1. |
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Divide the world in two.
It’s much easier to digest that way.
Swallow it whole; don’t chew—
or you better spit it out.
The world is not for beholding;
it is for dissect—
for projecting.
Projecting ideology,
projecting illusion.
The world is not for beholding;1
it is for molding,
and upholding.
Molding reality,
as we see fit;
upholding exclusion,
making it,
the world,
the realm of and for the privileged
and the privileged alone.
Who are you to see the world in your own way?
Why don’t you just conform?
It’s easier that way.
Listen up:
Disguise ideology as convenience.
It’s much easier that way.
Listen up:
We’re sharing the Truth with you.
Disguise ideology as convenience.
Disguise ideology as truth.
You’ll get ‘em every time.
Dress ideology in sheep’s wool.
Make sure “Reality” aligns
with the ideology of
the privileged
and the powerful.
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2. |
Extra Varnish Please
03:35
|
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Disguise the binary as truth.
Truth never tasted so good.
Truth never tasted so damn good.
Between you and me,
I could get used to this.
Disguise the binary as truth.
Indisputable,
irrefutable…
Disguise ideology as truth.
Uncontestable,
unshakable
Truth.
Divide the world in two.
Who are you to see the world in your own way?
Who the hell are you?
The world’s in two.
Disguise the binary as truth.
Just taste it.
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3. |
Forked Tongues
05:01
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A or B?
Answer the question.
Which side do you pick?
Black or white?
Choose one.
Day or night?
Just don’t pick the wrong one.
Taste the binary
sifting through your veins.
Forget about “uniqueness” or “identity”;
the binary is all that remains.
Just taste it.
Swallow it whole.
Learn to love the binary,
just as you love yourself.
Find yourself inside the Binary.
Define yourself in opposition to the Other.
You aren’t who you are.
You are a mere reflection of the color and number
you choose—
or that were chosen for you.
Give yourself to the binary.
Let it show you the truth.
Truth never tasted so good.
Truth never tasted so damn good.
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4. |
The World's a Stage
03:28
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Get over it.
We define who you are.
From the day you are born.
We call the shots.
We classify.
We, not you, decide how you will identify
for your entire life.
We classify.
We put you neatly in a box—
Our box.
We classify.
We, not you, decide what you will be like.
We put you neatly in our box,
and if anything is sticking out we cut it off.
Get over it.
We define who you are.
With our neatly defined criteria.
And we never make a mistake.
You better behave.
Get ready to rehearse.
You’ll perform the identity
we gave you.
If you disobey,
you’ll just prove you’re perverse,
and only make matters worse.
Embrace the binary.
Be who we tell you
you were meant to be,
“naturally.”
Conform to the binary.
And you’ll be free.
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5. |
Procrustean Metrics
05:29
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We construct the "natural."
As we see fit.
And you either conform to
or diverge from it.
And if you choose the latter—
and it is always a choice,
for we force our procrustean standards,
and cut off the feet
of anyone who doesn’t fit
in our neat
little binary box.
And if you choose to diverge
from the Truth
from the way of the world,
as we say it exists,
know that
if you disobey,
you’ll just prove you’re perverse,
and only make matters worse.
So conform.
And we assure you,
you’ll be free.
Conform to the Truth.
Conform to the binary.
Conform.
The world is black or white.
Conform.
We construct the natural.
As we see fit.
And you either conform to
or diverge from it.
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6. |
Pick Your Poison
03:34
|
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Pick your poise.
Pick your poison.
Make your choice.
Don’t pick the wrong one.
Or else.
Vial A or vial B?
The poison you choose
(or is chosen for you)
dictates your voice.
Vial A or vial B?
We know you’re thirsty.
And you don’t have another choice.
We’ve ensured that.
We construct the options
from which you think
you choose.
We brew the very concoctions
from which you drink.
Bad news:
Any way you take it you lose.
We’re the
Arbiters of Identity.
Arbiters of Meaning.
Arbiters of Reality.
We choose the choice you think you have.
And your choice dictates your voice.
Pick your poison.
Vial A or B?
The world we halve.
We determine the options.
We brew the very concoctions
from which you drink.
So, you,
unite with your opposition.
Combine the flavor.
And savor it.
It doesn’t matter that it is not true.
We choose the flavor for you.
It doesn’t matter that it doesn’t suit you.
We construct the binary in our favor.
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7. |
I, Stratified
04:51
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Who are we?
We’re the status quo.
Who are we?
We’re years and years of tradition
codified.
Codify.
Stratify.
Let go
of “self” and “volition.”
The Truth is not your decision.
Who are we?
We’re the status quo.
Who are we?
We’re years and years of oppression
ossified.
Ossify.
Stratify.
Obey the bi-
nary.
Stultify.
Stratify.
Do whatever you can
to help us reify
the reality we like.
Exclude the Other.
Inside the binary you’ll uncover
Truth.
Exclude the Other.
Inside the binary you’ll discover
what we tell you to.
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8. |
Illusions of Choice
05:20
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We brew the concoctions.
So pick your poison.
Toe the line
we draw for you.
Pick one.
They’re both lethal.
The only difference is the taste.
So pick your poison.
And enjoy the wait
between,
and the haste
you take,
you make,
for yourself,
behind the scenes.
Pick your party.
The catch is they’re both the same.
But pick your party.
Just play the game.
The illusion of choice.
The illusion of voice.
Pick your faction,
of the same basic party.
A or B?
Pick your party.
The catch is they’re both the same.
But pick your party.
Just play the game.
The illusion of choice.
The illusion of voice.
We choose the choice you think you have.
And your choice dictates your voice
“Express yourself” with the choice
we voiced
and the voice
we chose for you.
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9. |
In the Service of Power
06:05
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Who are we?
We’re the status quo.
Who are we?
We’re the System,
the line everyone must toe.
The dictum
that divides the world in two.
The “wisdom”
that dissects and destroys truth
in the service of power.
We are not some conspiracy;
we are not some cabal.
We are the structure,
years and years of tradition
codified.
We are the structure,
years and years of oppression
ossified.
We are the structure.
The System that values
some bodies over others.
The System that values
some beliefs over others.
The System that values
some beings over others.
We are the very ideology we uphold,
reified,
in the service of power.
In the service of power.
We are the binary.
It is our hour.
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10. |
Demolition Plans
05:07
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“Please relax.
Would you just relax?
Learn to relax.
Learn to acquiesce.
Learn to
express yourself with the binary.
Express yourself in the binary.”
“Please relax.
Would you just relax?
Learn to relax.
Learn to acquiesce.
Learn to
be yourself with the binary.
Be yourself in the binary.
Be the binary. “
This is what we’re told.
“You better behave.
Get ready to rehearse.
You’ll perform the gender chosen for you.
You’ll perform the sex chosen for you.
You’ll perform the sexuality chosen for you.
The System’s infallible.
How could it make a wrong move?”
That’s what we’re told.
“The world’s in two.”
Or so we’re told.
“How do we know?
‘Cus they said so.
‘Cus the System said so.”
Fuck that.
We need the binary just like a hole in the head.
Dismantle the System
along with its Procrustean standards.
Smash the kyriarchy
and its favorite tool, the binary.
Deconstruct the binary.
Be who you want to be.
Only then can we really be free.
Destroy the fucking binary.
So we can
be who we are.
|
PECULATE
Progressive metal and mathcore meet jazz fusion and avant-garde classical music ||| Metal in Opposition ||| (PECULATE is the solo project of composer and musician Ben Norton)
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