CPO (Contrary Public Opinion) wants to make you think about the fact that you, unconsciously, may have gotten into a flow that’s running your life; a flow which makes every person do everything because other people do them and takes the ability of making decisions from each individual away. As the time passes, the world gets more and more like dystopian novels like 1984 and Brave New World. We, humans, are more than that. We have the power to choose the right thing for ourselves and do the things that we truly love even when nobody’s willing to do it with us. We can choose the career that we want, the lifestyle that we prefer, etc. We are free to choose to live like we desire or to be like those elephants that are scared to move out of their territories for their whole life because they were not allowed to go over the fence when they were babies and they never re-evaluated the fact that they can easily break free and escape the zoo when they become older. We may become the victims of our own fear, our own closed minds. The only question is, are we ready to take the risks and hardships and do what we wish and dream for?
There is a story and intention behind every song, so I’ll talk about them here!
Moonlight Siren:
This song is a cover of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (first movement). The difference between this and the original version is that it is not played by a piano; it’s played by a symphony of synths. It’s called Moonlight Siren because the siren-ish lead synth that plays the main melody towards the end of the song, just like in wars, tries to make you aware; maybe about the fact that these songs are not going to be predictable like other songs and this EP is not a normal one (or maybe about the flow that’s running our life? You decide.)
Can’t Dissolve:
Can’t Dissolve is weird. Time signatures used in it are usually considered odd and some sounds on it may even be disturbing. Our ears are normally not used to these kind of time signatures in songs (except for people in some parts of the world, like in Bulgaria, where Balkan dancing is popular and it’s mostly based on 7/8 time signature). It’s emphasizing on the fact that not every song should be 4/4 or 6/8 just because it’s easier to hear and understand. There are many polyrhythms going on in the song.
John:
John, or John the Savage, is one of the characters in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. He is one of the deepest characters I’ve ever seen or read about. John’s desire first marks him as an outsider among the Indians, since he is not allowed to participate in their ritual. The book also demonstrates the huge cultural divide between him and World State society. He is not accepted neither by the “savages” nor by the “civilized”. He takes his values from Shakespeare. He is “the” savage. He is himself a Shakespearean character in a world where any poetry that does not sell a product is prohibited. I don’t want to spoil what happens at the end if you haven’t read the book but I tried to tell his story with this song again anyways. You may be able to guess the ending by listening to the song! This song and the next song are the two things that has shaped the concept of this EP. (shoutout to sparknotes.com for the beautiful description of John)
Voices Are Coming:
Voices Are Coming is actually where the EP began. It has a kind of spiritual message describing the state that your inner wisdom is inviting you to seek what you desire in your own life. It’s telling you that you already have the answer inside you, the only thing that you need to do is to open your eyes. It originally had lyrics and vocals but I decided not to give the story away that easy; sometimes it’s better for the listener to find out the story by himself/herself or make his/her own story. It also has an alternative mix; I will release it in the CPO B-sides EP.
Redemption Suite:
Redemption Suite comes right after the voices in the previous song. It’s telling the story of when you’ve reached the redemption and you’re finally tasting the sweetness of life because you decided to go your own way; you are asking yourself “what do I want” instead of “what do they want from me”. It gives a pretty epic ending to the EP. Redemption Suite is probably the brightest thing I’ve ever made.
Listen to CPO on Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Apple Music, iTunes, Google Play, etc.
You can also read this story in my art blog: http://articles.theamouie.com
