I now release my second EP/LP, Near Apocalypse, to everybody here on Newgrounds! I decided to move forward with this because of my new status as a Geometry Dash artist (see OHK2 blog post 8: "I'M ON GD!!! I'M ON GD!!! I'M ON GD!!!" for details), but also because I've tarried too long. More opportunities and endeavors are also on the horizon, which I'll talk about after I introduce my new album:
The Story of Near Apocalypse
Originally released on August 30, 2024, Near Apocalypse is a deep and introspective sequel to ENTROPY. Whereas the first release paints a picture of metropolitan bliss and urban adventure in the far future, the new album tells a dark story from the moment you read the words of its title.
I created this album during Spring 2023, with a singular vision. I wanted to make an album that was cohesive and told a story, and tried to match the energy of one track to the next. Surprisingly, the tracks came together quite well…at least until I got to Track 5. Nevertheless, the singular inspiration of this album can be heard in the way each track seems to imbue the same darkness and brooding characteristics of the whole album.
Near Apocalypse is a concept album: Music is always a product of the culture is it created in. I attempted to create an album that distills the sound of a bleak pre-apocalyptic far-future urban society, in which a technologically-advanced, yet humanly suffering, society tries to bury its pains under the pressure of a driving beat that never stops.
Many artistic works detail the apocalypse, but few explore the period just before the collapse of the world. In such circumstances, tension and unease would pervade society, where people yearn for an escape from the constant oppression of society imploding all around them, while being unable to avoid their inevitable fate.
Therefore, Near Apocalypse is a duality of the end of the world, and the breaking point of the human spirit. Even if the end is not nigh for the world, everyone goes through their own near-apocalypses sometimes. It's part of the human experience. And while this album leans deep into the dark side of over-technological mega-cities, it has a strong human, flesh-and-blood component to it as well.
Each of the tracks adds to the narrative and describes a piece of the myriad conflicts this album represents, both internal and external. I made every single track in the order they appear on the album, and they specifically tell a story of their own. Together, it paints a picture of the deep meaning of the album:
Track 1: Tomb Core: One of my tracks that feels specifically designed for the club, and a drum & bass track at that - not something I usually do. It's a perfect opener to the album, both in name and content. Its simple yet concussive sequence paints a picture of the setting: Things are collapsing. The end of the world is here, whether figuratively or otherwise, and the fear is real. This track represents the heart of said collapse, or the internal structures that are falling down.
Track 2: Grey Heart: A techno track, and the first I created, Grey Heart feels cold and empty, as if codifying an emotional numbness or ambiguity. During the near-apocalypse, humanity struggles to navigate a world that feels colorless or uncertain. The sparse vocals and noisy drums suggest a loss of clarity or hope, caught between despair and resignation. It might represent emotional paralysis in the face of overwhelming catastrophe. Sometimes we don't react to crises with screaming and hysteria. Sometimes we give up. The world appears grey to us.
Track 3: Clay Wings: Another drum & bass track, and one of my personal favorite tracks. If the apocalypse is near, people nurture a hope or desire to escape, transcend, or survive—but their means of doing so are insufficient or vulnerable. This track is more atmospheric and slightly transcendental, and may represent the human struggle to rise above the chaos, even though it's clear that such efforts may not succeed or may come at a great cost.
Track 4: Dawn Complex: An off-kilter dubstep track represents a divide between hope in a new world, and a fear of the costs associated with getting there. Dawn is typically a symbol of new beginnings, yet in the context of a near-apocalypse, it might represent the fear of hope in a fractured world. While a new day is technically possible, it’s fraught with difficulty, contradiction, or moral ambiguity. Perhaps it suggests that any new beginning is hard-won or laden with unforeseen consequences. It's also worth noting that "complex" can also refer to a primal fear of something, or a set of ideas that are repressed, causing mental breakdown. Maybe what people are afraid of is building a new world. The fear of the unknown is real.
Track 5: Sentience: Another club track, the second on this album. In contrast to ENTROPY, this is the only house track on Near Apocalypse. While its beat is dark, there is a certain familiarity about the song--at least until it starts playing backwards. In the shadow of an impending apocalypse, humanity is saddled with a growing awareness of the crisis and the existential weight of being human. This could involve recognizing one’s own mortality, the fragility of civilization, or the psychological toll of living through a world that is on the verge of collapse. The awakening of sentience in this context may also signal a deeper realization of how fragile existence is, especially when faced with the prospect of annihilation.
Track 6: Euphoria: Escapism. It's all people have when the world feels like it's crashing down around you. And yet, when you come down from that high, what's left? Nothing. For every cloud there is a silver lining, and people desperately seek it wherever they can. Euphoria is an emotion; here it is a fleeting, almost tragic escape from harsh reality. It might represent moments of bliss or transcendence that occur in the midst of a collapsing world—a temporary reprieve from the anxiety, chaos, or dread of the impending collapse. Alternatively, it could be a false euphoria, a way of coping with the fear of the end.
Track 7: Limit: This is one of two longer, more abstract techno tracks that round off the end of the album. In mathematics, a limit is something that is impossible to achieve: A place where everything goes toward and nothing ever reaches. Here it represents the boundaries of human endurance, understanding, or survival. The limits of what you can stand are the boundaries that keep you from either spiraling into total destruction or finding a way to transcend. It’s a moment of reckoning—how much can one take before they reach their breaking point?
Track 8: Heaven: The last track on the album, a longer techno track sums all of the themes into something part-atmospheric and part-hypnotic in its crushing doom. People want to feel numb, and becoming lost in an eternal beat is one way that can happen. Heaven is the last place some of us will go when we die. Here it has a double meaning. It might symbolize a final, almost unreachable utopia, a vision of peace and salvation amidst the chaos. Alternatively, it could represent a desire for escape or redemption—a yearning for a perfect place that seems out of reach, an ideal that one might never attain, especially in a world teetering on the brink of disaster.
In addition to the stories provided by the tracks, there are few patterns interwoven throughout the album as a whole. The first four songs have two-word titles, while the last four have one-word titles. What does that say about the diminishing hope of society, that we cannot even express ourselves anymore? Additionally, the progression from the tomb in the title of Track 1 to Heaven in Track 8 represents a reverse-progression of what you'd expect to happen when you're near the apocalypse. Does the world really end, or does it heal? I dunno…but you do. Take a listen to the album and find out :)
Now that I've bored you to death with the story of my project, I'll talk business for a sec.
Remember, my music's on Geometry Dash! Nothing would be better than for you guys to use my tracks in my levels, and I'd absolutely love to see them. You can always DM me right here with your level ID and I'll be sure to check it out. Also, if you have a specific vision of a song you'd like to build a level around, I'd be happy to help you make that vision a reality. Just message me for that as well!
After Near Apocalypse is fully out I should be able to flush all the rest of my currently-released singles onto Newgrounds. At that point, I'll be all caught up and will be able to push tracks here in sync with everywhere else.
Alright, that's a long letter. I promise I'll shut up now :)
Take care!
OHK2