The Abyss by Strange Talking Animals
Does memory equal identity?
When a life form's mental acuity begins to decay, what becomes of their former self? Were those experiences real? Do they matter if you can't remember them?
Where is the line between artificial and natural?
What is alive?
If you can't make new memories, do the old ones really matter?
Are you the same person if you can't remember?
** I had three major concussions as an adult. 1993, 1996, and 2006. Aside from some damage to my brain, the main side effect was motor skills. I had to relearn how to play guitar each time, and each time it changed the way I played. Some said my personality changed (mostly after the third one). Some said I chilled out more. Some said I stressed out more. I remember feeling dull after the third one (as they are cumulative), and grunting answers a lot, and having one word conversations.
I lost parts of my childhood as well as parts of early adulthood and college. I unintentionally destroyed some friendships during that period. It's hard to explain to others that you don't always know what's going on, or how to work through situations like you had in the past. It's hard to explain anxiety, especially to others with anxiety. Some people I lost simply by forgetting to call them, or call them back. It was a strange time.
Music got me through all of it. The Archive project that I am doing certainly helps (five volumes so far, 1988 through 1997...). Little vignettes from a block of time. Mental photographs.
Not all memory loss can be worked around or through. I feel that I am lucky, but I know others that are not. Sometimes it's cloudy, sometimes I takes a moment, and sometimes it's as fast as lightning. Words get lost or misused. Names flitter and float and evaporate. (never doubt that value of "Dude").
Sometimes, this album is what it's like for me. Maybe this is what it's like for others. But even starting over, we are unique.
Tracklist
| 1. | Welcome to the New World | 3:15 |
| 2. | Into the Abyss | 2:10 |
| 3. | Run | 4:44 |
| 4. | The Abyss part one: Memory/Identity | 4:51 |
| 5. | A Conflicted Adversary | 5:20 |
| 6. | Labyrinth | 5:13 |
| 7. | Again | 4:40 |
| 8. | The Abyss part two: Integration | 3:12 |
| 9. | Up to the Sky | 4:25 |
Credits
written by Brad James Beske
recorded at the uranium playpen, in the Dungeons.
The Dreadbox Abyss was a big inspiration on every track, with a little help from the Dreadbox Typhon, NYX v2, and Erebus v3.
For Benjamin and Melissa.
License
All rights reserved.
Born in raised in Madison, WI. Transplanted to Brooklyn, Jamaica, and finally Springfield. Versed in chamber pop and rock, psychedelic and prog, and expanding musical horizons to experience electronic and ambient musics and experiment with modular and chaotic synthesis.Overfed with science fiction and fantasy and actual science. And stay-at-home dadness.