CONCEPT
The concept revolves around the idea of modern life as a relentless cycle shaped by the overwhelming saturation of media and societal expectations. This constant bombardment has turned us into templated, mechanical beings—zombies trudging through meaningless routines, disconnected from our true selves.
Though some of us become aware of this and strive to break free, the weight of corporate monotony, financial pressures, and endless distractions keeps us trapped. We mask our struggles by projecting them onto others or filling the void with fleeting escapes, avoiding the uncomfortable truth of who we really are.
The artwork symbolizes this struggle, depicting a human swapping brains with a chimpanzee in a desperate attempt to escape the burden of consciousness and the existential dread that comes with it.
At its core, the concept questions whether it’s possible to reclaim our identity and change our lives—or whether we’ve let the illusion go on for too long. As we confront the person staring back at us in the mirror, we’re left wondering: Is it too late to change?
Retrograde
Formal : Adjective
Adjective : Making a situation worse or
returning to how something was in the past.
001// Hypodermic Needle
“Hypodermic Needle” serves as the introductory track to the album, sonically encapsulating the mood and sounds of every song within it. It subtly foreshadows the album’s themes and journey. Conceptually, the song highlights the overwhelming saturation of information being force-fed to us through social media and the profound influence it has on our thoughts and opinions. Subconsciously, it leads us to believe that our opinions and ideologies are original, when in reality, they are borrowed and far more common than we realise.
002 // Qualms of the Sheep
“Qualms of the Sheep” explores the journey of an average person slowly becoming aware of the fact that everyone is deeply absorbed in their own thoughts and dreams. As they soak in all this information, they begin to believe that their opinions and perspectives on life are entirely unique, adding fragments to their perceived sense of self. However, this false sense of individuality is far more universal than we are led to believe, merely forming a template-driven set of personalities in which most people find themselves. Hence, the title Qualms of the Sheep.
003 // From Under
The third track on the album, From Under, explores the mechanical, monotonous, and corporate lives most of us lead—following protocols and serving as nothing more than replaceable pawns in the system. In an attempt to give our lives meaning, we try to fill the emptiness with drugs, alcohol, relationships, and long-forgotten memories of an easier time. You drift through this seemingly meaningless existence, searching for your own space—your own little pocket in the world where you feel relevant—as you gaze into a hazy, distant future.
004 // Ruminate
“Ruminate” reflects on the sudden realization of merely going through the motions of life, watching it slip away day by day. The song delves into that moment when you wake up and face the prospect of repeating another aimless day, prompting an inward, introspective journey. You find yourself staring into the mirror while brushing your teeth, thinking, “What is this all for?” As you journey inward, you become aware of how noisy and full your mind is—a tangled cluster of thoughts that feels like it has seized you by the scruff of your neck, leaving you with no sense of control over your life. You feel like you’re spiraling. Amidst the chaos, a faint glimmer of positivity emerges, telling you what you need to do to change your life. But the prospect of breaking free and going against the games your mind plays feels overwhelmingly intimidating. Exhausted, you retreat back to bed, only to wake up the next morning and repeat the cycle all over again.
005 // Somewhere
“Somewhere” is a song about encountering someone in your life who feels like a reflection of yourself. You see your own problems and insecurities mirrored in them and attempt to help them figure things out. Deep down, you believe this will make you a better person, giving you a faint, fleeting sense of purpose and hope—that by changing someone else’s life, you might be able to change your own. In the process, you mask your own issues and procrastinate dealing with them by taking on someone else’s burdens.
006 // Wither
You eventually realize that there’s no escaping the person you are. The problems you’ve kept buried for years slowly resurface, forcing you to confront the truth: only you can change your life. You can no longer fill it with meaningless distractions to avoid facing reality. You come to terms with the lies you’ve told yourself for far too long and begin to question whether you should have made changes when you had the chance. Is it too late now? Perhaps you’ll never know the answer to that question.