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Self Similar

by The Mercury Tree

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Joost de Wall
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Joost de Wall Whoever thought that microtonality could also rock like a maniac? Brilliant stuff!
Favorite track: Similar Self.
MazusGraves
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MazusGraves The Mercury Tree continues to make music utterly unlike any other band out there. Their modernist prog-metal chops ensure a hard-hitting and articulate sound, but their interest in microtonality takes their music to somewhere that feels utterly alien. While microtonal music can rest uneasily on many ears, this stuff has a careful craftwork about it which ensures that repeated listens will reveal countless hidden hooks. Also, vocalist Ben Spees' lyrics are as reliably witty as they are poetic. Favorite track: After the Incident.
Stephen Weigel
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Stephen Weigel What an absolute honor it has been to transcribe this ~17-TET masterpiece. The innovative looping, skillful playing, and xenharmonic changes are beyond impressive. The rhythmic intricacy is more advanced than in Spidermilk, and the album makes me really excited to see where this band will continue to go! Recursed Images is my favorite, with its 5:3 polyrhythmic looping, exquisitely strange form, and harmonic palette. Favorite track: Recursed Images.
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1.
Grown Apart 05:25
I’ve grown a part and I think it’s a work of art I’ve grown a limb and there’s no textbook that it’s in a blooming bone that emanates an eerie tone a new appendage so maybe now you’ll get the message yeah it’s not done yet but it’s a starting gun I think I’ve finally got the one I’ve grown apart the body never lies it’s disguised as a mind but however hard it’s applied you must disrobe the naked eye ha now grow I’ve been enhanced to something that is not a man but far above I’m made of some new kind of stuff I’ve grown new skin and I don’t feel that it’s a sin this flesh has split and you won’t be a part of it yeah it’s not done yet but it’s a start now maybe you could grow a heart I’ve grown alone and own what’s grown someday you’ll have to grow your own to let the tendrils truly climb they must feed on the naked eye (thbbbbttt) now grow
2.
Similar Self 05:43
you’re such a sim- sim- sim- sim- sim- similar self don’t you know that all this time all of them all could tell only wanted to sing sing sing sing sing sing like an elf didn’t know how to get out maybe now this could be how be how be how be now you’re such a sim- sim- sim- sim- sim- similar self and the truth is that you know you know you know it just as well you don’t need me to tell you and that’s why that’s why that’s why I’ll tell you don’t need my reaction and that’s why that’s why that’s why I’ll smile when we peek under that shell these redefinitions continue to underwhelm too broken to break the spell transformed and terraformed at the core you know you’re still such a similar solely a similar self nothing and no one else transformed and terraformed at the core you know you’re still such a similar solely a similar self unimpeded you’ve succeeded in chasing your tail undirected you’ve inspected under every fingernail when we peek under that shell the new revolution exudes a familiar smell still how the ego will swell solely a synonym twisting the skin in a hideous grin simulating a similar self nothing and no one else solely a synonym twisting the skin in a hideous grin simulating a similar self ha message to myself: “you will do what I tell you, not what you tell me” message to myself: “you will do what I tell you, not what you tell me” message failed to send unknown recipient
3.
Dreamwalking 04:16
dead dream walking twisting, flopping bleating, squawking grist for talking a big game (ooh…) something that you used to want in your earlier days do what you love until it becomes all that you hate dead dream dragging bloating, sagging always nagging attention-begging we got it all on tape (eh…) we got it all on tape (eh…) dead dream grandstanding networking, glad-handing backslapping, yeah-man-ing crash landing that’s how the game is played (eh…) and we got it all on tape (eh…) and we all hurt cause we’re all worms in the salt earth where we’ll all burn
4.
your mind’s recursion slowly winds and coils up somewhere logic goes to die and I’m not saying I’m judging you but I see those spiral eyes and I’m not saying I’m watching you but someone always is and that’s called justice the things we say don’t match what we do we only keep this up while in public view buried in these misconceptions, so many buried in your misdirections, so many bodies the things we say don’t match what we know to go forth and multiply lie won’t make it so
5.
I don’t want to resurrect you I can’t raise you by force you’re in that rigor mortis I don’t mean to ever be rude but did someone drug you? was that someone you? just keep doing what you do when doing you stay the corpse all you just stay the corpse rot! I don’t need to tap and drain you I can see it’s been completed was it everything you needed? first you have to play the corpse then you learn to stay the corpse body and mind can be divorced you won’t have to be distorted anymore for me Stay down lie still like we all will rot!
6.
Binary 03:46
you exist outside the binary of right and wrong one foot in each with your colossus stride but let’s not kid ourselves you tilt more than a bit to one side someone who makes me want to die that’s just how you identify what did we build out of chance and some semblance of luck? just a construct a meaningless construct you exist outside the binary of true and false one foot stomps on the other in the world’s most awkward waltz you center yourself by entering yourself headfirst and all other interested parties are underserved someone who makes me want to die that’s just how you identify what did we build out of chance and some semblance of luck? just a construct well here’s another construct get fucked baby, baby, baby, baby such a very apt word but we won’t carry this to term
7.
Self Similar 04:57
held back repeat the loop each day, comfort and discomfort but if you let me off the chain I might… we don’t want to find out static limbo no highs, no lows except what’s in my head but if you let me off the chain I might… we don’t want to find out don’t wake me up I’m sleepwalking (dead dream walking) sleepwalking (dead dream walking) let’s not get caught up in the technicalities please the alarm’s relevance is not why I repent so just let me off the chain I will… think we’re gonna find out (let me out I can’t see) and if you seek it I can promise it’s somewhere you’ll never find hiding in the pocket of someone you’ve never met in a place you’ve never heard of a place you hide from in your dreams and if you find that place you’ll wish you never had some doors should stay closed doors that can’t be unopened and one day you’ll realize that all you’ve been afraid of this entire time is yourself just your own potential will you rise up to yourself or will we do this again we can play this game infinite times I guess we’ll see won’t we won’t we
8.
Dark Triad 09:26
beg me to beg you I can’t begin to begin the review what can we see that we haven’t seen? walk to me slowly I can walk backwards twice as fast speak to me sadly you can never be sad as me just watch the time running out even it wants to escape now play the dark triad for me it’s ringing not-so-sweetly hold the dark triad, release it’s ringing encircling do you think I’m tender? tender like meat you may be lacking but don’t think I can’t compete I’m here for your fracking drill down to the toxic gas and ask with compassion how long can this laughing last? play the dark triad for me it’s ringing not-so-sweetly hold the dark triad, release it’s ringing encircling just watch the time running out even it wants to escape now just watch the time running out even it wants to escape now just watch the time running out even it wants to escape now
9.
after the incident nothing was quite the same I just flew from the van and I scrambled the land with my brain after the incident I couldn't see straight but I never could see so straight at least that's maintained it's coincidence, it must be surely no correlation just some aberration so I pulled out my eyes and wept laid on a spike and slept cut off my hands and clapped then I stuck out my arms and flapped but I'm not rising up not surprising, nope so don't you give me hope after the incident I forgot what you said how I should leave my skin alone but your words just became a drone and I dig and dig and still don't see the red who's that weird person with your face? it's obvious there's been some kind of mistake why can't you hear me say why can't you hear me say why can't you hear me say I'm awake till I shattered my teeth and bit swallowed my tongue and spit cut off my legs and ran drained out the tub and swam but I'm not rising up not surprising, nope so don't tell me I'll float you never meant what you spent so much time hating to be the whole painting can you make peace with the beast that you're creating? don't keep us all waiting I’m awake I’m awake I’m awake

credits

released September 7, 2023

Ben Spees: voice, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards
Connor Reilly: acoustic and electronic drums
Oliver Campbell: bass, voice

with:
Damon Waitkus: voice, acoustic guitar, hammered dulcimer, psaltery, tongue drum (tracks 4 + 9)
Gabriel Riccio: voice (track 7)
Tom Shad: piccolo bass (track 7)
Deja Indigo Yerger: electric guitar (track 7) + album artwork
Nick Prol: voice (track 6)

Recorded 2019-2023
College of Wizardry & Bongo Fury, Portland, OR
track 7 recorded by Martin Bisi at B.C. Studio, Brooklyn, NY

Mixed by Ben Spees
Mastered by Stephan Hawkes

All music and words by The Mercury Tree © 2023
except track 7 by The Mercury Tree + Deja Indigo Yerger + Gabriel Riccio + Tom Shad
words on track 7 by Gabriel Riccio

Songs in 17-, 34-, and 68-edo tuning.

Transcription/Notation by Stephen Weigel

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The Mercury Tree Portland, Oregon

The Mercury Tree is an experimental rock band from Portland, Oregon.

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