Andrea Bianchini & George Arrows - 3AM

A few days after breaking through Earth's atmosphere I was captured. Not by DEMONS, but by a force fighting the Grid. They took me in, listened to my story and, after extended questioning, offered me a choice.

As the saying goes, I took the Red Pill. Over the next few days the layers of lies were scraped back, the truth airing like an open wound that refused to heal.

My glimpse into infinite intelligence is the keystone, the secret they've been hiding from us for Millenia. They call it The Sublime, and connecting to it voluntarily, using its power—its iridescent light—is called going Supernova. Only a handful of people in any solar system can do it, and that's what they fear the most. Only the Supernova have the power to fight an entire solar system.

That's the real reason SIMPs exist. They sever some kind of energetic connection we have to The Sublime and repress the dreaming state of sleep, as The Sublime reaches out to us in our dreams.

It was an AI that spotted an opportunity to use SIMPs to turn us into economic slaves via the Adrenaline Grid. Turns out humanity's enslavement was an afterthought.

They also enlightened me as to why the entire system is forced to sleep at the same time; routine AI algorithm optimisation and backup. They don't want a single soul conscious when that happens.

We know why—the truth—and we're going to fight for it.

The Grid, SIMPs and DEMONS: Your time is over.

Rozko - Supernova

2072; 40 years since the mandatory privatisation of governments, both on and off world.

A totalitarian society—controlled by what some believe to be a Quantum AI—hellbent on the ‘maximisation of the workforce’ is suffocating humanity.

Humans aren’t built to work 20 hours a day, and that doesn’t fit within the economic model. It was deemed necessary that our nervous systems be ‘enhanced’ at birth via spinal implants. We call them SIMPs. They’re an always-on connection to the ever present Adrenaline Grid.

The damned Grid. The cause of our suffering. It’s marketed as a solution to encourage workforce wide ‘productive and focused’ attitudes, but the reality is that it’s a noose around our neck—a threat—that enforces obedience.

Our lives have been stolen from us. We want them back.

Rozko - Solar Highway

When I awoke, the surge had severed my SIMP to Grid connection. No Grid means no instant nerve punishment. Freedom, but with a caveat; I was no longer receiving adrenaline inducing nerve stimulation.

By some kind of miracle, with a searing, heavy body that felt like molten rock, I managed to escape the factory by causing an explosive diversion.

I stole a star speeder and raced from the burning compound, DEMONS (Defence Monitor Sentinels; military AI's) on my tail. I didn't mean to cause so much destruction. I guess I got lucky.

Rozko - Iridescent

It's ironic, and probably a cruel joke, that SIMP sounds like an abbreviation of sympathy, something our 'leaders' have no concept of. They're cold at their core and dead behind the eyes.

I want to tear this damned SIMP from my spine, even if it kills me. All the talk, all the promises, all the media streams. Nothing but lies and propaganda.

We're living fuel for the relentless engine of economic growth.

Rozko - Pressure

For a couple of hours after the 20 hour shift, the Grid emits delta waves throughout our nervous systems, inducing a sleep—across the entire workforce—designed to repair the body and prohibit dreaming. No one knows why it's system wide, you'd think, with all of their intelligence and AI's, that staggering sleep across segments of the workforce would be more efficient.

I can't tell anyone—I'd rather die than go through severe nerve punishment again—but I'm starting to have sporadic dreams. They're rare, but beautiful. For a fleeting moment, I feel powerful.

Rozko - Sweet Dream

Written, produced, mixed and mastered in one day for a competition to combine two genres: electronic and rap.

Lyrics:

tip top, information
tank run kung fu installation
midnight, mind elation
painting lines with automation

you got, in my way son
drawn swords decapitating
impatient motivation
no more hesitation

c1

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

v2

you need reminding
stay like this the future's frightening
got, to stop the violence
engage mind and realise that

ideas, come a knockin
brain waves, inter-lockin
blaze, event horizon
golden third eye light be blinding

c2

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

b1

innocent but outta luck we
locked up, fodder for the shock
treatment, notta hope to free us
frequent hotline holla jesus

please believe us, chains enslave us 
evil seized us, wars invade us
can you save us, fate has framed us
<FX> why take aim constrain and cage us? 

incarcerated held in stasis
segregated isolated
wake up on a daily bas[is]caping 
places demons chase us

hate need not be this contagious
facist faces cheer and wave at	
flags paraded venerated 
fucking racist ignoramus

your misplaced faith in subjugation 
tainted slaves for generations			
disgraced inhumane temptations
stained their hearts and still you blame em

graceful people pose a problem
ghandi marley abe and martin			
jfk assassination?
grassy knoll? no fucking way son	

no-need to choke on the frustration
reignite imagination
feel the light on the horizon
realise its time to shine and

time this disarray abated 
raise the stakes and make a statement
be courageous find that sacred
space and blaze the way to greatness

c3

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

v3

you need reminding
stay like this the future's frightening
got, to stop the violence
engage mind and realise that

ideas, come a knockin
brain waves, inter-lockin
blaze, event horizon
golden third eye light be blinding

c4

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

tick tock lets make the change
rising up and takin names
head up, and shake the daze
time for us to lead the way

Make The Change

Rozko