Welcome to George’s blog. I play keyboards in the Alice Syndrome, and I’m also very interested in psychology, spirituality and self-transcendence. Groovhead tends to write all our lyrics, which always touch on subjects that hit deep into my interests.
The following is a statement from Groovhead:
“,,,,,full spectrum domination was written in response to the the insidious , and seemingly inevitable rise of fascist right wing extremist ideologies that , inch by inch are begining to insinuate themselves across the globe , and impact on every aspect of our existence , no better exemplified by the rise in popularity of the poster boy of modern fascism donald trump ,and his surreal appointment to the presidency of the united states ,,,,,the term fsdis a tool by which control is exerted from the earliest of ages so that the idealogies of the far right are absorbed and become engrained in the individual so that they know no other ways of thinking ,,,,think of north korea but with better hair cuts , this can be seen in the usa with the power of right wing christian fundamentalists deciding what can m or cannot be taught in schools , books being banned in libraries , to the teaching of jewish children to hate palestinians from the earliest of ages , all sanctioned and encouraged by thier respective governments .trump was the ideal choice to illustrate this , as he has made no secrets of his desire to control through an authroitarian regime , his marginalistation and demonisation of certain groups ,and his many close links to several hardcore right wing groups , his popularist rhetoric playing on the weaknesses , fears and prejudices of his hardcore maga followers ,even going so far as to quote from mein kampf ,,sort of gives a clue to what lies beneath .Despite the song being specifically about trump , the song uses him as an example of our gradual slip towards a more authoritarian right wing existence , where compliance is all , and the ‘others ‘are vilified and scapegoated , where the erosion of freedom is the norm , and our seeming inability and impotence or apathy to do anything about it ,,,,we , in the alice syndrome , are proud to be part of the ‘others ‘ ,,,,no comply , groovhead”
Our track full spectrum domination is a dark and dystopian song that explores the themes of power, control and resistance. It’s really an anthem for resistance, a song which promotes the rights of the individual against the rights of the state. The video is a collage of images and clips that depict scenes of resistance to oppression and surveillance, such as protests and rebellion, over a soundscape that showcases Trumps “build the wall” period, while refrains of the star-spangled banner drift in the background. It also highlights the beauty of nature, and raises concerns about the immorality of globalist capitalism.
We use audio samples of Donald Trump and the USA anthem in the track to create a dystopian and satirical critique of American imperialism and militarism. The track combines a determined beat with distorted guitar riffs, synth electro sounds, deep bass, and vocal samples from Donald Trump’s speeches and interviews from the time of “Who’s going to build the wall”, to parody the political system in general.
The track begins with the USA anthem played in a distorted and dissonant way, followed by Trump’s voice saying “We will build the wall”. The track then alternates between segments of Trump’s voice and segments of other political commentators, who imply Trump is insane. We try to get the message across that this is a sideshow, that we never get to see what’s really going on.
The use of trump audio and the USA anthem in this track can be interpreted as a form of political parody and protest music, which aims to expose and ridicule the contradictions and absurdities of Trump’s rhetoric and policies. We try to use humour to challenge Trump’s discourse of nationalism, jingoism, and political machoism,
Full spectrum dominance is a term used by the US Department of Defence to describe its military strategy of achieving control over all domains of warfare, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace (US Department of Defence, 2001). We use this title to provide a comparison in terms of each of the political factions desire to have total control to that of the global militarist proposition of full spectrum dominance. We are trying to show that we are not only being lied to, but we are being encouraged to be divisive, and ultimately hate others.
The Alice Syndrome often uses musical sampling in our tracks, which is “the act of taking a portion of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording” (McLeod & DiCola, 2011, p. 1). We use sampling as a creative and expressive technique to create new meanings and associations from existing sounds. By sampling Trump’s voice and the USA anthem, we transform them into musical instruments that convey our political message. This also creates a contrast between the original meanings and contexts of these sounds and the new ones that we create. For example, by distorting the USA anthem, we subvert its patriotic and celebratory meaning into a dystopian and ironic one. By juxtaposing Trump’s voice with other commentators, we create a dialogue that exposes the ludicrous extremes that politicians and political activists get up to everywhere.
Full Spectrum Domination is a powerful and provocative piece of music that challenges the listeners to think critically about the issues of human rights, political power, social control and manipulation, and resistance in the contemporary world. The track uses a combination of sonic and visual elements to create a unique and compelling aesthetic experience that conveys a message of dissent and opposition to the oppressive practices of political full spectrum domination. The track is a form of artistic expression and social commentary that engages with the political and ethical dimensions of human existence.
References
McLeod, K., & DiCola, P. (2011). Creative license: The law and culture of digital sampling. Duke University Press.
Street, J. (2012). Music and politics. Polity Press.
US Department of Defense. (2001). Joint vision 2020: America’s military: Preparing for tomorrow. https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=4395
