar amp by crew as they prepared the stage for the band. I loved the scent in that space, there was something so exotic about it, I was still new to going to gigs and the excitement of it all was mixed in with that scent, the way the incense danced with the smell of beer and sweat in the room. And yes I realise as far as "first hits" and "new experiences" at gigs go this is pretty tame but I lived a sheltered life!
I started slowly exploring the (initially overwhelming) world of incense from that day on. I'm fascinated by the differing styles - the dense, sweet, heady scent of an Indian incense compared to the earthy, campfire smoke of an American or the light, delicate, subtlety of a Japanese variety.
I've since come to approach my search for the perfect (for me) incense in a similar way to my search for the perfect music. Both are searches I never expect, or want, to end but the sense that there is something out there - just out of reach - that is closer to my own personal perfection than anything I've yet experienced is something both those searches have in common, as well as the sense of endless discovery along the way.
I recently discovered the adventurous Japanese incense brand Kuumba after Nabihah Iqbal included a sample pack of a custom scent with preorders of her debut album. She referenced this brand as an influence on her music during the writing and recording process. I have dived down the Kuumba rabbit hole much in the way I dive in to a newly discovered artist or record label.
I wonder if there are others here who share this passion, and if we can help each other out along the way. I'd love to know about favourite incense brands or varieties, local specialities, traditional uses, reviews, personal experiences or anything else really!
I feel like incense and music are intertwined in my life. I remember getting my first hit of Nag Champa at a gig in the 90s. It's funny I can't remember the band but I remember the experience, there was a stick of incense poked in the mesh of a guitar amp by crew as they prepared the stage for the band. I loved the scent in that space, there was something so exotic about it, I was still new to going to gigs and the excitement of it all was mixed in with that scent, the way the incense danced with the smell of beer and sweat in the room. And yes I realise as far as "first hits" and "new experiences" at gigs go this is pretty tame but I lived a sheltered life!
I started slowly exploring the (initially overwhelming) world of incense from that day on. I'm fascinated by the differing styles - the dense, sweet, heady scent of an Indian incense compared to the earthy, campfire smoke of an American or the light, delicate, subtlety of a Japanese variety.
I've since come to approach my search for the perfect (for me) incense in a similar way to my search for the perfect music. Both are searches I never expect, or want, to end but the sense that there is something out there - just out of reach - that is closer to my own personal perfection than anything I've yet experienced is something both those searches have in common, as well as the sense of endless discovery along the way.
I recently discovered the adventurous Japanese incense brand Kuumba after Nabihah Iqbal included a sample pack of a custom scent with preorders of her debut album. She referenced this brand as an influence on her music during the writing and recording process. I have dived down the Kuumba rabbit hole much in the way I dive in to a newly discovered artist or record label.
I wonder if there are others here who share this passion, and if we can help each other out along the way. I'd love to know about favourite incense brands or varieties, local specialities, traditional uses, reviews, personal experiences or anything else really!
