Subliminal Messaging
Tub Ring⌗
SIGNAL⌗
Early on, I was alerted to Tub Ring via this Reddit comment:
ANALYSIS⌗
Almost every song on their latest three albums - “The Great Filter,” “Secret Handshakes,” and “A Choice of Catastophes” - contains messaging that is wholly relevant to the story I am living right now. While less-direct than other forms of messaging I’ve received via ASMR, it was no less important in the development of ideas.
This whole experiment is centered around the importance of context. Music is the perfect type of context-delivery tool. Not only can it deliver a message, but the music and instrumentation can assist with the calibration of the human mind.
When I was alerted to Tub Ring, it opened up a whole world of possibilities. I began to interpret other music that I’d been listening to for years in a different light.
Ayreon⌗
SIGNAL⌗
Ayreon’s “Web of Lies” tells a story about a woman searching for her partner on the Internet. She is in love, though she’s never met him. As soon as he responds to her, she moves on to the next man.
ANALYSIS⌗
This is not unlike what happened with The Thief and The Raven. As soon as they connected, The Raven moved on to the next man. Me.
This is to be an example of what could happen to to a person: they could be catfished. They could end up publicly humiliated.
Rishloo⌗
SIGNAL⌗
Rishloo’s 2014 album, “Living as Ghosts with Buildings as Teeth” was an important source of context early in the development of Ink.U.
ANALYSIS⌗
This entire album is a masterpiece. I will attempt to break down one song, “Winslow,” to demonstrate how music can influence a person’s behavior. Here are the lyrics as reference.
SIGNAL⌗
Raven found herself a skinny skin stiletto
in the middle of a crowd she needs a number
fabricating passion for her painted fellows
in the middle of a crowd she needs a lover
ANALYSIS⌗
This inspired The Raven’s name. The “skinny skin stiletto” inspired The Thief - her lanky puppet that she stands on to achieve her selfish goals.
“In the middle of a crowd” represents her public image; she is visible before everyone in the world, and yet “she needs a number.” She is alone.
“Fabricating passion for her painted fellows” represents her industry, the ASMR. Everyone performs their role play, but she simply fakes passion for it. “In the middle of a crowd she needs a lover.” She just wants to find her partner.
SIGNAL⌗
I want to know…
why are we breaking bottles when this well is running dry?
ANALYSIS⌗
I am concerned about finding a partner, too, but my primary concern is about this world we live in.
How can I ever provide for The Raven in this “Shithole Paradise?”
SIGNAL⌗
keep them guessing
make them sweat it out all at once
ANALYSIS⌗
This inspired the direction I took Ink.U, with obfuscation and the insane “Rapture” prediction.
I needed to keep everyone on their toes, anticipating the worst. I needed to hide details behind a wall of misinformation.
SIGNAL⌗
we’ve always been
I think I’m better than them
ANALYSIS⌗
And I’ve always thought that. Such is the narcissist’s curse.
But “I think I’m better” does not mean “I think I’m better at EVERYTHING.”
SIGNAL⌗
it’s The Great Subliminal Entertainment Device
ANALYSIS⌗
Pretty straightforward. We are being reprogrammed without our consent.
Most of us are too dumb/distracted to notice the manipulation.
SIGNAL⌗
see it for what it is, not what you want it to be
ANALYSIS⌗
It’s bull shit. It’s misinformation.
We are putting on a show before the world.
SIGNAL⌗
leave a little leather-bound miranda in the doorway so she won’t say a thing
make a little miserable scene out of her
ANALYSIS⌗
A miranda relates to a person’s “Miranda Rights,” or, “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…”
I imagined The Thief suddenly disappearing on Rapture date, leaving behind a leather-bound notebook upon The Raven’s doorstep, with this written inside. The Raven would immediately be swarmed by the police, and questioned about her involvement in this series of events. She would be caught right in the middle of the world’s biggest story, even though she had no idea of her involvement in it.
Just like me, she was a puppet the entire time.