ANOMALY MANIFESTO
ANOMALY MANIFESTO
ANOMALY IS GRATEFUL FOR THEIR ANOMALIES!
First off, congratulations. Thank you for completing the steps essential towards reading the core of the Anomaly experience, the Anomaly Manifesto.
Secondly, thank you. Your energy has been spent well. It has been my staying power for as long as Anomaly has been around. If you are new here, welcome. If not, welcome back! You are the love that leads me through all of the valley of deaths associated with making music. I love you, and I am everso happy and grateful now that our universes have met.
The only time I show affection
Is when I get an erection
She’s a warm body, and a free meal
If it wasn’t for the kids, I’d have dinner somewhere else
-Honeymoon
ANOMALY IS LYRICS
What I have written down thus far are Anomaly lyrics. I take so much pride in my lyrics. It’s a fucking shame that people don’t take the time to digest them. They are what separates us from the good, what makes us great. I have never mailed in my lyrics, ever. It seems stupid not to, though, when society has accepted subpar lyricism as the new norm. Unfortunately for us, there's nothing but substance over here folks. Read any one of our song lyrics, and you’ll understand. The message is everything, so if you aren't aware of it, then can you truly love our work?
The lyrics are the field guide to all of our songs. Without them, you are traversing the barren wilderness of sound that is an Anomaly song alone, emotionless, without context, and naked, like a wee lil babe. They are your underwear, your armour, your bearings, to the everso expansive, zany, daring, and tactless aural authority that is Anomaly. Read them, and use them well. Otherwise you are just wasting your time.
Our lyrics benefit the breadth humanity, for they are what the higher power wants me to share with you all. For you not to read them is a travesty, and, in all honesty, fuck you!
But, I can't say fuck you, I have to show you the way, and this is what this manifesto is all about.
No need to beat a dead horse, unless that dead horse is so fucking important that you need to beat it. This is easily the case. If there is only one thing that I want you all to take out of this manifesto, that is, read the damn lyrics.
It’s a rite of passage. Make it a habit. Our liner notes are pure gold. Sorry I can’t entertain you normally. I wouldn’t live up to the name Anomaly if I did.
I see moving pictures every time I look in your eyes
They remind me of all the things I should learn to despise
If life has taught me anything then nothing’s what it seems
You can haunt my daytime, but please, don’t touch my dreams.
-Honeymoon
If there is only one thing that I want you all to take out of this manifesto, that is, read the damn lyrics. So nice I had to say it twice
ANOMALY IS ANTI-SHEEPLE
Before we get started, I’d like to introduce a very special person to you all. He is the backing force behind everything Anomaly has ever done. His core values are what we live by. He's a little eccentric, what we would call in today's age a non-conformist. He astonishes people in how accepting he is of himself. His name, Mr. Anti-Sheeple.
We love Mr. Anti-Sheeple (AN-tee-she-pull). He’s a cool dude. He is comfortable in his own skin, doesn’t strive to be anybody but himself, is moderately aware and in control of his insecurities, and doesn’t care about what other people think. He doesn’t care about what’s popular. He doesn’t care about fitting in. He doesn’t care about rules or regulations. He doesn’t give a fuck about traditions. He doesn’t let the dead rule his living life, and he doesn’t let anyone or anything take away from the unconditional love that he has for himself.
Mr. Anti-sheeple is a very close friend of mine, and he has deeply influenced every single action that Anomaly has produced. From the name, to the songs, to the cringe instagram posts, to the constantly speaking my mind, to the lack of a filter, to anything and everything in between. Mr-Anti-Sheeple’s non-conformity is a value that Anomaly adopts every step of the way. However, a past me has said it best:
“I'm not going to apologize for Anomaly not being easy street. For Anomaly not appealing to lazy consumerism. For Anomaly requiring critical listening skills. For Anomaly being wrapped in a pretty rough package. For Anomaly making you read.
For you see, those are our core values.
In this world filled with blatent disregard for the individual, we want to make art that promotes individuality
We make art for the artists
We're rebels. We don't care about industry standards, or genres, or what constitutes a good mix, or what topics are the most popular to talk about.
We are real. Anomaly is real.
We want each and every single one of y'all to be the greatest anomaly that the universe has ever known
I'm sorry that we were born into a world where the individual has to reclaim their individuality every single day, in almost every single interaction he/she/they face(s).
But you know, it wouldn't be as much fun if it were the other way around.
If you ever need a hub for free thought, just come on down to the Anomaly side of town.”
I am comfortable in my own skin
I am comfortable in my own skin
You can’t take this winning grin
You can’t take this winning grin
-Untitled
ANOMALY IS CRINGE
Cringe is the new punk
-Alex Bienstock
We take pride in owning the title of the cringiest band in the world. We are so cringe, that we form the anti-thesis of cringe, similar to how, after a while, being sober was punk as hell. We have to let you all be aware of that, for it gives us the freedom to do whatever the hell we want. To push boundaries that shouldn't even exist in the first place; I fucking hate that term...."push boundaries". It sounds like it was made by someone who lives in a box. Now "limit testing", now that's a term. To "test limits", however, is garbage. Anyways, we are creating our own space, where everyone is accepted, where, from ages anew, neuroplastic grooves, snapped synapses, that are more sustainable, will rise.
Cringe is something sort of taboo, played down on, seen with contempt, ban-worthy, and something that you just simply would not want to be. Sounds just like us! We wear our cringiness with a badge of honor, for being cringe is just, well, being yourself, and having other people disagree with it. Fuck them! As long as it doesn't harm anybody, cringe is cool! Cring is the new chic. Mark my words.
ANOMALY IS REAL
I have never been a big fan of filters. Although, I do spare you all from me sometimes, when it comes to music, I do not like to beat around the bush. I am a straight-shooter, for better or for worse. I like to be frank because life’s too short. I’m more honest than not, and I know that you know that 99.9% of the time, I have a point.
With that being said, what you see is what you get from us. I like it when our post gets 13 likes on instagram, because that means we are beating the system. I like having shitty photos and videos on our timeline, I know that we stand out better that way. I like being cringe with the mixing, it’s performance art, and gives the true reward to those who can look past it. It separates the fake from the real, and it is a pivotal era to the formation of any band.
I am not here to impress, I am here to do my father’s bidding, as the great middle-eastern, Asian, non-european man of asiatic descent in an asian region, of asian religion, Jesus, would say. Fuck you if you think that Jesus was white, there was no way in hell that he could’ve been. Nothing against whitey, but I'm tired of them claiming everything as their own, with no regard for other cultures. Fuckin colonists.
Ahem, like I was saying, to do what my spirit is telling me to do, that is the essence of Anomaly. Nothing more, nothing less. I have to do this, due to the fact that there are more clout demons out here who will do anything for status, fame, power, and prestige, then there are people like me. Just look at our music scene, or all music today. Or our culture in general. Too fake. Some real musicians, and some real people, but realness doesn’t sell records, or so they say.
I am willing to bet on the impossible, that positivity can prosper. Nothing as cheesy as christian rock, but not doom metal either. Somewhere in between.
A positive message for the progression of humanity, that can be presented in a down-to-earth manner. A low-down dirty dog, boxing gutteral scum for the safety of future humans. Nothing forced, or unnatural, just what needs to be said.
I see the humanity in all humans. I see God in all people. I am a humanitarian,who wants to see everyone find some peace, through my creations. They aren’t really my creations though, they are the works of God. I merely express what he wants to be expressed through me. I’m a good listener I guess.
I do have some misanthropy, I must admit, but that only stems from the fact that I can see where we are going, and who's trying to stop use from getting there.
Speaking the truth is what makes us real. What is real is what is perfect. What is perfect cannot be subject to change. Form has opposites. Light, dark, skinny, fat, tall, short, black, white….etc. There is no opposite of spirit. Of Joy. Of God. Everything here is but a temporary illusion. Death is nothing but the end of all illusions.
But, before I go, I want to eradicate as much illusion as possible. A liberator of humanity, freeing people from their shackles. A guide to making acceptance a universal principle. A key, unlocking the great potential that everybody has deep inside of them. If only but a glimmer, I want to give you all a glance at yourself. Your true self. The part of you that makes you a part of God. We all need to be reminded of it as much as possible, and what my music means to me. There is a lot of spiritual mumbo-jumbo going on with Anomaly, however, it is precisely why we are real.
I see you lookin with your judgemental stares
And I see the whole world putting on their judgemental airs
But I know
For a fact
That the only person I’ll ever have to please
Is me
-Flux
ANOMALY IS JAZZ
akin to the beat, melody, and rhythms, are Jazz
Critical to the zeitgeist of the Anomaletic thought process is Jazz. We aren’t talking about the 7th chords used by King Krule, or Mac Demarco, we are on the serious stuff here! Straight, No Chaser! We’re talking augmented major seventh chords, diminished triads, minor 6th chords, maj7#11, sus2 chords, the point is got. I love Jazz so much. It is the ultimate playground for an explorer like me. The melodies are the ultimate rule breakers. They use tritone subs, flat 7ths, minor thirds in major keys, all 12 notes are on the table. Nothing is off the table in Jazz, Its conception came at a perfect time, post-Igor, post-wagner, post-Chopin.
The chords however, are what shapes an Anomaly song the most. The melodies are the results of me voice leading the chords half the time. Coming up with different chords of the same basic 2-5-1 harmonic structure is a surprisingly fun thing to do. People have a strong conception of Jazz, but ours is so subtle. It’s not as apparent as swinging the drums, playing the changes, and having a groove that’s out of this world. It’s the harmony of Jazz, combined with a lot of different elements to make an Anomaly tune.
Not only do we feature the mechanical elements of Jazz, we also love its ideals. Jazz is free. Jazz has no rules. Jazz has a deep tradition of hipsters, beatniks, punks, rebels, drug users, and consciousness pushers. An enrichment of everything it touches, much like all African Culture. As mentioned before, we'd like to push those values forward into the 22nd Century. I want to make jazz cool again. I want to keep this awesome and outstanding tradition (one of the cool kinds that doesn't promote the exploitation of people), my culture, alive and well. I want Jazz to have the same backing as “classical” music, but much cooler amongst the youth of today. In order for us to do that, we need to have a voice. We’re climbing the mountain, one step at a time.
I have nothing at all to give you, but I’ll give you all that I have
But I care about myself too much to, even care
Maybe I’ll find a place to belong, but I’ve found a nice place to drown
I don’t think I’ll ever want to come up for air
-Self Care
ANOMALY IS ROCK
If you ever listened to an Anomaly tune, you can hear the apparent rock influences. The drums are post-punkish/hip-hop/hard rock inspired. The song structures are taken out of The Beatles playbook. The energy is as rambunctious as rock and roll, but what is rock but a continuation of the blues, which is the forefather to Jazz? They are the same thing really, just marketed differently.
I see the perfect blend between the two, and even still we are not your stock considerations of the two genres. Saying we mix rock and Jazz is like saying we mix Europe with Africa. There are so many countries in each of those territories that it’s ridiculous to not specify which parts. Yet and still, we see Africa as a single country that is smaller that Europe, when it could fit the entire american continent and europe inside of it combined.
So, views aside, I’d say that we are mostly influenced by post-punk, and 60s Jazz Harmony. The Jazz harmony with all the extensions, fixins, and colorful chords. The “birth of cool era”. Post-bebop, and before modal Jazz really took over. That’s our sweet spot.
I love to make you dance. Is that the only goal, no. There is alot of seriousness, gravity, and responsibility associated with Anomaly tunes. I don’t even know how to have fun anymore. I am on a mission :0)
I can go on and on about rock, but the euro-centric media propagation machine does a good job of beating that everso important dead horse for me, and, more importantly, you guys aren't stupid.
Old Habits, they die hard
But you only go as far as you try
It’s so easy to turn back now
But I’ll be looking forward, till the day I die
ANOMALY IS A CULT
I have been pondering the type of relationship that I am fostering with you Anomalies, and I realize there isn't much of one. We are all cthonic cave-dwellers engaging in something taboo. Heroin usage in the war on drugs. Finding out your son is gay through him having gay cancer, or what the people in the 80s so endearingly termed AIDS. Something dangerously uncontrollable.
I make music that'd be best kept a secret, a hidden tome ensnared by a hidden tomb. Something that it'd be best to not committ to any preconcieved notions about, due to the fact that we (as you as well as in I) have no clue where its going to go next. It's a precious gift, a treasure that dared not to be wasted by the unworthy, the uninitiated.
Because of this, we need a new definition of fan, and I am definitely in the process of seeking it out. We do not have the normal relationship as most musicians with their supporters. We use guerilla warfare, sabotage, sleight of hand, and parlor tricks, in order to subtely show our love for one another. We are much more dynamic than the hierarchy of fandom. The blind fan, sniffing at the bands ass, idolizing them as God. That's such an industrial-aged concept. We are much smarter than that. We all have our own nuances, and bring our own unique brand of support to the table. It's a game of hunting, and I love it so much.
It's almost like we are a....cult.
Which naturally makes sense to me, seeing that the few times the deepest contents of my heart are displayed is in a song.
If if were not bold of me to assume that my emotions are what ties the bonds of the songs together, then they are also what connects us too.
Which is scary to think about, because I'm
a notorious wall builder. My walls are both innocuous and belligerent. They are very sublime, fancy, intricate, trapdoorish, boorish, rude, incorrigible, and sensitive. I let whatever I want through sometimes, but obly after the toll has been paid in full.
Back to the point. If we are to expound upon this cult ideaology, then we'd need some sort of text. Some bounding principle. A shared understanding of the sort. Some way to convey the emotions of my heart out into the world? Perhaps it'd be pleasant to the ears, and encapsulated in rhyme? Ahhh. EUREKA! I got it, the lyrics!
If I were to say that the emotion is what keeps us Anomalies around, and that words convey emotions, then what would be implied is the importance of the lyrics. The lyrics are what we can build the community around! It can be the hidden tome, ensnared underneath the hidden tomb! We can shout out the aphorisms provided by Anomaly, and then proceed to see if it garners any sort of reaction from our pet starfish garold! It can be an inside joke.
For example:
"The only time I show affection" said one Anomaly.
To another, they replied "Is when I get an erection!"
We can be the MF Doom fans of the post-modern age!
Let me end this discourse with a sly comment that shows my lack of committment to the matter, such as: "I'm only talking out my ass here", or "just some thoughts", or "let me know what you guys think".
I don't give a fuck about what you guys think, that's what y'all pay me for.
ANOMALY LOVES YOU
It’s as simple as that. Thank you for reading this manifesto, hopefully it sorted some things out for you all. Give this to anyone considering to have the honor and the privilege of becoming a member of the Cult of Anomaly. If there is only one thing that I want you all to take out of this manifesto, that is, read the damn lyrics. Love you all!
-Dorian Turner
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