The Narrow Road to Oku

So the first single from our new Octagon record has hit the interweb.

It's track number three on the record; the song is called "The Narrow Road to Oku."

"The Narrow Road to Oku" is also a collection of poetry by Matsuo Basho.

When he was forty years old, he decided to take a long trip towards Oku, in the Japanese interior.

Here is a link to the song: www.myspace.com/theoctagon

Here is one of the poems:

I walked all through that day, ever wishing to return after seeing the strange sights of the far north, but not really believing in the possibility, for I knew that departing like this on a long journey in the second year of Genroku I should only accumulate more frosty hairs on my head as I approached the colder regions. When I reached the village of Soka in the evening, my bony shoulders were sore because of the load I had carried, which consisted of a paper coat to keep me warm at night, a light cotton gown to wear after the bath, scanty protection against the rain, writing equipment, and gifts from certain friends of mine. I wanted to travel light, of course, but there were always certain things I could not throw away either for practical or sentimental reasons.