Mntra Instruments Nagual (Digital product)

Transmuted Ceremonial Instruments from Mexico

Nagual invites you to explore a unique sonic landscape where Pre-Hispanic ceremonial instruments evolve into playable polyphonic sound sculptures. In collaboration with the esteemed Ramiro Ramírez, we have transformed these instruments, originally designed to shift consciousness through ceremony, into tools for intuitive musical expression.

Ramírez, a celebrated pre-Hispanic musician from Mexico, brings decades of ceremonial knowledge and research, serving as a vital link to ancient traditions. His expertise is evident in his contributions to projects like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as well as collaborations with renowned artists such as Jean-Michel Jarre. This rich background allowed us to authentically capture the spirit of these sacred instruments, from the fluttering tones of clay vessels to the intricate rhythms of wooden drums. MNDALA 2 transforms these elements into responsive sound sculptures that honor tradition while exploring new creative horizons.

Set in the vibrant Panoram Studio in Mexico City, our recording environment was meticulously designed to resonate with these unique sounds while allowing for precise sound sculpting. Utilizing an innovative array of ultrasonic microphones, we captured a blend of mid-side close-miking, omnidirectional ambience, and Eigenmike ambisonics, creating a rich sonic tapestry. Recording at 384 kHz/32-bit in Extended Resolution Audio format unveiled hidden harmonic content, resulting in polyphonic transformations that are both surprising and malleable. Sample Start Modulation ensures that every note feels dynamic and alive, free from mechanical repetition, and infused with expressive ceremonial character.

Experience the enchanting sounds of clay water flutes that induce trance states, conch shell trumpets (Atekokolli) that summon ancestral forces, and sacred Huehuetl and Teponaztli drums that facilitate sonic shapeshifting. Haunting ocarinas bridge the earthly and spiritual realms.

With MNDALA 2, our goal was to honor these ceremonial origins while making them accessible to musicians around the globe. The result is a living sound sculpture that retains its ceremonial essence while exploring sonic dimensions beyond the reach of physical instruments. With Nagual, you engage with responsive sonic entities that breathe, morph, and evolve under your fingertips—akin to a synthesizer, yet rooted in ancient sources, meticulously crafted by our dedicated team into unique reactive presets.

Inspired by Carlos Castaneda's concepts of the Tonal and Nagual, this product embodies both the known and the unknowable. Nagual features authentic recordings captured with exceptional fidelity, combined with polyphonic transformations and hidden frequencies revealed through our innovative recording techniques. Each preset serves as a passage between dimensions: "First Attention" grounds you in tradition, "Second Attention" initiates transformation, "The Void" dissolves boundaries, and "Between Worlds" merges the ancient with the future.

Nagual is ideal for creators seeking to transcend ordinary soundscapes. It caters to sound designers crafting otherworldly sequences, experimental musicians exploring consciousness through performance, composers in need of authentic yet transformable ceremonial voices, and sound healers channeling ancient frequencies. Perfect for ceremonial soundscapes, psychoacoustic experiences, experimental music, ritual atmospheres, cinematic sequences, and sound healing practices.