Howdy, Virgil Thrice here.
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I study the extraordinary phenomenon of where "art" and its messages come from. Isaac Enen being a self-claimed "inter-dimensional explorer," I find myself picking through the discoveries he dumps onto my super-positioned desk and expects me to sort through.
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These are the things I've figured out about "Jeweled Antique Scorpion (Earth 2020)" so far.
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First off, the titles themselves are both direct references to Batman content.
The first comes from an episode of the 1960s Batman television show in which the Joker plots to steal an "antique jeweled scorpion." Why the words were flipped for the record's title is at this time unclear.
The second title is most likely a reference to the phenomenon of the multiverse, and could be the inter-dimensional title of the universe from which this particular Joker comes.
The themes seem to be mostly about crime, corruption, and madness. Nothing to find surprising.
The Joker (someone who's real name is supposed to be unknown) has quite a dominantly chaotic style to his art, and in his musical themes run from peculiar and bizarre, to the potentially terrifying. But still, admittedly, at times undeniably catchy.
No better example can be found than in track 10, "Born Again Saints Club," or, "Death Card."
The first title would probably be a double-entendres dig at Enen's christian upbringing with a twisted comparison to an evil "transformation" after the inevitably metaphorical death of who this evil person once was; or the chaotic and mentally unstable entity that emerges from a person gone through much trauma. The Joker is snidely saying "We're all alike, all in the club, whether you like it or not."
The second title would refer directly to Tarot's "Death Card," which is in its own context is more associated with rebirth and transformation than of literal, physical death.
Even darker, and more controversial, the song is rumored to be the Joker's recollection of beating Jason Todd to death, and the similarities he feels he shared with the young man, who would ultimately wake back up from the other side through similar means to Joker's own transformation.
If this were all true, the guttural yelp that is sampled throughout the song (in parts, specifically used as a sort of mockery "censoring" of both taboo and commonplace words alike) would likely be taken from an audio recording of one of the beatings.
This is all considered conspiracy theory and Jason Todd's officially reported cause of death was dehydration after having gotten stranded in a desert.
The droning nine-minute mind-melt that is track 15, "The Cowboy (The Fool) [The People Game]" makes several references to "games," most especially with its outro containing a monologue from 1970s New Age philosopher Alan Watts on the role of the "fool" or "joker" in society. Two track before it is the song "Shark Dad-Os (As Seen On TV!) " which is the theme song for a board-game the Joker once marketed and sold.
The soundscape track also seems to showcase the voices of Mr. Rogers, US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Kanye West, Captain Kangaroo, David Lynch, Aldis Huxley, and Stanley Kubrick throughout.
Going further into the criminality of the record we find tracks such as #13, "300M Blind Mice (White Noise)," the first song claimed to be recorded entirely by Isaac Enen, and especially in any sort of "pop" theme with auto-tuned vocals. It would have been recorded somewhere around 2011, and, according to Enen, the project file would have been lost for quite some time. This album's version of "Danger Danger" is also an original demo recording of the song and is from sometime around 2015. It's also worth noting that the first version of Danger Danger to be released, found on I'm Sorry If You Hear This," went through considerable changes in music and lyrical content over the 5 years it took to record and release the respective album. It could be proposed that the writer had grown from experience since the original lyrics and wanted to get a more specific point across from a top-down perspective, whereas the original lyrics displayed a much more raw and self-centered stance.
All of this considered, it would seem possible that Joker found both of these demo versions and, after sonically manipulating them to an extent, included them both on this album in an attempt to embarrass or "expose" their original creator.
Bomb (NHKTR), probably meant to be pronounced 'nectar,' is an overtly "political" song speaking on hypocrisy in things like drug use in politicians and the elite vs its use by the impoverished and the unwell. "Best since 1888. Forgot to open with a joke, everything in the world is run on/by/with some kinda coke."
Coca-Cola (founded in 1888), cocaine (which, despite popular belief may still be connected to the massive conglomerate in more ways than you think), and the Koch brothers all seem to be in reference here.
NHKTR could also stand for Nite Hour Kings Throne Rite guessing by the surrounding contexts, but to what that refers this writer does not know.
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The adjacently named "Weather Report, Special, No Other Information Available" is a song from 2016, and its project file was temporarily recovered through unknown odds. One session was accomplished in which many things were shifted and improved and then the project file vanished from the computer and could not be recovered.
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Track 6 "SYNTHIA MAJOR" (2021) is the second variation of the song. The original appears on Enen's album "EXTRA JOKER (DISCARD PILE)" in the form of an unfinished demo, and was originally recorded in 2015