path: root/album/mobius-trip-and-hadron-kaleido.yaml

Album: Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido
Artists:
- Michael Guy Bowman
Date: May 31, 2011 00:00:04
Date Added: November 15, 2019
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/album/mobius-trip-and-hadron-kaleido
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBZx4eTVu4Ufun
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kT4A-zOvA1ht-UCuwStN-uoVIdxS7S7Qw
- https://open.spotify.com/album/6t1yIGtOCn9hpPcxBFwgr8
Cover Artists:
- Tavia Morra
- Richard Gung
Default Track Cover Artists:
- Tavia Morra
- Richard Gung
Cover Art File Extension: png
Track Art File Extension: png
Color: '#eecc22'
Groups:
- Michael Guy Bowman
- group:official
Art Tags:
- Mobius Trip
Additional Files:
- Title: Album Booklet
  Files:
  - Mobius_Trip_And_Hadron_Kaleido_Booklet.pdf
- Title: Bandcamp Banner (w/ Vol. 7)
  Files:
  - banner.jpg
Commentary: |-
    <i>Homestuck:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://web.archive.org/web/20110603145529/https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/album/mobius-trip-and-hadron-kaleido))

    *Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido, agents of Prospit and Derse. They once fought on the battlefield as their respective nemeses, only to be united by a common epiphany - the truth behind the Ultimate Riddle. Gazing upon the Skaian clouds, the secrets of the past, present, and future are now well guarded by these strange sentinels who spread enlightenment through their cryptic music and dance. Together, they hope their songs may be a beacon to all those who undertake the Riddle.*

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (excerpts from [New Album Q&A](https://web.archive.org/web/20110630045842/http://www.iambowman.com:80/))

    > Is there a linear story to this album, or is it some other form of story telling?

    I've seen a good handful of questions like this and I'd be glad to clear this up. This album does have characters and a story behind it, but it is not a linear story or a rock opera. It's an eponymous album by its members Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido.

    Back when Andrew proposed the music project in March of 2009, he made it clear that one of the things he wanted to do was create a lot of "fake bands" which would exist as actual musical entities within the Homestuck Universe in much the same light as the Gorillaz, the Monkees, or the Chipmunks (wow, those are all animal names). While we accomplished that somewhat with albums like "Squiddles Singalong", most of the concept albums have largely been musical homages to the actual characters. For example the Felt didn't "make" their album of the same name, the music team made it as program music.

    *Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido* is meant to be literally an album that Mobius and Hadron would make together. Like the Kernelsprites, they spread their knowledge of Sburb and <u>The Ultimate Riddle</u> cryptically through overtly complex riddles rendered as rock music. They have a seemingly limitless knowledge of all things in the Homestuck universe, or do they? For all their answers they don't just give anything away, they tease you with their songs.

    Hoohoohoo!

    > How much thought did you put into connecting the album with Homestuck? Or was it just supposed to be a silly thing with a loose connection?

    From the very beginning I wanted to make this an album for Homestuck fans, but I also wanted this to be something which could be listened to from the outside-in. My goal was to create a solid set of songs that would revisit the basic themes of Homestuck, meaning that the fans would get a whole new dimension to the world of Homestuck and listeners unfamiliar with the comic could discover listen to it and, if so intrigued, discover the entire world of MSPA to create context for the album. Think of it as the relationship between *House of Leaves* and the band Poe - there is intertextuality between the literature and music and together they create a bigger picture. Plus, you can discover them in whatever order you like.

    Personally, I believe the album is very faithful to the basic ideas of Homestuck. All the big themes are there: time, eternity, repetition, survival, the unknown, fractals, betrayal, dreams, romance, hypnosis, pumpkins, etc. While I certainly had ideas for songs already floating around before the fake band project fell in my lap, my rule of thumb was to incorporate Homestuck any time I hit a dead-end and didn't know what to do. Plus, the process of planning the art was something that Tavia and I were working on from almost the very beginning.

    > how much of the instrumentation was synthesized and how much of it was organic? i'm thinking specifically of the fiddly guitar bits in forever

    I play every instrument on this record, and all the ones that aren't real instruments I either played through a synthesizer or sequenced myself. All the guitar is real guitar played by myself. I did all of the singing except for some backup vocals by Tavia. About half of the bass parts are me playing an old P-Bass and the other half are some spectacularly vintage-sounding synth basses that I sequenced. While I do play drums, I was unable to use my drum set in the making of this album and instead spent an intense amount of time laying down the drum parts as the first step in making each track. Most of the performance side of the album was really quick and just involved running through the song and playing a midi keyboard run through patches.

    The "fiddly guitar bits" are played on a white Epiphone Les Paul named Glinda.

    > Are there any intentional song similarities or specific inspirations, musically? Chain of Prospit reminds me a LOT of She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby, in a very good way.

    None of the songs are supposed to sound intentionally like any other song, but my style is informed by the groups I've listened to that I really enjoy. I can see the resemblance, but when I listen to my own music I always hear a demolition derby of every song I've ever liked. All the things I've seen posted about my music being a mix between groups like Daft Punk, David Bowie, or They Might Be Giants really satisfy me because those are most of the same things I listen to.

    I think I listened to "She Blinded Me With Science" a lot about five years ago. Thomas Dolby is a cool guy. I really like his soundtrack to Gate to the Mind's Eye.

    <i>Tavia Morra:</i>

    > Also any fun stories you can share from taking the pictures for the graphics?

    For the portrait of Hadron's face, I cobbled together my little lighting and shooting rig with the following: tripod, camera, music stand, orange extension cord, nightlight, and a chair. It was super guerrilla, if you consider shooting in the comfort of your own home guerrilla. Either way, it was actually a very pleasant photoshoot that didn't require an extensive amount of time to set up.

    Oh, and I kept eating cookies during one of the photoshoots.

    That's all I can remember at the moment. Bowman might remember more.

    <i>Homestuck:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://web.archive.org/web/20110603145529/https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/album/mobius-trip-and-hadron-kaleido))

    Album art by [[artist:tavia-morra]] and [[artist:richard-gung]]
---
Track: Forever
Duration: '2:58'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/forever
- https://youtu.be/O9Q5JvfBMYc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/67bDtuEBFsIRgGKXMkvtxi
Art Tags:
- Mobius Trip
---
Track: Dawn of Man
Duration: '5:44'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/dawn-of-man
- https://youtu.be/Fyib6VCDA2s
- https://open.spotify.com/track/6WjbErpN3Q2VvydajTKSCp
Referenced Tracks:
- Sburban Jungle
Sheet Music Files:
- Title: Chords by Kal-la-kal-la
  Files:
  - 'Dawn of Man - Chords.txt'
Lyrics: |-
    I was about fifteen
    I was walking the beach
    I was racing a wave
    It knocked me off my feet
    I fell into the tide
    It spat me back on the sand
    I laughed without a clue
    How lucky I was to land

    It's been a long long time
    Since my life was spared
    It's been a long long time
    But I'm still not scared

    It was the dawn of man
    I held the bone in my hand
    I was as hungry as death
    Wandering through the sand
    I met a wild boar
    My bone came down with a crack
    I tasted flesh and blood
    And swore I'd never look back

    It's been a long long time
    But I had just begun
    It's been a long long time
    Out in the African sun
    It's been a long long time
    Since I learned that skill
    It's been a long long time
    Since my very first kill

    If anyone's out there to see what we have done
    Can somebody tell me what we are to become
    Our tiny lives
    They fly right by
    This goodly frame, it does not care
    If we live or die

    It was the month of June
    In Tiananmen Square
    The tanks were on TV
    But I was not yet there
    The guns they all went pop
    We heard the screams and shouts
    I was brought into this world
    As they were taken out

    It's been a long long time
    So many people to mourn
    It's been a long long time
    Since the day I was born
    It's been a long long time
    And yet no time at all
    It's been a long long time
    And yet no time at all

    If anyone's out there to see what I have done
    Can somebody tell me what we are to become
    Our tiny lives
    They fly right by
    Who were they, and next to them
    Who the hell am I?
---
Track: Beta Version
Duration: '4:35'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/beta-version
- https://youtu.be/m6Km35fIHiw
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1sr7vcstGJq6ZH3dZ5CajD
Art Tags:
- Hadron Kaleido
---
Track: No Release
Duration: '4:28'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/no-release
- https://youtu.be/ZO_ile-Mdsw
- https://open.spotify.com/track/21FJyt1uG6PvCxKtS8NIkO
Lyrics: |-
    She's changed, she's new now
    She's moved on somehow
    The pain is gone now
    But she still needs room to breathe

    You've changed you're silent
    For all those years spent
    Explaining what it was that you really meant

    Now you won't say it aloud
    You'd rather be silent and proud
    But down inside you still lies the beast
    If she's the reason you live
    You'll only get what you give
    And what you've given is no release

    You've changed, you've grown up
    Your wounds have sewn up
    Your time has shown up
    Yet you still can't find your way

    No lies, no secrets
    This is your life, now keep it
    In time you'll see it

    The faces you have put on
    Have held you back all along
    You're a king, not a pawn, so cease
    To be so loyally fake
    You'll only get what you take
    And what you've taken is no release

    And one day, everyone will smile again
    We'll feel like a child again
    And look behind us
    And think of all the stuff that's going on
    The stuff we're growing on

    It's an ashen quadrant affair
    Except you just don't care
    Your only aim has been to appease
    Lay down your pride and your gun
    You're not the only one
    Who's still looking for some release

    And if the rules they can bend
    You know you still could be friends
    But it doesn't rely on me
    This is as far as I go
    I only say what I know
    And what I know is you need release
---
Track: Fly
Duration: '5:01'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/fly
- https://youtu.be/CUDkBTYWtGk
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1klZMcClr0wPElFxl6OMAE
Art Tags:
- Hadron Kaleido
Lyrics: |-
    Fly fly fly whatcha say
    Whatcha gonna do
    Change your ways change your life
    Change your point of view
    Been so long since your feet
    Felt the open air
    So far back down the line
    Were you even there?

    It's so cold the rain blows in your eyes
    It's so cold the days go flashing by
    It's so cold you've lost all track of time
    It's so cold you turn back into slime

    Dream dream dream dream your life
    Make it up from scratch
    In your dream you're the star
    It's you who makes that catch
    Can't hold on, cannot grope
    Your fingers will not clasp
    Measurements fall apart
    The tools you cannot grasp

    It's insane you must be high on pot
    It's insane the air this man has got
    It's insane the stuff you must be on
    It's insane you wake up and it's gone

    And you're on your way to work
    And you still can't work it out
    And you can't recall the details
    Or what it was about
    So you read a bunch of websites
    And you study archetypes
    But you throw away the answers
    'Cause it's all a bunch of hype

    And you're on your way of work
    But you just can't work it out
    And you can't recall the details
    Or what it was about
    So you hustle through your morning
    And you waste your afternoon
    And at night you still are wondering
    If you'll dream again so soon
    And you lay awake and wonder
    And you never get your sleep
    'Cause you're still waiting for the answers
    But you never hear a peep
    And you die alone and angry
    And you're wrapped up in a shroud
    And the world's far below you
    And your feet are in the clouds
Commentary: |-
    <i>Tavia Morra:</i>

    (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUDkBTYWtGk">Music video!</a>)
---
Track: Lies With The Sea
Duration: '4:46'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/lies-with-the-sea
- https://youtu.be/LH_tBygClwg
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7FgS82UUmwb4xP96FZtdNJ
Art Tags:
- Hadron Kaleido
Referenced Tracks:
- Lies With The Sea (Beta)
Lyrics: |-
    Lonely submarine in murky shades of blue and green
    A silent knock on Davy Jones' door
    Octopi and hydronauts explore unsalvaged shipwrecks caught
    In coral reeves that span the ocean floor

    The geothermal chemistry
    Of vents below the deep blue sea
    Burning on and on
    The winking of an angler's light
    You make this underwater flight
    Down where there is no sun

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My, the continental shelf and all its sunken wealth
    Bones of those who walked the plank
    The depth to which these pirates sank
    Crushed by pressures great

    The submarine has lost its way
    Shall we ever make it to the bay
    From where we once did leave?
    A sonar ping still rings for help
    Diffused amongst a cloud of kelp
    Where mermaid kingdoms breathe

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    My heart lies with the sea
    My heart lies with the ocean

    ...
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i>

    "Lies With the Sea" is one of two songs based on sketches from dreams that I put on Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido - the other, aptly enough, is "Dawn of Man".

    During the time I was initially formulating a concept for a fake band during the summer of 2010, I thought it would be interesting to do something with a nautical theme. One night as I was falling asleep, I very vividly imagined a melody and accompanying refrain "my heart so full of love", which I sketched and eventually transformed into "my heart lies with the sea" to fit the concept. Ultimately I ditched the nautical theme for the band after Squiddles! Sing-along came out and resolved to develop the concept that became Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido with Tavia. However, the song was already well-developed by that point and I opted to keep it around.

    My first sketch for that piece was actually a lot heavier - I produced a version over that summer as a demo for Andrew that featured a slow, dirge-like drum beat and an incredibly loud guitar riff that somewhat resembled the song "Grease" from the way-overrated musical of the same name. Perhaps later I'll do some touch-ups to this "heavy" version of the song and share it, but until then I'd rather keep it to myself, being so primitively produced.

    One thing it has in common with the quicker, more lightly-produced version of the track I put out in May was a fairly strong inspiration from modern electronic acts. I drew farily heavily from the sensibilities of Gorillaz in chosing synthesizer sounds on tracks like "Rhinestone Eyes" and "El Ma&ntilde;ana" and also pretty closely studied the mix on Daft Punk's "Something About Us", a down tempo track I greatly admire.

    The thing that most strongly made me feel comfortable using this track on Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido was its inspiration from dreams and the sense that it generally echoed the thought of being swept away in a wave as mentioned in "Dawn of Man" earlier on the album. Originally I even recorded an alternate lyric to the melody of "Sburban Jungle" to open the second verse which I ditched that went as follows:

    "Down, down far below, somewhere safe/ Lost in the wave once again."
---
Track: Chain Of Prospit
Duration: '4:37'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/chain-of-prospit
- https://youtu.be/c9XA_P5g_4w
- https://open.spotify.com/track/4bPlriMggiVy5UssUd043f
Art Tags:
- Mobius Trip
- Hadron Kaleido
Lyrics: |-
    Hold up
    Before your hopes and dreams are sold up
    You haven't failed yet don't fold up
    Don't cut the tape before it's rolled up
    You've always got a chance

    Rock it
    And if the picture isn't clear just shop it
    You're swinging by the chain of Prospit
    The future's always there so pop it
    Back into its place

    You've got a reason to live
    Got a reason to live
    No matter what you say
    No matter what you take away
    There's always something you can give
    And buddy that's the reason
    That you've got a reason to live
    Got a reason to live
    Don't care what you've been through
    Don't care what people think of you
    There's always something you can do
    And no one knows it better than you

    Praise you
    The absence in your life delays you
    The note that desolation plays you
    You know you mustn't let it phase you
    If something's in the way

    Own up
    There's data structures you can bone up
    You might be feeling like you're Homestuck
    But you can make it by your own luck
    Snap it into place

    And if the wind should blow
    I will know
    I will go

    Reversal, all matter and its great dispersal
    The secrets of the universal
    This isn't just a dry rehearsal
    We're living for today

    You've got a reason to live
    Got a reason to live
    No matter what you say
    No matter what you take away
    There's always something you can give
    And buddy that's the reason
    That you've got a reason to live
    Got a reason to live
    Don't care what you've been through
    Don't care what people think of you
    There's always something you can do
    And no one knows it better than-

    You've got a reason to live
    Got a reason to live
    No matter what you say
    No matter what you take away
    There's always something you can give
    And buddy that's the reason
    That you've got a reason to live got a reason to live
    Don't care what you've been through
    Don't care what people think of you
    There's always something you can do
    And no one knows it better than you
    And no one knows it better than you
    And no one knows it better than you
---
Track: Pumpkin Tide
Duration: '3:31'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/pumpkin-tide
- https://youtu.be/lyxw3e3RvzE
- https://open.spotify.com/track/2SyJ99LRL8qA9Kj977S56O
Art Tags:
- Hadron Kaleido
Lyrics: |-
    Destroy your desk, it's useless now
    Build yourself a fort to hide
    Close your eyes and crawl inside
    You're sailing on the pumpkin tide

    The ship you're on is yours alone
    The wind will push your sweet sweet ride
    But this foreign wave just appearified
    You're sailing on the pumpkin tide

    Focus on the sound of my voice
    You are under my control
    Obey my will or I'll bury you alive
    And it's you who'll dig your own damn hole

    Forget your friends, what good are they
    Suckers filled with words that chide
    Heads green with envy but orange with pride
    Screaming at that pumpkin tide

    Listen to their whispering voice
    The current where the pumpkins roam
    You never saw a thing
    Never saw the thing you think you saw
    Just shadows looking for a home

    The door into your heart is locked
    Its [gun] is buried in your mind
    Too heavy to carry but too huge to leave behind
    Without it you will surely die
    But even that's just another lie
    Sailing on the pumpkin tide
---
Track: The Deeper You Go
Duration: '3:36'
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/the-deeper-you-go
- https://youtu.be/IMpM4xKg9vU
- https://open.spotify.com/track/04bH49gpsynafFR9dtmEP5
Art Tags:
- Mobius Trip
Referenced Tracks:
- Sburban Jungle