Decay is the culmination of two and a half years of musical and visual work in story telling. 

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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Decay EP

My purpose is fulfilled
I now leave this world to its own device
My host is freed; I worry not of her ambition
She has proven herself as a god of the cosmos, and will manipulate it according to her desire
I trust she will not abuse her godhood
However, in this end, I must take up arms as my enemy before me
My watch will spread the void

My existence is now only to prevent the rise of another tyrant.

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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Decay closes the EP in reflection. Again, read the story if you want the full explanation of feeling. But, I'm here to talk about my life and this song's influence on me. Like Broken, this song was improvised. I wrote it during winter break of my senior year of high school. Out of everything I've created in life, and out of everything I've done so far, this song means the most to me. Really, I mean it. I feel like it's a bit obligatory for me to be sappy, considering how many times I've cried myself to sleep to this song. Yeah, it's egotistical, but it has so much meaning to me. It's the solemn embrace of the future, and the acceptance of change. It's moving on from mistakes, and looking forward to making more. And really, it's an Ode to the End of a life I once knew. I wasn't ready to be an adult; when I wrote this, it was 4 months away from my 18th birthday. So much has changed since then, and nothing will ever go back to the way it was. I don't want it to, though. As sad and scary as it is to move on, everything has its melancholic end, and this song gives me the solace I want in those moments.

Thank you so much for everything. Regardless of who's reading this, whether I know you more than you know yourself, or if you're just a number added to the play count, you mean the world to me. Thank you for listening to this project, whether you only listened to one song once, or all of them all the way through on repeat for hours.
So thank you, and may the end become as beautiful for you as it's become for me.

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FOLLOW ME:
https://twitter.com/Astrasm1
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https://soundcloud.com/astrasm
https://www.instagram.com/astrasm_music/

Decay

We will take this fight to the safety of the void
Away from those who did not choose this fight
We will tear you from your hiding place
Away from your sanctified plane where you snuff anything you don’t see fit for your universe
You cower as you realize the truth of this fight you have started
You have attacked us for merely existing
You expected no resistance from us

We will rend every part of your truth, being, mind, body, and purpose, until there is no trace of you left in this cosmos
You will die.

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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Override is the fight of your life. Ah yes, this song. I'm writing all of these descriptions in order, (if you're reading this, hi I love u :3) and I have so much more to say about this song than all the others. Override was a HELL of a project, with a lot of ups and downs, a lot of struggle, and a lot of logistics. Override has three movements to it, in an attempt to drag out the feeling of fight for as long as possible. Each movement is representative of the journey to triumph: Coalescence, Arrogance, and finally, Perseverance. I don't want to go too far into the symbolism in this song, but out of all of the EP, this one fits the story the most. Read the story. You know you want to. I really consider this song my magnum opus, at least so far. Out of all of the songs I’ve made, this one comes the closest to meeting my goal of telling a story through song. It’s much deeper than any of the others, and comes so much closer to what I would think is the perfect blend of orchestral genre and electronic genre. It’s so experimental, and stands out definitively as its own song without any obvious inspiration. Speaking of, I had a ton of inspiration, and even though it isn’t apparent, I will definitely wax poetic about where I got ideas from and how I came up with everything in here if you ask me (please ask me). Anyways, I really hope you enjoy this song, I put so much effort into it I couldn't even begin to describe.
You're almost done, just one song left. :)

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FOLLOW ME:
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Override

The time to fight draws near, but neither of us are adequately prepared
For the strength of this God that watches over this universe is entirely unmatched
My host will come to the inevitable conclusion that she is trapped
However, I am as well, and unless either of us can muster enough strength and intelligence
Then surely our enemy will discover our forbidden alliance and remove both of us
My host does not deserve this fate brought upon her when it was so far out of her control
When she finds me, surely she will not be kind, but I will teach her what I know

And we will assimilate as our last hope to kill this warden

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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Not everything is what it seems. Pain fades when it persists for too long. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Null. I wrote it fairly quickly, up until the very end of the song, and had no idea what to do with it for some time. I put it on the backburner while I worked on other projects, and eventually finished it and moved on to write Indeterminate. However, as the EP progressed, Null started to fit in less and less. I spent a pretty solid amount of time near the end of production for the whole project to make sure the premise still matched, and I don't know how to feel about the results. Regardless, every good dubstep/electronic EP has one song on it that just hits different. I guess this one is that.
Please enjoy the real dubby :)

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FOLLOW ME:
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Null

This one will do quite nicely
Its mind is shattered, broken, torn from the inside, and filled with hate for its own existence
For the time being, I will store their consciousness within my own
It would be hypocritical of me to exterminate it -
As my own Enemy wishes so greatly to do to me
Besides, it is within my own best interest to sustain it
Its wish for death suits my needs, but

Her desire to live may save us both

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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Indeterminate follows the journey through the unknown, the rejuvenation of wonder, and experimentation with the natural order; though, not every pretty thing is docile. By far, this was the most enjoyable song to write on the EP. This was the second one I wrote, after Null, and since its completion, it remains as the only song I would ever want to forget about so I could write it again. I learned so much about my style, and so much about how to break rules by writing this, and it's very apparent in the sound design and composition. 
I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

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FOLLOW ME:
https://twitter.com/Astrasm1
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Indeterminate

Attacked -
I must feed off of matter
My conscious ability expands as I consume and convert
More power and more control
Some external being wants me gone
I must hide myself from this assailant
I must survive

A host must be chosen

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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This is a more uneasy piece; the plot it follows is desperate and uncertain. Nominal was a year-long project for me, with almost 150 total hours put into composing, mixing, and story drafting. This song really turned the direction of the project around, and ultimately ended up being the precursor to the fifth song, Override, in the sense that I learned a lot from this song that I ended up applying to Override. Much of this song is highly experimental, and many of the sounds are from the other songs in this EP. Though this was a slog to write, and I spent hours pulling my hair out trying to discern what direction to take this in, I'm proud of where it ended up.
Please enjoy the descent into the unknown :)

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FOLLOW ME:
https://twitter.com/Astrasm1
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Nominal

What is this?
I open what might constitute as eyes,
Observation; that of which
Lies before me
Was I?
Born, created? Or
Neither; something else entirely

Willed to be

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If you're interested in reading the full story, here's the link to the google doc. I spent an unholy amount of time writing this, so please do read and enjoy my depressive writing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N99zaF-jDuL10rHT63n9Nq6dE-YZrSAE_c88Csb_2Ro/edit?usp=sharing

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This is the first track of my EP, Broken, or the pieces compositional name, Hymn for the Broken One. It's meant to be a reflection of a catalyst; that so insignificant seeming event which cascades to a catastrophe. What that may be, remains to be seen. Aside from the story, this was originally an improv piece I recorded late at night while struggling to make decisions about my future. At the time, I had pretty severe seasonal depression, and wanted to write not something that reflected me, but rather my perception of the world around me. 
I know it's not electronic, but I put a lot of time and thought into writing this, and I hope you enjoy :)

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FOLLOW ME:
https://twitter.com/Astrasm1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt4WFw8p0gltEpvZ9puW0bg
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