A little over a year ago, I had an epiphany in regards to my music. I realized that in order for my music to *really* mean something, both to my listeners and to myself, I needed to express more than just raw emotion. I needed to convey the essence of my ideas about life, love, science, philosophy, sociology, and the forces that tie all of these subjects together. It was no longer enough to simply transcribe my emotions into my music - I had to explain them in a way that would allow any listener to understand and appreciate all of the facets therein. 

This EP is the most heartfelt, thought-provoking, and controversial release I've ever made. It's themed around the darker side of what it means to be a citizen of The United States of America. I definitely don't have it in me to be this dark and introspective with every release, so if this is your first exposure to my original work, please don't be turned off by its brooding tone (I promise, there are far more uplifting releases soon to come). But please do understand that it comes from a very genuine place in me as an artist, as a concerned citizen, as a close friend to many veterans of the US military, and as a hopeful spirit searching for a path that leads to a brighter future for us all.

This EP is dedicated to my friends who have served our country bravely in its armed forces, to the families and friends of the soldiers and civilians whose lives were lost in military conflicts, and to the intrepid souls providing humanitarian aid to war-stricken populations all over the world.

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The Blood-Spangled Banner EP (2014)

Turn-key Tyranny is about the shocking revelations regarding the NSA's unlawful surveillance of US citizens that were brought to light by Edward Snowden in 2013. Some may argue that Snowden's actions exposed the US to a heightened degree of risk, and they may have a point. But the truth is that his actions exposed some of the most egregious violations of the US Constitution that have ever been committed by a government agency in the entire history of the country. 

Though my personal opinion is that Snowden should be given immunity under the Whistleblower Protection Act, the question of whether or not his actions were lawful is beside the point. The stakes are much higher than the guilt or innocence of one man. What's at stake is the presumed guilt or innocence of everyone. Under the surveillance apparatus that Snowden uncovered, every single person in the entire country, with or without reasonable suspicion, is presumed guilty of crimes serious enough to warrant continuous surveillance, from birth to death. This assumption is so contradictory to the founding principles of this country that it makes my hair stand on end. 

Due process of law is the constitutional right of every US citizen, and the NSA's deliberate circumvention of these rights calls for immediate corrective action. 

Note: Those of you who have a working knowledge of Morse Code may find a hidden message in this track that conveys a somewhat more pointed version of my sentiments on this matter.

Turn-key Tyranny (Original Mix)

This track is a critique of the backpedaling and sidestepping maneuvers executed by various authority figures in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations regarding the unlawful electronic surveillance of US citizens. 

Shortly after the leaks hit the mainstream press, the White House and the US Senate Intelligence Committee both held press conferences in which they desperately tried to deflect and trivialize the truth. The spoken samples in this track were taken from those press conferences. 

Note: President Obama didn't actually say "Yes, We Scan!" The sample you hear in this track was taken from his acceptance speech on election night in 2008, in which he repeated the phrase, "Yes, We Can!" However, given his outright endorsement of the unconstitutional acts of the NSA under the PRISM program, it seemed appropriate to help my listeners hear what he really meant to exclaim with such fervor.

Yes, We Scan! (Original Mix)

In 2010, an Army analyst named Chelsea Manning disclosed a large batch of classified military documents and multimedia files to the WikiLeaks organization, with the intent of informing the world about some of the US military's ethically and legally questionable activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

One video clip in particular was so profoundly appalling that it quickly became known as the "Collateral Murder" video. In the clip, US military helicopter gunners can be seen targeting, shooting at, and killing unarmed civilians on the ground, all while laughing, congratulating one another, and mocking their defenseless victims writhing in agony on the ground below. This track features samples from the radio chatter between the gunners in that video. 

I made this track not to glorify violence, nor to specifically call for the punishment of any of the soldiers involved in the incident, but to emphasize the utmost importance that must be placed on respecting the sanctity of human life, even in armed conflict situations. The US military has a long history of engaging in deliberate psychological desensitization of its soldiers, and the result is that many times, even the most level-headed, compassionate people can be transformed into ruthless, automated killing machines that often fail to properly analyze (and frequently overestimate) the threat level of the situation at hand before applying lethal force. 

I hope that the exposure of this incident, and the discussions that have happened because of it have given the US military's senior leadership cause to re-evaluate the moral and ethical foundations of their training programs. I hope that reforms will be made that lead to a new era of military strategy, emphasizing compassion and swift neutralization of conflict through precise targeting of known threats, rather than the wholesale massacre of anyone within a given area where hostile activities have been reported.

The Blood-Spangled Banner (Original Mix)

I met Technology Scum at a show I played a few months ago in Colorado Springs. He's a veteran producer of industrial techno, hard techno, drum-and-bass, and other electronic genres on the darker end of the spectrum. He also runs his own netlabel at tscumrecords.com - check it out!

Yes, We Scan! (Technology Scum Remix)

Blendrix's tracks are unique hybrids - fusing the multi-layered, hyped-up percussion and "feel-it-in-your-chest" bass of modern electronic music with the intricate textures and spacious soundscapes that characterized the psychedelic rock & funk of the '60s & '70s. By blurring the line between past and present, Blendrix gives his listeners a glimpse into the future.

Blendrix is a producer/live performance artist based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. He's a founding member of the “House of Bass” collective, and the lead founder of “The Manic Profession.” Since his first DJ gig in 2009, Blendrix has gone on to open for some of the hottest names in the electronic dance scene, including Phutureprimitive, Seven Lions, Conspirator, Bluetech, Robotic Pirate Monkey, Darth & Vader, TYR, K Theory, Wick-It The Instigator, Butch Clancy, Boys Noize, Frankie Bones, Drivepilot, Bad Boy Bill, Coyote Kisses, Alex Mind, Total Recall, and others. He has performed at many venues, from the prestigious, world renowned Beta Nightclub, to the more intimate Aggie Theatre in his hometown of Fort Collins.