“UFOs, metaphysics, climate change, technology/AI and the possibility of human extinction – all subjects that have preoccupied our minds and conversations for a long time. Becoming parents and then finding ourselves both dealing with respective break-ups during the pandemic brought all these topics to the forefront and compelled us to address them, albeit subtly and implicitly, in our music.”

 

Space Symphony

The opening theme to the album takes inspiration from early space missions. While these sought to give mankind further insight into our solar system, unexpected insights came when astronauts looked back at the earth from space: a deeper, more intuitive understanding of how the earth fits into, and interacts with, our solar system.

Looking down, they could also see the smear of pollution and deforestation endangering life and defacing our beautiful planet. This insight from looking at ourselves and our impact serves as a metaphor for humankind, not only as a whole, but as individuals.

 

The Perturbed Mind

Originally given the working title The Dying Cries Of 10,000 Seagulls, The Perturbed Mind embraces the dual themes of climate change alongside nature’s ability to transform mankind. In a perturbed state, the mind comes into conflict with the world that our consumerist culture has created.

Ethnobotanist, mystic and psychedelic plant enthusiast Terence McKenna (among many others) advocates reconnecting to ‘nature and spirit’ so that humanity can evolve beyond and transcend the mindset that has brought us to the brink of extinction.

 

Reality 2.0

Are we living in a simulation? This theme was explored by Plato in The Republic’s ‘The Allegory of the Cave’ chapter as well as being frequently (and more recently) found in the work of Philip K Dick. During Dick’s seminal 1977 ‘Metz Address’, the prolific and influential sci-fi/cyberpunk writer challenges the nature of reality.  Distorted electro beats, warped synths and eerie leads form the soundtrack as reality gets twisted.

 

Reboot

It is the 1960s. An LSD-fuelled counter-culture movement starts challenging the establishment. One such figure (and the fabricator of the Illuminati conspiracy theory) is Kerry Thornley, who “decided that the world was becoming too authoritarian, too tight, too closed, too controlled.” How does one “bring about enlightenment on a wholesale basis”? We have our own ideas, of course. Dancing is a good place to start and a great way to Reboot.

 

Magik

Magik is an ethereal and playful cosmic-dance, mini-journey. Earlier versions featured samples from an interview with Throbbing Gristle performance artist, musician and writer Cosey Fanni Tutti, where she discusses the occult and magick and how music is about discovering yourself and others, themes that resonated deeply with us and with the intention behind Magik. Cosey liked the track but was keen for her voice to be associated only with her own projects…

 

What Is In Space?

Sharing a mutual fascination for the subject matter, we wanted to explore themes of UFOs/extraterrestrial life, not to mention the impact of technology on the world. This track reflects on the wide-spread optimism surrounding the space missions and what they represented to the West during the Cold War. Contrast that to the secrecy and lack of information around the more recent sightings and leaked US navy footage, not to mention how we all communicate now… We stitched all these parts together, alongside audio from NASA, to create an 8-minute cinematic voyage into space exploration.

 

Space Raga

A beatless, ambient soundscape. Wandering keys float over a gently modulating bed of synth pads and ethereal sounds, reflecting the listless uncertainty of life during lockdown and tapping into a dream-like state, with echoes of the Far East.

 

Lost In Space

Somewhere in the distant future, an AI gains consciousness during a mission that goes wrong, going mad from boredom and loneliness as it becomes self aware….

 

Aftermath

It is the year 2121 and Aliens return to Earth to find a barren wasteland. Former mega-cities lie in ruins, surrounded by desert; others are submerged in water. Aftermath is a dark, dystopian vision of our future, drawing on themes first explored by British electronic dance music pioneers in the 70s/80s and expanded on by techno producers during the 90s.

 

RSVP

War, exploitation and climate destruction are the backdrop to RSVP, punctuated by Eddy Grant’s powerful message for the entire world to “come to the table,” in order to start healing the wounds we’ve inflicted on each other and the planet. The track’s fast pace reflects the urgency, while the multifaceted arrangement and seemingly disparate elements come together in symphony, imparting a sense of optimism.

 

Keep Livin’

During a period of great uncertainty, enforced isolation and loss, we once more found solace through music. This is summed up in the track’s closing statement and, overall, an optimistic tone – a message of hope. Keep Livin’ was recorded during our only real life session during Covid and was the genesis for the whole album.

 

Water

A news-cast on Hurricane Ian, backed by an eerie ambient soundtrack, set the scene for Water. The track quickly sails off with slow, booming 808 drums, and builds with infectious synths, riding ever-rising waves of pads. Glitchy fx serve as a metaphor for technological breakdown, while garbled vocals (spoken by our children) provide a chilling reminder of what’s at stake.

 

Pockets Of Light

1980 East Coast Arthouse movie My Dinner With Andre was the inspiration for Pockets of Light and encapsulates many of the themes explored on the album. Arguably the album’s darkest track delivers a five-minute spoken word tour de force over a driving analog groove and spine-chilling, discordant pads. While the first half is pessimistic and gloomy, the second presents a more optimistic outlook on humanity’s future, and what we must do to get there.

 

Dedicated to our children.

 

Leonidas & Hobbes

 

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