If It Bleeds, It Leads
Nightcrawler is one of my favorite movies of all time. I watch it at least twice a year. It's really the inspiration for this entire album, a deep look into the sometimes perverse incentive structure of local news, but really all media. Eyeballs are the currency, and anything is okay to get them. Lou Bloom isn't a villain, he's the logical endpoint of a system that rewards exactly what he does.
What shocks me is how social media has normalized insane amounts of sex and violence as news. Videos of assassinations and war atrocities can be so easily found and shared, something that would have once had a warning before and blurring during. We scroll past death and destruction between cat videos and vacation photos. The desensitization is complete. The exploitation is total.
"If It Bleed It Leads" is about this tendency, anything for attention, eyeballs, clicks, and views. Red ink running through the headlines tonight. Camera crews chasing sirens through the night. Producer in the van says "get closer to the pain." Public appetite for tragedy never wanes. This is the song about how media exploits our attraction to negative, shocking content, and the economic incentives behind sensationalism in news coverage.
But here's the uncomfortable truth that runs through this entire album: they do it because we watch. They chase the blood because we click on the blood. The perverse incentive structure exists because we created it with our engagement. That's what makes this whole thing so dark. We're complicit in the horror we claim to hate.
Purity Tests and Performance
I find it incredible that divisions are so deep and audiences so in charge that if you even slightly agree with "the enemy," you need caveats and clear disclaimers. It seems like the audience is in charge of the content creator or influencer a lot of the times. Even if it's as basic as "I like this movie she mentioned," you better apologize and let everyone know you are one of the good ones.
We do not meet in the middle for the impure. I've seen this drama a lot online, from celebrities to YouTubers. Someone agrees with a person from the "wrong" tribe on one specific issue, and suddenly they're drafting public statements of clarification. "OMG, did you hear what she said? / Though I agree, I can't have people thinking we're friends / Same conclusion, different brand / Gotta make sure my followers understand."
"Not With Her" is my valley girl pop satire of this absurd guilt-by-association culture. The exaggerated vocal delivery and shallow glossy synths mirror how performative and empty these disclaimers often are. "I'm not with her, not with her / We might think the same thing / But I'm not with her, no way." It's tribal purity tests taken to their logical extreme.
What gets me is how we've become so afraid of nuance, so terrified of complexity, that we'll sacrifice truth to maintain our position in the tribe. "Truth becomes secondary concern / When there's social capital to burn." The bridge includes a mock social media announcement: "I want to make it absolutely clear / That while we happen to agree on this specific issue / I do not endorse, support, or approve of / Anything else they've ever said or done." It's satire, but barely.
Media Manipulation Explored
Five songs examining how media shapes reality, who controls the narrative, and our own responsibility in creating the information ecosystem we claim to hate.
The Complete Information Ecosystem
Neural Nuance
Title track exploring human discernment versus AI processing. What makes consciousness special in information analysis.
If It Bleed It Leads
Dark electronic about media exploitation of tragedy. Nightcrawler economics of violence as commodity for ratings.
Algorithm Authority
Cold techno examining invisible algorithmic control. Silent judgments shaping reality without accountability.
Free Speech Paradox
Satirical pop about complaining of censorship through massive platforms. The irony of silencing claims while being heard.
Not With Her
Valley girl pop satirizing guilt by association. Purity tests demanding disclaimers for even slight agreement with enemies.
Trial By Headlines
Bubbly pop with cynical edge about media conviction before evidence. Mob justice replacing due process online.
Need-To-Know Basis
Dance-pop hiding serious critique. Condescending information curation treating audiences like children who can't handle complexity.
Viral Virus
Infectious electronic about misinformation spreading faster than truth. Social proof replacing verification in viral content.
Access Granted
Moody jazz electronic about journalism compromised by need for insider access. Independence traded for proximity to power.
Heartstrings & Headlines
Emotional ballad transforming to analytical electronic. Manipulation through selective imagery bypassing rational thought.
Now For A Word From Our Sponsors
Commercial jingle becoming media critique. How advertising influences editorial content across all platforms.
Fourth Estate
Soaring anthem honoring true journalism. Reverent tribute to reporters who risked everything for truth and democracy.
Fake News Fighters
Video game soundtrack satire about selective truth labeling. When everything becomes dismissible as fake news.
Curated Reality
Dreamy pop with glitchy production. How personalized feeds narrow worldview into comfortable echo chambers.
Crisis Merchants
Urgent news-break electronic about profiting from manufactured anxiety. Fear as currency in attention economy.
Proxy War
Military-inspired beats about media battles hiding real power. Talking heads as puppets for billionaire interests.
Scrolling Headlines
Bouncy pop about superficial news consumption. Five-second understanding of complex issues through social feeds.
The New Gatekeepers
Contemplative self-reflection with mirror effects. Acknowledging audience responsibility in creating media incentive structures.
Subscribe to What Interests You
Choose what you want to follow. No spam, just updates on what you care about.
📊 Systems Thinking
Non-fiction book updates, incentive analysis, frameworks
💻 Conscious Tech
App development, technical philosophy, tools that respect users
🎨 Story & Sound
Fiction chapters, music releases, creative process
🔥 The Whole Journey
Everything—weekly updates across all projects