Echoes of a Butterfly
by Threat Machine
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Digital Album
Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Digital download includes album art pdf.Purchasable with gift card -
Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumLimited deluxe edition clear vinyl pressing featuring a gatefold layout on 20pt coated stock. The inside of the gatefold features custom artwork for each of the ten tracks on the album. The imagery is a visual representation of the music's progression and perfectly complements the album's story. Vinyl is housed in black poly lined inner sleeve. Set of two limited edition stickers also included. Includes mp3 download card.
Includes unlimited streaming of Echoes of a Butterfly via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 3 daysedition of 150Purchasable with gift card$26 USD or more
You own this
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Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumLimited deluxe edition black vinyl pressing featuring a gatefold layout on 20pt coated stock. The inside of the gatefold features custom artwork for each of the ten tracks on the album. The imagery is a visual representation of the music's progression and perfectly complements the album's story. Vinyl is housed in black poly lined inner sleeve. Set of two limited edition stickers also included. Includes mp3 download card.
Includes unlimited streaming of Echoes of a Butterfly via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 3 daysedition of 150Purchasable with gift card$26 USD or more
You own this
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Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumONE OF ONLY FIVE ever made! Vinyl test pressing used to approve the record for manufacturing. Also includes a copy of the limited deluxe edition clear vinyl pressing featuring a gatefold layout on 20pt coated stock. The inside of the gatefold features custom artwork for each of the ten tracks on the album. The imagery is a visual representation of the music's progression and perfectly complements the album's story. Vinyl is housed in black poly lined inner sleeve. Set of two limited edition stickers also included. Includes mp3 download card.
Includes unlimited streaming of Echoes of a Butterfly via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 3 daysedition of 5 3 remainingPurchasable with gift card$175 USD or more
You own this
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1. |
Tick of Time
02:48
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2. |
Space Satellites Docking
04:08
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3. |
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4. |
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5. |
Crisis
02:59
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6. |
The Nothingness of Death
04:46
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7. |
Energy Drifts
03:44
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8. |
Bindings
02:49
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9. |
Transformation
02:43
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10. |
Awakening
05:11
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about
Cinematic and evocative, 'Echoes of a Butterfly' weaves together sonic elements of ambient, electronic, glitch, drone, and experimental music. Synth melodies, roughly recorded acoustic guitar, other-worldly choirs, undulating electronic drones, and chopped up rhythmic elements all coalesce to form a unique listening experience. The album is a tale of life and death and an exploration of the dream state versus wakefulness. It is a journey through the human condition that has a very unlikely ending.
The album was inspired in part by The Butterfly Dream which is an allegory by Chinese philosopher Chuang Chou: “Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things.”
The female central character in the story is the life-giver, the explorer, the mystery. It is an allegory for the journey of life and exposes a tragedy in an odyssey through space as seen through the eyes of the protagonist. The story is told using a blend of found sounds, electronic sources, human voices, and processed instruments. This makes the collection of ten tracks feel relatable yet alien at the same time, while drawing the listener into the protagonist’s narrative. The human condition, the universe, and life have all come together to form this deeply personal work.
Each track presents the story in a gradual unfolding and undulating rhythm presented in two different acts. The goal was to paint an image in the listener’s mind, like a movie would. 'Tick of Time' depicts the moment of liftoff, or being brought into the world. Jagged synth lines combine with a gritty, heavily processed bass and rhythm section. Sonically, the next three tracks reveal joy, uncertainty, and even the monotony that we all experience through the pace of everyday life. Then the track 'Crisis' ends act I, and through its manic crescendo and chaotic electronic manipulations exposes a deep, dark tragedy unfolding before the listener’s ears.
Act II is where Threat Machine's sound design prowess is on full display: 'The Nothingness of Death' merges ambient water and rain recordings into a bleak purgatory-like exposition of howling voices. Blackness. Distorted forms. Disarray. The next three tracks weave through a sonic feast of ambient synths, heartbeats, and out-of-time rhythmic patterns, before ultimately coalescing into an unflinching rhythmic counterpoint. This is energy drifting through the universe, eventually reforming and transforming.
Then the beauty of life is revealed to us. 'Awakening', featuring a haunting piano melody ultimately asks the question: Was the previous life experience real, or was it all just a dream?
The album was inspired in part by The Butterfly Dream which is an allegory by Chinese philosopher Chuang Chou: “Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things.”
The female central character in the story is the life-giver, the explorer, the mystery. It is an allegory for the journey of life and exposes a tragedy in an odyssey through space as seen through the eyes of the protagonist. The story is told using a blend of found sounds, electronic sources, human voices, and processed instruments. This makes the collection of ten tracks feel relatable yet alien at the same time, while drawing the listener into the protagonist’s narrative. The human condition, the universe, and life have all come together to form this deeply personal work.
Each track presents the story in a gradual unfolding and undulating rhythm presented in two different acts. The goal was to paint an image in the listener’s mind, like a movie would. 'Tick of Time' depicts the moment of liftoff, or being brought into the world. Jagged synth lines combine with a gritty, heavily processed bass and rhythm section. Sonically, the next three tracks reveal joy, uncertainty, and even the monotony that we all experience through the pace of everyday life. Then the track 'Crisis' ends act I, and through its manic crescendo and chaotic electronic manipulations exposes a deep, dark tragedy unfolding before the listener’s ears.
Act II is where Threat Machine's sound design prowess is on full display: 'The Nothingness of Death' merges ambient water and rain recordings into a bleak purgatory-like exposition of howling voices. Blackness. Distorted forms. Disarray. The next three tracks weave through a sonic feast of ambient synths, heartbeats, and out-of-time rhythmic patterns, before ultimately coalescing into an unflinching rhythmic counterpoint. This is energy drifting through the universe, eventually reforming and transforming.
Then the beauty of life is revealed to us. 'Awakening', featuring a haunting piano melody ultimately asks the question: Was the previous life experience real, or was it all just a dream?
credits
released November 30, 2018
Written, Performed, Produced, and Mixed By George Spanos
Mastering - Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering
Art, Design, Layout - Dixon Jong (Intuitive Designs)
Art Concept - George Spanos
Photography - Mathew Guido
Model - Chiara Young
Written, Performed, Produced, and Mixed By George Spanos
Mastering - Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering
Art, Design, Layout - Dixon Jong (Intuitive Designs)
Art Concept - George Spanos
Photography - Mathew Guido
Model - Chiara Young
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Threat Machine
Threat Machine is experimental electronic composer George Spanos. His work as a sound designer for the video game Warframe has given him a unique ability to blur the lines between real-world sounds and ones that are pulled from within the depths of his subconscious. ... more
discography
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Nov 2018 -
Dec 2011