I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS // Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II // Composer Reaction & Analysis

[@forivacarry]

fun fact: Dream Sweet In Sea Major is in C major

[@CriticalReactions]

Is it also a suite of songs about a dream? 🤔If so it could be a S-Tier pun that's also quite informative on a literal level.

[@submariNervous]

@@CriticalReactions Depending on which of the prevailing theories on the album's story you subscribe to, it actually could be! :D Now, keep in mind that none of the artists have come forward with a concrete explanation about the story of the album (and likely never will, so as to encourage critical thinking and such among the fans, which I fully agree with), but one of the things most fans agree upon is that the final track is from the perspective of a man who is dying, be it to accidental/deliberate drowning, wasting away on a boat, or still in a bedlam house (again, it depends on which camp you're in, and all of them feel equally likely,) as his thoughts drift more and more and he starts to experience the classic "entire life flashing before his eyes" phenomenon, albeit through a lens of severe distortion. Fort Collins Productions made a pretty darn good vid discussing the various takes folks have on the lyrics and what they could mean, and I STRONGLY recommend checking it out (not just the portion of it that discusses the last track, either. The whole thing is quite the ride!)

[@pebblbead9970]

Funny

[@Casual_Crow]

*perfection*

[@whathappendin]

​@@CriticalReactions haven't finished the video yet so idk if you brought this up in the vid yet, but I think the fact dream sweet in sea major is exactly 7 minutes long represents the 7 minutes of brain activity after death .

[@SQUAKKC]

Im not sure if you said anything about it yet, but yes! The first part of The Mind Electric isnt a complete mirror! If you reverse it, it sounds more ‘normal’ than the un-reversed part

[@pebblbead9970]

I listen to the full song without skipping the understandable part and i noticed that too!

[@shanxrl.tsummi]

In fact, the moment when the reversed part ends in The Mind Electric and it stars to sound normal is the exact middle of the whole album

[@FirstSynapse]

Now we need a version with the first half of the album reversed

[@KoAndEggBreakfast]

TRUE STORY: I’m in English class and I was catching up work on a project I missed on Demeter. RIGHT when I was gonna write Apollo’s name, HE SAID APOLLO. Which freaked me out. And Apollo being the sun god that told Demeter and Hecate where Persephone was(Hades stealing her because he loved her) is an interesting thing to include in Isle unto thyself..

[@zetrocadartse646]

2:04:35 it isn´t a exact mirror of the other half, there´s two different versions of the song, that glitch stuff you can hear in the foward version isn´t present on the backwards. to listen to the "backwards but normal" version, one must see the oficial lyrics video which turns both around so the glitched one is the one backwards and the normal one is the one forwards. edit, also the background voices are stronger on the normal version. I will continue to edit as i make it forward on the video: the tune at the end part of the mind electric is the main tune of labyrinth just as last point some of the motiffs take the background rather tan being always on the front.

[@box0choklitz.]

I'd like to add that there is a video comparing the two halves, showing the differences and using text to describe the differences as they happen, it's very nice! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2TTfaxqfraoaKcsi=2x5U9ABR4q65w-lL Also this review video got me hooked on this album after a few unenthused first listens, now it's up in my faves!!

[@Chris_winthers]

I don't think that's how you use " ' "

[@zetrocadartse646]

@@Chris_winthers i really don't know how to write properly, i hope this doesn't make it impossible to understand.

[@Hope-uo1nz]

I’m only about halfway through but I believe the 9/11 connection comes from the single variations on a cloud that miracle musical released separately from the album

[@tropiq]

there's a thing i have with jazz, i love it when non jazz people do what they think jazz would sound like or use some of the instrumentation and ideas in other genres, however actual jazz i never got into despite giving it a solid shot a few times, and this album is similar with the older influences that i'm not into normally however here they work and evoke a weird kind of nostalgia as for the story the way i interpreted it : simon went to hawaii, found a girl, happy times, she disappears, he finds her dead, gets framed, pleads insanity, sent to infirmary, electro shocks actually scramble his brain, time passess, he escapes and somehow gets a boat and sails blindly to the sea and dies read somewhere that the last song is the representation of life flashing before your eyes as you die and its length is somehow related to it it's definitely a unique piece of music i'd recommend everyone listen to at least once

[@CriticalReactions]

I totally get that thing you have with jazz. Most music has two portions -- sound/vibe and composition -- and it's possible to achieve one without the other. To me it's the difference between making jazz and making something jazzy. I'm the same way with Black Metal, I'm not a fan of the actual genre (the composition) but I tend to enjoy when people evoke the sounds of it in other genres.

[@thefoogle]

essentially the reason why Dream Sweet in Sea Major is 7 minutes long is because your brain still functions for 7 minutes after you die. I think the reason DSISM reuses the leitmotifs and parts earlier in the album is to show how this characters life is flashing before his eyes.

[@cheeseman807]

The way I see it, Simon goes to Hawaii, falls in love with a girl, dancing happens, he follows her and chases her, she thinks he’s trying to kill her and falls in a big hole and dies, electro shock traps him in his mind and tries to escape, dies in mental hospital, death talks to him on a boat.

[@thefoogle]

@@cheeseman807 my theory is pretty similar, Simon goes to Hawaii, meets a girl, they become lovers, one day they go on a walk/picnic, Simon leaves her, when he comes back she’s been murdered and he is wrongfully accused, he goes through electro shock therapy due to pleading for insanity, he ends up in a mental hospital, he eventually escapes where he then takes some sort of boat to Hawaii, in his delirious mind he has no idea where he is going and comes to term with his death in the ocean. And variations on a cloud is his ascension to heaven, where he meets his lover again.

[@thatzanzystig]

the album is about life and then death, introduction to the snow being and introduction to life (the snow), Dream Sweet in Sea Major being death, (“for merely dreaming, we were snow”) and everything in between being love, loss, insanity, and sorrow. With the protagonist even trying to build a Time Machine to go back, and ultimately dying.. The album is genius in my opinion

[@tuney7319]

1:12:03 this wasn’t joe singing in white ball, it was his former bandmate zubin, who is a bassist but has some great vocals

[@Juicedbeef]

as a kid this was my dark side of the moon. such a favorite and the bands other work is just as fun and catchy. :)

[@Chris_winthers]

Fun fact: the vocals in introduction to the snow was recorded in a cold trailer in the dead of winter to get that voice effect

[@instructionalvideo.mp4]

I’m pretty sure that Murders is in 19/8 for the most part, with the chorus in 3/4 and the bridge in 2/4. The reason you might have counted different at the beginning is that I do believe there are some pickup notes at the beginning. Edit: I just finished the video. I think you had two big differences from the traditionally accepted narrative of the album that gave you a different reading, which I found interesting. In the end, you did conclude that the album is reflective, a look back at what once was. I agree, and because of that, I think there was only one lover at the beginning, and because it’s like a story being told, we maintain the themes of losing that loved one, even though we are still at the point in the story in which they are still together. However, this reading doesn’t acknowledge the line in Labyrinth. It’s also because of the reflective nature of the album that I don’t think that it matters what is before and after the electroshock therapy in The Mind Electric. Our narrator is unreliable, wether that be because the electroshock therapy, schizophrenia, or both. The second difference was how literally you read Time Machine. In the widely accepted narrative of this is just our protagonist longing for the past, and having this fantasy of going back to be with her again. But then the fantasy, or time machine, breaks down, revealing that he’s all alone. It was nice seeing a new prospective, though. Keep up the good work!

[@LilyArgyle]

If you're interested you should listen to Variations on a cloud its Miraclals Musicals only other work. and also Hawaii part:ii part:ii which is basically a smorgensboard of everything hawaii part: ii

[@lunasilvermoon1786]

"i was a victim of magic, apollo" this line fits perfectly with the multiple relationships theory- in greek mythology, apollo was known for pursuing multiple (failed) relationships. he was also the god of music (among other things), so that fits in too! I really loved this video. I think listening to someone else parse out their thoughts on this album really help solidify some of the thoughts + theories i had rolling around :) the glass labyrinth idea could also tie into greek mythology? The idea of Daedalus's labyrinth, leading to him and his son being sequestered away, and then icarus' fall from the sky on his wax wings could parallel the lost in space/time/sea that the "protagonist" of this album faces. i always somewhat related the forest with no trees line to the concept of "mistaking the forest for the trees", which i think is relatable to trying to understand this album lol. Maybe relates to the way the protagonists faces his problems. I'm not usually a big commenter but this video was so good i had to. I subscribed instantly, this is my first video of yours! I really appreciate the way you speak, its clear you gather your thoughts well.

[@dysphanic_redshift]

only an hour into it and. the reaction to the genre shift between isle unto thyself and black rainbows was hilarious. I can't wait to see the reaction to labyrinth

[@ratogalilei]

for me, this album wants you to put your own meaning to it. It's similar to what absurdism says about life: it makes no sense by itself, so you have to give it your own meaning (if you want to)

[@knockoutturtle]

What I think Space Station Level 7 means is that it's relating to Heaven in Dante's Divine Comedy, where Heaven is made up of 7 layers (Most corosponding to the planets)

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

I have drawn the album cover, so I've looked at it in great depth. The top left appears to be the spiral staircase continuing on up (we see it from underneath)

[@jaspin555]

oh man he listened to it! He should do Rob Cantors album. The KFC album. so so good also just a random thought but i would love for him to hear the album Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious. the best rap album i know

[@scribbly_dibbily]

Heya!! Just finished watching your video (amazing btw) and I noticed you were a bit disappointed that there were no themes of 9/11 ect, if that is still the case I would recommend "Variations on a cloud", the only single made by miracle musical

[@jacewhite8540]

The darkness I think you felt at the beginning was lyrics I think, talking about being alone on the end of the universe, and other such things. Its has the feeling of nostalgia, and sadness, but a happysad I guess

[@rainydaytales1792]

I have some thoughts about a specific theme/motif in the lyrics. I’ve never tried to organize my thoughts before, so this might be a little incoherent. I’ll do my best to make it make sense. Also, my understanding of music is shaky, so this will be mostly a lyrical and metaphorical analysis. Fair warning: this is going to be long. So: the motif that jumped out at me one day was that of a day/night cycle, or struggle. That day I read all the lyrics back to back without even listening to the music, trying to “figure it all out” (Yeah, I know how incredibly optimistic this was). My gut reaction was, “this is about night and day. As characters, and maybe as cosmic forces?” In hindsight I think I latched onto the lines in “Murders” a little too hard: “suddenly the night and day remembered how they came to be.” But I thought that summed up the relationship of the protagonist (the “I” mentioned in track 1) and his lover (the “you” mentioned in track 1) across the whole album. From here on, I’ll refer to the “I” and “You” as “Simon” and “Stella” respectively, for simplicity’s sake. Re: Day and night. They come to be by (to put it poetically and harshly) killing each other. From our perspective on earth, day and night can interact, or have a physical relationship, at dawn and twilight, which (I think) are the times of day poets find most beautiful. But eventually, one kills the other and takes its place in the sky for a time. Simon could be interpreted as being the sun, or day, and Stella is the moon, or night. In track 2, I believe Stella is referring to Simon as a “blinding shining star” which could be the sun. “You won’t see so far” indicates that Simon often can’t see far beyond his own light, or his worldview/perception. The production on the female vocals here indicates how distant, dreamy, and idealized Stella is in Simon’s mind. He can’t see her objectively; he’s blinded by his own perception of her, and he loves it. “It was the night we had to part” again, at night, day would have to part. “I was a victim of magic, Apollo” Apollo is the Greek god of the sun. The sun was depicted as Apollo’s chariot that he drove across the sky. I’m no expert on Greek mythology, so this line might have more layers I’m not seeing, but this sun/day/traveling the heavens/space idea is what I took away from it. Moving on to Black Rainbows. The moon controls the tides. The tides are of the ocean, and the ocean is water, and water plus sunlight equals rainbows. Thus “I see the praised rays, you see me smile.” Together Simon and Stella make rainbows, but Simon’s “blinding shining” light means he might not be seeing them for what they are. “I draw the rainbows, you draw them near” sounds slightly sinister in this context, as Stella makes the beauty happen, and all Simon is doing is holding it close to himself, obsessively I imagine. (With this line it’s also occurred to me that maybe Simon is the moon, and Stella is the sun, but whatever, uncertainty is another big theme of the album) “And lo the hues arrange to show it’s perfectly clear” all the colors combine to make a beautiful white light, but Simon chants “Black” in Hawaiian in the background, indicating, again, that he doesn’t see it the same way she does, and again driving home the light/darkness duality. White Ball, I admit, has a lot of mysticism that I can’t wrap my head around, but it talks of a dance, “Marble gods tango circles in space.” Greek gods are carved from marble, I think? So again, the Apollo imagery, and the sun and the moon could be said to “tango circles in space.” “Today is renewed, is reborn” and “each day, I am new, I am yours” could speak to the dawn and twilight I mentioned earlier, the beautiful, blissful times when day and night are closest together. “So please dismiss what they claim about this” is an interesting line to me, because it seems to indicate that others (people? Other beings?) might claim that Simon and Stella’s relationship shouldn’t be what it is, or something’s wrong with it. But Simon and Stella don’t want to look at what that might be. So they take “passionate steps” on a “floor suspending abyss,” focusing only the “bliss” of their dance and ignore how precarious their existence with each other is. (continued)

[@rainydaytales1792]

(continued from above) Of course, all that goes up in smoke in “Murders.” This is where one of the most ethereal (IMO) recurring images begins: the “Fountain of infinite mirror.” A place of water, being a fountain, so that ties it to the moon, but also a place of mirrors, or light, with would tie it back to the sun. A place where the two can be one. Also note that the next track, “Space Station Level 7” is the exact “middle ground,” as far as track number, of the album, and is about a space station, where you could view the sun and the moon more objectively, and you can see how the night and day come to be. Also also note that the track after THAT, “The Mind Electric” is almost a mirror of itself, AND that the entire album ends similarly to how it starts: all of Simon’s experiences might be described as an “infinite mirror.” That might be getting ahead of myself, though, and this is getting way too long already Continuing with murders: “She found the Erlking” or the fairy king, “In the light the leaves broke above then fell below” suggesting there is an “above” and “below” - the fountain of infinite mirror goes in both directions, but Simon was looking for it “in the middle ground,” Probably where you’d get the most perspective from. Also, “fell below.” In some mythology, fairy kingdoms are underground, and unsuspecting travelers in the woods could step in a circle of mushrooms and fall in - “fall inside a hole you couldn’t see” from track 7 comes to mind. There’s also a running theme in “murders” of doubt, and not knowing if the things you’re thinking or worrying about are actually real. Popular theories say Simon is a murderer and Stella is innocent (correct me if I’m wrong, please), but the doubting reality and other lyrics throughout the album throw into question, for me, at least, who is even being murdered in this part of the story. “Murders of murderers” “her for him, or him for her, shown what they were” like they were both guilty of what happened. “white wood” and a “black wood” are mentioned. Duality again “bees and birds” are mentioned one line before twilight. As stated, twilight would be one of two times night and day are intimate, and we all know what bees and birds can be shorthand for. And then Immediately after comes my bedrock line for this analysis: “finally the night and day remembered how they came to be” Space Station Level 7: Unfortunately, I haven’t digested this one’s lyrics as much as the other ones because I don’t understand them when listening to it casually. It’s clearly about space or the heavens, though, and not being able to move on from something you think you should move on from. The sudden shift to robotic vocals (and even the shift to another language, come to think of it) signifies a sense of disconnect within Simon as he’s forced to face the fact that he killed Stella/Stella killed him, and he has to reckon with whichever it is alone. The Mind Electric. So. I could write ten comments on this one song, but I’ll try to keep it brief. It could be about electroshock therapy, but my personal interpretation is that it’s about someone (in this case, Simon) tormenting themself because they believe they’ve done something wrong. The mind fractures into multiple roles-judge, jury, and executioner of itself, as it were. The song plays in reverse at the beginning to represent how distorted Simon’s view of what actually happened is. In the channel flipping part I thought I could hear snippets of “Murders” and “Black Rainbows.” As if Simon is reliving what’s happened, only for his punisher (read: his own mind) to force his thoughts back on the right track - a deeply unpleasant track, but one that allows him to live with the horrifying reality that he has killed/died. (I read one theory that the “electric” in the song’s title and lyrics could refer to the electric signals in the brain, rather than electroshock, which fueled my own interpretations.) What’s telling to me is how the robotic voice shifts tones, alternately condemning Simon and asking for help/mercy. This makes me believe the punishment comes from within, but the dissociation from shock/pain/whatever means Simon can’t recognize it. The only part of this song that supports my night/day thing, though, is the two lines “when it grows bright the particles start to marvel, having made it through the night” which kind of speaks for itself Labyrinth. Simon feels like he’s being taunted by what memories remain of Stella. The mental meltdown and self-rearrangement he went through in the mind electric have left him unsure of who he is, or what his relationship with Stella even was. He sees his previous relationship/obsession with her as a hateful maze that he still has to run. A maze whose walls are clear (like the rainbows, hmm…), so he should be able to easily solve it, but he’s bumping his head and finding all kinds of hidden traps. The stairwells leading to hell and the trapdoors call back to white ball, with its staircases and floor suspending abyss. Also “in the glass labyrinth, I am the mouse” says to me that, while he might be able to see the end, he still has to get there, and someone is watching him, like he’s a mouse in an experiment. Someone is watching all of his mistakes and slip-ups. Time Machine might be my favorite song on the album, and it is explicitly about dissociation and leaving the present time, whether literally or metaphorically, in order to escape bad feelings and wallow in nostalgia - but the price you pay for doing this is a loss of time sense. Time loses its meaning as you refuse to be present for its passing and you don’t experience it the way you should. You lose your respect for it, so it loses its respect for you. And when you don’t experience time the way others do, you often end up very, very lonely, with nothing to distract from those pains and problems you were trying to escape in the first place… Stranded Lullaby continues the themes of Labyrinth, but with the added sense of detachment and being lost that Time Machine describes. Simon is out at sea, whether literally or metaphorically, and if the sea represents an aspect of Stella…well. You could say that he’s still trying to be with her, but at this point his head is so messed up that he wouldn’t even recognize her if he was with her. He’s trying to figure out how he feels, but as he sails farther and farther through space, time, and water, the answers seem to be slipping farther and farther away from him. He feels like Stella is close, somehow. He hears her voice on the water, and thinks it’s probably a dream, but “awake would only prove the fantasy made lucid sense”. He’s beginning to wonder if maybe a dream is better than reality, anyway. People dream at night, and if day is dead while night is here, all he can do is dream of when he feels like himself again. Dream Sweet in Sea Major. And so day/sun/Simon is alone, at the edge of a universe humming a tune. And he decides that the siren, the dream, is better than nothing. So he gives himself up to it. Of note: “The stars were made for falling” if Simon is the sun, then could it be said that he was a star who fell for Stella? “She knows you heard her, staging music murder” again implies that Stella isn’t entirely innocent, whether she was the one killed or not in “murders” “The part is wholly ending” sounded like strange phrasing to me, at first. Then I realized if you chop the line early, you’d hear “the part is whole” maybe meaning that Simon finds himself again. The last few lines mention the blinding star again, all but confirming it’s the sun. The light higher than the sun…I don’t know. Maybe referring to a higher power? Knowledge? The knowledge of day’s relationship to night, only this time it brings peace rather than pain, because it’s day’s turn to be reborn? And that’s all I’ve got for evidence on the day/night theme. Writing all this out makes me see how flimsy some of my theories are, but eh. The lyrics are less than half of the experience of this album. The music helps evoke the light and dark even when the words don’t. Not sure why it struck me as so interesting in the first place. Maybe because it pulls every other detail into focus for me, and gets me thinking harder about what it all could mean. Basically I’ve decided it’s about the duality of humanity. Existence vs nonexistence. How good and evil can exist within the same space as well as far opposite each other. How relationships with different aspects of yourself can feel like relationships you have with other people. Can you really know what it’s like to be a different person? Can you ever really know yourself? Life and death exist in the same space, and contradictions are everywhere. Can you ever really know what’s real? Should you pursue your fondest dream, even if you know it’s impossible? These are all questions that I think Hawaii part ii asks. It doesn’t give much in the way of answers, though. I guess you have to find them yourself, chase them, like night following day following night, a circle without end. Opposing forces working together. The universe observing itself. Is the point of this impossible-to-decrypt album that not everything has an answer? Sometimes you just have to be, and hope that’s enough? It’s too late. I’m having 3 AM existentialism. Anyway. If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. I’m hitting send before I think too much about it and delete it all.

[@BigBoyCarp]

@@rainydaytales1792From murders i got the feeling that simons and stella relationship is forbidden and simon is talking about how this bliss should be impossible also mind electric is the middle of the album and when it goes from reverse to foward the album is halfway done

[@BigBoyCarp]

my interpretation of the album never placed lyrics as the literal meaning more as the “feeling” obviously some lyrics are more direct than others but i think if you take the lyrics with a distance and understand that you will never fully comprehend it i think the album becomes clearer somehow

[@CriticalReactions]

Fantastic interpretation that's well supported by the album. I think that even if it's isn't directly about the day and night that the metaphor of how they can never be together is something that the album reinforces constantly.

[@goldie1943]

What a fantastic video! This is a beautiful album, one of my favourites of all time, and it’s such a treat to listen to such thoughtful, in-depth discussion on it. It’s interesting to hear your discussion about the genre influences of this album - I know that Hawley has said that the Beatles are a musical inspiration for him (wrt the ““50s”” pop influences that you mentioned, maybe?), he was in the indie rock band Tally Hall prior to this album, and after made a very zany “hip-hop” album that is even more eclectic than this album, though less artsy. I think I do get what you mean with the “electronic” comment on Black Rainbows - the scope of the sound, and the almost sensory focus, if that makes sense? (I’m not that familiar with electronic music tbh). Of course, there’s more electronic elements in later songs like Space Station, Time Machine, etc. The first section of this album is definitely my favourite. The Mind Electric and Dream Sweet get a lot of attention, and for good reason, but, Isle Unto Thyself and White Ball are my highlights. White Ball is just, so gorgeous. Your discussion about the vocal melody is interesting - I’m a singer myself, so maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoy this album so much! The reaction to (reversed!) Mind Electric did entertain me a lot - it certainly makes an impression, lol. The first half is the reversed version of the song with conversation played forwards over the top, and the second half is the forward version without that conversation, although it does have some distorted parts not present in the original (reversed and edited parts of the vocals, interjections with samples of classical music), so it isn’t quite a perfect mirror. Time Machine’s similarities melody- and harmony-wise to the beginning of the album are very apparent in some of its demos. It does feel a bit like a time machine in that sense - looking back to those first 4 tracks, but seen through a different lens, with those simpler electronic instruments. THEMES AND MOTIFS!! Listen to the synth in the background of the Mind electric 5:23 - that’s the “see how I circle you” melody from Labyrinth! You also didn’t seem to spot the Space Station (2:05) callback in Dream sweet (2:10). I know a lot of people interpret this album in a number of different ways; I agree about what you said about the “poetic feeling” of some of the lyrics - it gives a sense of ambiguity and poetic beauty without any obvious deeper meaning. Personally the interpretation I find most convincing is that, ignoring most all of the (many, many) bizarre nuances and ambiguities this album has, this album is about a relationship: introducing the general shape of the story through Isle Unto Thyself, then starting and developing (black rainbows, white ball), growing conflicted and ending (the “impossible bliss” of white ball, murders), and much of the second half of the album is reflecting on this relationship (Time Machine, Stranded Lullaby, Dream Sweet). It’s vague, only semi-chronological, and explores related (?) ideas intermittently throughout, (the mind electric is the most obviously out of place within the “relationship” narrative, but, if we take the view that Space Station Level 7 is an intermission of sorts between the two halves, as I’ve seen people do, then THe Mind Electric opening the second half, in which the relationship has ended, could reflect the mental and emotional turmoil that this left behind. Like you said, it’s an older idea, so it kind of makes sense that it’s a bit disjointed). There’s so many interpretations as to what this album means, and it’s so cryptic that I think it’s impossible to know for certain even if there is a larger cohesive theme to the lyrics (much like the musical content of this album, I guess, lol), but it’s definitely fun to dig in to. (And, yeah, like some other commenters have said, this album is not about the twin towers - Variations on a Cloud is. Would love to see a reaction to that, btw!)

[@CriticalReactions]

Listening to those moments that you tagged for the motifs I can hear them now. They're a bit subdued and remind me a little of the ways that Bach was known for hiding (for lack of better word) his themes within some of his writing. They're there but not immediately noticeable nor in the spotlight.

[@Loafoftime]

I love murders' time sigs. The verse goes one measure of 4/4, two measures of 2/4 and 3/4, one measure of 5/4.

[@vampiresquid2635]

The Mind Electric always makes me think of that last scene in Brazil where everythings going insane and hes about to be executed by the government. Its very emotional

[@subpng]

- Variations on a Cloud gives a lot of context if you listen to it first - The Song in Japanese is called "Space Station Level 7" - The Album was Released on 12/12/12 at 12:12:12 AM - Variations is labeled as the 0th track on the album, making the Album have 11 songs and not 12 - The Mind Electric Tells a Story of (Our Main Character in the Album) Simon going to court and being sentenced to the Electric Chair as a punishment for being blamed to Murder his own Girlfriend [Stella] (told in Murders) - Dream Sweet in Sea Major is told by Simon whilst dead, basically telling his story through song - Variations on a Cloud is told by two people arguing over religion ("Both of us see a cloud, or whatever we may believe") - Stella was Murdered in the hands of Simon in Murders These are facts *not* in chronological order.

[@FlareHeartz]

Oh man. What an album. I loved listening to this and seeing your reactions and seeing your unique perspective on production and critique. Thanks for putting this out there! Must have been a beast to edit…

[@CriticalReactions]

Just to clarify, there isn't any editing on this. It's all done in 1 take, (mostly) in real time. The only smash cuts are when I paused the recording to read the lyrics off screen. It's about as close to an in-person live reaction as I can make it.

[@FlareHeartz]

@@CriticalReactions wow. I see. I don’t think I’d have the patience do do all that without a lot of breaks lol

[@anavan7]

LOL! I love your facial expressions trying to discern the precious madness turned inside out right side up and then the rug pulled from under us on this masterpiece.

[@OneEpicProtogen]

4:09 hold up, he might be cooking "All mind TOWERS crumble down"

[@lemonboi5833]

1:56:08 The exact face I was making when my Alexa randomly played this song without permission (I was cleaning my room and I guess my Alexa turned on that mode that plays random songs determined by what I would usually listen to. I thought my Alexa was possessed 😁)

[@MinaWalker]

A reaction to one of my favorite albums?! Hooray! Keep up the good work!

[@Crieffish]

Emperor and Miracle Musical in the same week! All my worlds colliding in the best possible way. Love your stuff Brian - thank you.

[@dard1515]

For Whiteball, at the end with the repeating bliss line. I like to think of someone reminiscing on good times, wanting to relive that. They have their wish granted and they can now only experience the bliss of those times. Reliving your best memories is of course impossible, but such bliss to consider.

[@King_bug78]

I’ve listened to this album so many times and this is my first time noticing the little background audio in the first 3 minutes of mind electric aren’t reversed

[@i_look_just_like_buddy_holly]

this album is the biggest music mystery ever the eerie beggining which then goes into a happy song, after which a pretty questionable but somehwat happy song a beautiful song followed by a terrifying track just for another somewhat happy song in 2 languages not including the single word in english, another song that is every emotion but happiness and is literally almost the same but reversed with an old arcade sounding follow up, an upbeat song about a wish of having a time machine (missed potential to call back to previous songs in that one tbh), a sad goodbye and the grand finale with parts of other songs from the album and a blank ending leaving many questions unanswered the creator of the album is a problematic person whos backstory is unknown and might have mental problems from what is known about hin nowdays

[@jbboyz754]

This was such a nice video to watch while i was eating, i love this album so much thanks for covering it!

[@TootieFritty]

theres another bonus song called variations on a cloud and you should definitely listen to it! its interesting to say so

[@shootforthestars8]

Yes! It's the song where the 9/11 theme is shown in its truest form! Please listen to it!

[@makitstop]

hey, so before i get into my interpretation of this album, i wanted to say that i love videos like this, and i think yours is great, you go into such detail about your interpretation of each song, and especially when examining the lyrics, it feels you have something to say about each line, which is awesome anyway, the way i interpret the story is pretty simple, i feel like it's less abstract than yours, with less sci fi and more fantasy elements, i feel like it's a story about a man visiting hawaii, meeting an old flame and getting back together with them, that person dies and the man gets blamed for it, he then pleads insanity and is forced into a mental institute, which he quickly realizes was a huge mistake (The mind electric in this case, is more a representation of the types of "treatment" he has to go through, which to a sane person, is more like torture, and labyrinth is more about the loneliness of being isolated in a mental institute for months or years), He stays in the asylum for so long, that he ironically ends up going insane, he represses the fact that his old flame is dead, and develops the delusion that she's still alive (the main line i cite for this portion is "You'll have time enough to spend some time alone All alone I'm alone I'm alone" Basically, i see this line as him starting to remember that she is actually dead, then the next section is him repressing it again to avoid having to deal with the fact that he's lost the person he loved the most, i also think the line "Anchorless and unmoored set amiss Awake would only prove the fantasy made lucid sense Sail on, sail on" gives a bit more credence to this idea, deep down he knows he'll never find the one he loves, but he needs to sail on anyway) after this he is let out, and heads off to sea to find her, and after a long while of sailing, he encounters a siren and crashes his ship then, in the secret 12th song, "variations on a cloud" it's the two encountering eachother in hevan, and existing happily ever after

[@Justarandomguy-it4xx]

Miracle musical actually has the same band members (except 1) from the band tally hall, and their album good and evil is another thing you should listen to!

[@Unseeb]

my fav theory about this is from a video made by fort colinia productions, "exposing the mystery of hawaii pt 2"

[@pridepotato314]

27:30 It also is really similar to Sexy Sadie by The Beatles, and Tally Hall was known to take inspo from them.

[@chadspamton2159]

As someone who has heard dream sweet in sea major, but never heard introduction to the snow I was tripping

[@youradoptiveinternetdad]

Hawaii: Part II is the most beautiful and deep and emotional album I've ever heard. Best thing to come out of Tally Hall's hiatus.

[@jusdincassey]

I’m never gonna see the number 12 the same again

[@pinkthom4871]

Oh man, your interpretation of Stranded Lullaby is similar to its earliest version.

[@ericsuen5001]

Twin towers is a single called Variations on a cloud. Would also be interested in a reaction to Joe Hawley Joe Hawley album

[@KunzLevi]

As someone else commented, it would be epic if you covered chonny jash :) cccc and the power hours are all good especially the "that handsome devil power hour"

[@ccfffvbbbbbffg1774]

Welcome to a rabbit hole lol. You've come in at one of the deeper parts, but there's so much stuff here: There's Miracle Musical, the project with 1 single and this mysterious ahh album, Tally Hall, a popular indie band that did just about every style in their own fashion, Rob Cantor's solo stuff, most well known for the song Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf, Cojum Dip, which is basically Tally Hall with metal and heavy rock elements, Joe Hawley's solo stuff, which is wacky hip hop lol, A purely fan-made but still notable, project. Chonny's Charming Chaos Compendium Vol. 1 is an album of fanmade cover/remix/parody things with his own style of instrumentation, often with changed lyrics, of various songs from the Tally Hall sphere, with its own storyline about Chonny's mental health. No obligation for you to check out any of this, of course, I just wanted to talk about how weirdly deep it goes.

[@SlickPlaysFNaF]

I love it when random people who have no idea who Joe or what any of his work is about review his stuff. I find it cool.

[@jackdreamer2000]

time machine is described to be the main protagonist escap8the insane asylum, on his way out, he wanted to go back in time time to stop all of this from happening, then he used a time machine, but at the end he realizes that he is just swimming in the sea, drowning, which takes us to snowball, here he'd just describe the feeling of drowning, the important part of this album is the outro, dream sweet sea major, here he describes his transmission to the after life, the protagonist sees the angel as his lover, and only she can make it right, afterwards he thinks he is going to heaven, but the angel knows what he did, they angel sais he will be punished for his sins, which lead him to hell, at the end of the song, he gives us his farewell let this know to be my point of view, and that this almbum has many meanings, but not a single one of them is the right one

[@monoduck]

Okay so I'm gonna say what i think the story is about because i like hearing everyone's interpretations (tell me what you think it is in the replies if you want and i can explain some stuff i wrote :]) So we got 2 main characters the man (let's call him simon) and the woman (I'm calling her stella) now simon and stella went to Hawaii, for a romantic vacation/wedding/date/other and rekindle their love. Isle to thyself is them first getting to hawaii and trying to get back to being close. Black rainbows is Stella's thoughts on the matter and how happy she is about them finally being close again. White ball is a party of wedding or whatever and stella is super happy. But simon... he's kinda having a mental breakdown. Dude has been dealing with what happens after death, the meaning of life, and what heaven is. I belive he possibly has a personality disorder or some kind of mental illness that causes what happens next. During white ball simon is struggling with it (let's call it apollo, even if it's just Simon's mind) and his own thoughts. apollo though the only thing getting in the way of Simon's enlightenment was stella, and that she needed to be gone. Simon, on the other hand, loves his wife/gf/?? and sorta wants her to live Simon is sort of on the fence about it because it's literally murder, but he eventually comes around and does the crime in murders. Sadly, this helped about as much as you'd think it would, and he ends up getting caught (aka "all for nothing at all") He pleads insanity because he sort of is, though he mostly wants to get off free, but that does not work out all to well. Simon gets sent to electroshock therapy in almost complete isolation in the mind electric, only kept company by a person giving it to him (that as it turns out, has a god complex) he eventually actually goes completely crazy, and makes a labyrinth in his mind that he's trapped in. Simon does die, in space level 7 or whatever it's called, he thinks of what people will be like in heaven. Turns out, the afterlife kinda super super sucks. He thinks about how much better it was back then, and he super misses stella (time machine and stranded lullaby). The final song is him going into the afterlife, at first he thinks he's going to heaven, but it turns out murder is super bad, and he goes to hell (introduction to snow is sort of like a "hey, this is a intro to a tragedy. Don't be like simon!")

[@EliasPluto]

Awh yeah can’t wait for this reaction, this is probably my favourite album ever

[@thevalleyofeverything3175]

I always thought mind electric was about the guy pleading insanity even though he is sane and the shock therapy he goes through makes him insane

[@JuliuswrldTV]

An interesting day to watch this video

[@CriticalReactions]

Every day is an interesting day when you do a deep dive into Miracle Musical :)

[@Categgs-mf6vs]

Album is 42 mins long and the vid is 3 hrs long, that's how you know it's gonna be good

[@shradibop]

completely unrelated, but i would love a reaction/analysis from you of "In case I make it," it's another Will Wood album. i think you'd get a lot from it

[@CryserisGmd]

you should totally do a video on the album "self-ish"

[@vansoil1949]

yes

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

You forgot to say by Will Wood and the Tape Worms

[@dysphanic_redshift]

"Labyrinth reminds me of video game music" chat does he know abt the labyrinth minigame

[@dysphanic_redshift]

fun fact i commented this before i watched him note that lmao

[@ColdPizzaGD]

Steven Universe came out roughly a year after Hawaii Part 2. 21:11

[@PANGOLIN1400]

in the black rainbow in Hawaiian, they list all the colors of the rainbow, but in the end they call it black a rainbow is a spectrum of colors and when it is mixed, white is obtained, but black is a complete absence of color

[@stitchgor3]

1:24:32 there’s a miracle musical game!

[@tuney7319]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but the main guy behind miracle musical suffers from mental illness (this is all hearsay but it could be schizophrenia) so i always interpreted the mind electric to be a representation and/or a cry for help in regards to mental illness.

[@DiamondPastry]

please listen to more tally hall related stuff its so fun

[@tirone7520]

Steven Universe songs are all made by the creator of the show, Rebecca Sugar. They also made music for Adventure Time.

[@OfficialNIKMIK]

Instead of Tally Hall, even though there are a lot of good songs please check out "Joe Hawley Joe Hawley" the self titled Album i think it has some of the best material from Joe Hawley who is in my opinion the Brian Wilson of their earlier Tally Hall band

[@TheWampaKing]

Hoping for Tally Hall next

[@jackbarnhart7394]

All the phrases have meaning, I'm only now getting into it but I think, right now, that it is a "why are we here" existentialist album. I think the simon plotline is a metaphor for how we all got here! The mind electric is our minds, spiritually are compressed into physical axons and dendrites. Labyrinth is about our time here on earth! everything else is about where we were before! hence the massive musical disconnect! Space station 7 is earth not heaven!

[@userk9]

54:16 You bring up the difference between transparency and translucency, and then still use the wrong one lmao Transparent is see-through Translucent is semi-transparent

[@Nickikisu]

The Mind Electrics firts half is the unedited second half reversed

[@maliciouslyContent]

joe absolutely can rap, he hails bohemian rap city, attack represent

[@PhantomLeaf]

Lovely

[@penntopaper9305]

i think the reason you had a hard time understanding the progression is honestly less your fault and more just because. yeah each song on its own is about its own separate thing. however, despite almost all of them seeming to be about relationships, its almost sort of a metaphor *beyond* a metaphor if that makes sense. though they can be interpreted as being "about a relationship" a lot of them when put in the context of the other songs on the album arent about a relationship at all. hell, even labyrinth whose lyrics are at face value 100% about a relationship, is actually often interpreted to be about an inability to let go and the feeling of being lost in your own head when you take the surrounding songs into consideration

[@TheAutisticFrog]

17:44 thats good

[@satella88]

DIDN'T EXPECT MIRACLE MUSICAL AGAIN OH MYYYYU

[@JimmyDThing]

I don't know who said it's a 9/11 thing, but it really isn't. Joe Hawley had a mental breakdown, likely struggles with schizzofrenia, and these things messed up a lot of his life and a very important romantic relationship in his life. This album is the story of that and the aftermath, but not directly. Far more accessible to everyone rather than just being about that specific experience. The Mind Electric is almost certainly an expression of what schizzofrenia feels like, including that whole idea that you did things you didn't really do.

[@bunjection]

Possibly but we can't be for sure. Joe has never confirmed his mental illness and I am more keen to believe that this album simply isn't a concept album

[@JimmyDThing]

@@bunjection how in the world could this album NOT be a concept album? Lol

[@bunjection]

@@JimmyDThing nothing in the album is coherent, you can poke holes in every interpretation

[@JimmyDThing]

@@bunjection that's a sign of great art dude. It's not supposed to be one specific thing to everyone. What makes it great is if many people get something out of it despite their different perspectives.

[@bunjection]

@@JimmyDThing 100% agreed on the great part but I think it proves how the album isn't a concept album if anything

[@fuji5400]

ahh yess, this album

[@LilyArgyle]

''now i have to go listen to that band'' see you on the other side

[@grant2487]

Whoa, didn't expect this at all. Also about the name, Japanese has a lot of loan words including miracle and musical and ミラクル and ミュージカル are how those are written. It's Japanese in the same way that that a band named "Karaoke Samurai" written with English characters would be English.

[@wilbraley1660]

yep! japanese often uses english loanwords so ミラクルミュージカル is japanese but based on the english words

[@penntopaper9305]

@@wilbraley1660 fun fact, sometimes we loan those words back. the word "ramune" (the soda) is actually the english word "lemonade" which was loaned into japanese, then had the new pronunciation loaned back to english as a new word, "ramune."

[@wilbraley1660]

@@penntopaper9305 something similar happened with gyaru too! A little while back, a trend started on TikTok where ppl tried multiple different makeup styles, and many of them were japanese. One of them was the Gyaru style, which was usually just called that. But “gyaru” is actually a style based on american (specifically caifornian, if I’m remembering right) girls, or “gals”. So gals -> ギャル (gyaru) -> gyaru still, but separated from the original “gal”

[@penntopaper9305]

@@wilbraley1660 oh yeah i know gyaru got popular on tiktok cause i was there LOLLL i tried to do it foe a little while

[@YourPalNko]

Japanese speaker here who is still studying the language but grew up in Japan. I second all of this! The word ‘miracle’ in Japanese is often 奇跡 (kiseki) or 驚異 (kyoui). Still, the one I hear the most used for it is 不思議 (fushigi), which is used to describe something wonderous. ミラクル (the loan word for a miracle the band uses) does occasionally appear in day-to-day Japanese.. ミュージカル (musical) is actually the correct word in Japanese for musical. Most of the time, I’m hesitant when I see words used like this because often I feel it’s someone who doesn’t speak Japanese writing something in Japanese phonetically to make it “cool” or “aesthetic,” but it always makes me happy when I see proper Japanese being used. This is a good/clever use that blends the two. :) The funny thing is when I looked up the band just now, I found a blog post from Japan, made by id:redpython on the website hatenablog (a blog hosting service in Japan) redpython’s opening statement in Japanese (translated by me) reads: “Miracle Musical is a project led by Joe Hawley, vocalist of Tally Hall, which I have previously introduced. If you are wondering, the project’s official name is “Miracle Musical” in Katakana instead of alphabetical characters.” They then link the band’s official site and comment on how “surreal” it is to see it. redpython writes notes on a few songs: Dream Sweet in Sea Major, The Mind Electric, Labyrinth, Stranded Lullaby, Murders, and 宇宙ステーションのレベル7. The last one was amusing because, during my first listen to the album, I remember being surprised there was a song in Japanese. redpython writes: “This song includes Japanese lyrics. It’s in Japanese, but I don’t know what it means. LOL.” Edit (54 mins in): Given all the comparisons to Pink Floyd, I wanted to add a little fun fact. The previously mentioned Japanese word for ‘miracle’, 驚異 (kyoui), is actually what Pink Floyd’s 1995 concert film Pulse is called in Japan. So, that’s interesting.

[@generic840]

1:51:20 something to note is that the narration changes from third to first person "He was in the forest" to "i was in the forest" and in the tone of the song i interpret it as the narator recognising his involment and regreting it (before refering himself as a disconected expectator)

[@aloeveil]

thats actually an amazing idea

[@pebblbead9970]

Thats an epic idea

[@violetbackedstarling]

also in the original demo of the song its first person throughout

[@vertonimal]

I always interpreted it as a third party. Either an ex of the girl or a random killer. This particular song I interpreted as a rapid switching of perspective between the main male singer and the killer. That "the fountain of infinite mirror" stands for, the perfect opportunity. For the main character it's the perfect opportunity to propose to the female character. And for the killer it's the perfect opportunity to kill the main character. (Based off the fact that I think the killer is an ex and got jealous knowing the main character would propose). The killer cuts up the base of a dead standing tree and gives it a push at "the perfect opportunity" which is also the same moment the main character gets on his knee facing away from the tree. The girl notices first and pushes the main character out of the way and gets killed in his place. Actually I started to fall in love with this album because I started seeing this story. Every time I listened, each song had some new detail, some vivid imagery, some new story thread to weave together the melancholic story of a boy and a girl's awkward love blooming into a beautiful relationship. All before tragedy strikes and the boy becomes convicted and convinced of his guilt. Put through the horrors of the psychiatric ward in the 1970's. From the electro therapy to the blank white padded rooms. All to be released years later when evidence comes up to reveal the real killer. And during his descent into madness he begins to see the soul of the woman, who cries for him, urging him to live. Before he sets sail to sea, jumping off the boat and drowning. And after his death his soul reunites with the woman, finally seeing past the fuzzy white that obscured her, finally remembering her. And their one last dance beneath the waves, their last stroll on the beach, before they both walk out into the bright light of the heavens together. Honestly that's just a very bare bones rundown of the story I found. In my mind there is so much more. If I could draw I would have an entire storyboard, an animatic flowing from one song to the next creating an entire movie. The whole album is one big story. There is no break between them. They aren't scattered across a timeline. The whole story is there in chronological order.

[@generic840]

@@vertonimal thats pretty fuckin cool but personally i like it more on the side of "brain fuckery, both the grandeour and dread of human thinking" But dunno been a while last time i even though of hawaii ii was jokingly comparing it to "Barranca Abajo" by Cuarteto de Nos, another "all songs are connected" deal albeit far sillier, being about a man's downfall in life as he wishes to grow old and die, then falls into both the deppressing dread of being too old to move, alone yet not senile, to then beg death to not take him despite everything he said before about wishing his life to end. It is also an album with a song about the uruguayan economic crisis of the 90's

[@goonishereva]

The Mind Electric is a direct continuation of Murders, with the protagonist being found guilty of the murder of the girl he went to the woods with (the same girl in White Ball), as a result of his mental delusions. The beginning of the song is the protagonist (who the fandom has dubbed Simon Minor because of the demo track Inside The Mind Of Simon, and the other voice referring to him as ‘Resident Minor’) standing before a judge. The judge asks for Simon’s plea, and either he or his attorney suggests he plead insanity, hoping to get a lighter sentence. The judge ‘condemns him to the infirmary’ meaning he’s checked into a mental ward to receive treatment. The various jumping around of ideas and themes is intentional to convey how incoherent his cognitive functions are as he begins treatment. The ‘All mine towers crumble’ line is Simon’s initial devastation towards this sentence. The intro to the song describes the brain like a computer. A system of lights that send connections back and forth. And this is further expanded on in ‘Scattering sparks of thought energy’. ‘Nuns commence incanting as the lightning strikes mine temples’ is the actual Electromagnetic Shock Therapy taking place. While it’s an effective treatment in most cases, here it only drives him further and further into insanity, ‘Wholly scorching out my sovereignty’ being a representation of his mind being ripped away from him

[@Prueoakes]

A lot of people also interpret this the same but instead of electro therapy, it’s the electric chair,

[@FirstSynapse]

This is a good explanation, but just a correction: ectromagnetic therapy is not the same as electroconvulsive therapy (electroshock therapy). A modern version of this is also used successfully nowadays, but the song most likely refers to the outdated version from mid 1900s, which actually produced seizures as a way to treat various conditions, and overall was a very aggressive approach.

[@madmax.mp3]

@@Prueoakes the only way this explanation makes sense is if he survived the electric chair, as the outro literally states that he "made it through the night," he survived

[@ilikeindigo]

the disappointment on this mans face listening to TME while im bopping my head is something, its something ngl

[@stitchgor3]

💔

[@stitchgor3]

I love tme sm

[@lancekloidt4544]

To be fair I also hated The Mind Electric back when spotify first started recommending the song to me over and over again. And then one time at like 4am I was half asleep and the see how the serfs work the ground bit started and I woke up and was wondering what this great song is only to discover that it was TME and after a week I was hooked on the entire album

[@SKYPORF]

Holy shit is that you

[@ilikeindigo]

@@SKYPORF holy shit is that you

[@Alejandro-Perez]

A 3 hour reaction and analysis of one of my favorite albums??? Am I dreaming? Am I in KZbin heaven?

[@okii_i_guess]

HEAVEN??? SPACE STATION LEVEL 7????

[@Veehead1]

Heaven? The light thats higher than the sun and is invisible to some until its time?

[@Chris_winthers]

​​@@Veehead1too bad he'll be atoning at last eternal through the past above a blinding star

[@therealduckfr]

4 words welcome to tally hall

[@Veehead1]

@@therealduckfr We’re in the mini mall 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@PJ55759]

I believe only Variations on a Cloud is about the Twin Towers, this album is a different story. I don’t know for certain. Although this album is very rich in history, a number of these songs were written for Tally Hall but were cut for reasons and used here!

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

Joe himself has said this album is from the perspective of one of the towers, so he definitely considers it a WTC musical. It was supposed to release on 9/11 of 2012 but wasn't ready in time, hence releasing VOAC ahead of it instead. He gave an example of the melting obelisks being the twin towers

[@PJ55759]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903 he also has said it doesn’t have a story at all, and then later said it does have an entirely different story, so really it’s just up to personal interpretation at this point.

[@c0dejj853]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903 Joe is a little... crazy... we know this. I don't think his word is useful anymore.

[@goonishereva]

@@amazingpurplegirl0903I’m almost certain he said that as some kind of joke or method of throwing people off. VOAC is the only one that explanation is plausible for

[@JimmyDThing]

​@@amazingpurplegirl0903 I don't really believe this lol. When did he say this.

[@LifetimeDisaster]

It's really just how you'd write Miracle Musical using the Japanese writing system, just how we'd write words like "emoji" or "tsunami"

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

Now that we have someone seeing Hawaii: Part II from a musical perspective, we *NEED* a lore perspective. That's what I've been working on for the 12th anniversary of Hawaii: Part II

[@CriticalReactions]

When you finish that be sure to tag me somehow....or email me or something. I'd 100% watch and promote that video.

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

@@CriticalReactions I'm planning to finish it by December but I'll let you know

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

Luxyhugs has been doing their interpretation of the lore, just done Space Station Level 7

[@rasati]

​@@Katelyn.shitposts id like to add my theory (which i havent seen discussed when talking about the lore), simon killed her, he was the one that did it, hes guilty, the song murders starts off with "he was in the forest looking to see the trees but none were there he found a girl" which is simon distancing himself from the murderer but after everything happens at the end of the song he says "i was in the forest looking to see the trees but none were there" which i see as him admitting to the crime, a part of the song confirms theres no other person that could have killed her "deeper in they crept oblivious of the bears and darker terrors or none were there", the emotional hit part of the song goes "all, for nothing at all" which from the perspective of a murderer that regrets his crimes makes sense but from the perspective of a guy seeing someone get killed by someone else... doesnt later on during the mind electric simon pleads to insanity which most innocent people dont do, he admits to it and says its a mistake several times "my brain has claimed its glory over me" "i was just a boy you see i plead of thee have sympathy for me" now why would he kill her is the big question, one i dont neccessarily have a concrete answer to, however, maybe he was right in pleading insanity, the different personified voices in the mind electric could be schizophrenia induced hallucinations which told him hed have to kill her to reach something, that something being the "fountain of infinite mirror" whatever that is while i dont expect you to treat my theory as fact or something it would be nice to at least mention it also side note, the strong bass boosted part before the emotional part in murders reminds me of stabbing a person in a steady rhythm while the long instrumental part of tme after "i order you to cower and præy" sounds like frantic cpr (possibly a futile attempt at bringing someone back after realizing you just killed them?) anyways good luck on your project

[@Katelyn.shitposts]

@@rasati While he might have, we won't really know. But I see him talking about the trees and flowers in the garden as a metaphor for Stella's life and there being none meaning that she was dead. But in Isle Unto Thyself, Black Rainbows, and White Ball, we learn Stella and Simon love each other very much. So if he did kill Stella, he didn't mean to. Now the fountain of infinite mirror means he was reflecting on himself, seeing where it all went wrong. Sometimes it's hard to reflect on yourself, this needing infinite mirrors.

[@bobblehead7002]

I looooooove the Mind Electric. It’s such a cool track I have the album on vinyl and what’s cool is the reverse plays last on Side A and the forward plays on Side B, after you flip the disc 😍 update: not sure why my comment keeps disappearing but I got my copy off a seller on Discogs. It's like eBay but for music and records. Mine was a reprint on brown from 2021 I think

[@littIegoober]

where did you get hawaii part II vinyl?

[@bobblehead7002]

@@littIegoober found a seller on Discogs. It’s like eBay, but just for physical music media

[@bobblehead7002]

@@littIegoober i personally got mine off of Discogs. Found someone selling on there The original vinyl was like 2016 or 2018, but in 2020 and 2023 they did repressing. The one I have is the repress that comes in brown

[@ImNotFine44]

I hate it. Its really really good but it hits a bit to close to home

[@callsai]

@@littIegoober vinylluxe and the hp:ii website sold a limited version of it for a bit some time back

[@hyperlife6189]

one thing i dont think you mentioned about the lyrics for 'Murders' is that in the first verse it's "*he* was in the forest", while in the last one it's "*I* was in the forest", which makes me feel like the narrator wanted to distance himself from the character in the song or something

[@benmunn7481]

I interpret that the final line using "i" takes the ambiguous story about a murder and applies it to the narrator which is essentially an admission of guilt from the narrator in heaven.

[@timeisntrealtheuniverseisalie]

Live, Love, Miracle Musical🖤🌈🐋✨

[@Sam_Wich]

Live, love, both of us see a cloud 🛩️🏢🏢☁️

[@KunzLevi]

Live, Love, do you see banana man 🍌🟥👯‍♂️🦞

[@spxcedustt]

Live, Love, Lettucing 🥬☀️👍

[@forivacarry]

AMENNNN!!!!

[@alexwallace6904]

Live, Love, Mucka Blucka 🐔🐔🐔🐔

[@Snow_Sailor]

35:31 I wanna point out here that Stranded Lullaby is based off a song Joe wrote for his college girlfriend before their relationship ended. Just found that interesting due to the origin of Stranded Lullaby. Edit: If you want to know the song, I think you can find it as Our Lullabye or Stranded Lullaby (demo).

[@Chris_winthers]

That girlfriend later broke up with him and got a restraining order due to his schizophrenia, and he went on to use the song for an album about a man with schizophrenia murdering his girlfriend

[@sheedays]

wow i’m so excited, this is one of my favorite albums. i liked your dream sweet video. also i haven’t gotten very far into the video yet, but joe has sampled kirby music in other work so you’re onto something. also: in the book “secrets and mysteries of hawaii”, it is said that to understand the stella octangula is to understand the secrets of the universe

[@SeptemberStranger28]

I can feel the anguish in The Mind Electric. It feels like the song itself has lost its sanity, just like our protagonist.

[@galawhitelol]

I've been looking for a reaction and analysis of the whole album, not only The Mind Electric or Dream Sweet in Sea Major. I'm happy to find this video because it's interesting to see the interpretations of everyone. About the Motifs, it's actually interesting because it's only after you replay the whole album a few times that you can find them, but I thought to mention a few of the mayor ones I believe you can find: • The Goddess/The Light/The Star/Stella Octangula: A "Blinding light" who is "blinded by itself", that promises a "Paradise" and guides the main character and apparently the girl. It seems that they talk of a figure or entity which can be taken Literally or Metaphorically, being a literal goddess that gives the main character immortality but this affects his mind and makes the duality, or it's a metaphor on how he is already not sound of mind so his world is warped around his way of thinking and problems. • The Duality/The Fountain of Infinite Mirrors/The Distortion: A supposed duality of the mind, two sides of a coin that fight for control(?). This might be represented by the progressive change on the level of distortion and digitalization, as he falls into the control of he's worst side (This is why Murders starts with the distortion and the sense of confusion, being he's mind playing tricks on him which leads to him not being in control of he's mind and killing the girl, followed by The Mind Electric, which is the trial to judge him for his actions, and that can also be taken literally or metaphorically. And the rest of the songs). Anyways he slowly has to get to terms with his mind/duality so he can finally be released. • Love/The Lovers: It seems to be the main focus of the story, this guy finds a girl in Hawaii, they fell in love and they seemed to be in a perfect relationship. But then the insanity/duality starts, and out of his mind he ends up killing the love of his life (Murders being the representation of him being lost and confused, as in the illogical references, and the sudden realization at the end that his journey and everything was for nothing because he killed her). And now her spirit follows him and he's looking for a way to change everything and find her. But it seems that doesn't stop him from getting into new relationships. •The Immortality/The Space Station Level 7: This can refer to a literal immortality given to our protagonist, which after time makes him doubt and creates the duality, and after he kills the girl he is left to ponder on his actions and to come to terms with his losses and the neverending time he has, and that is what finally frees him to elevate. But you can also argue that his state of mind makes time feel like an eternity and at the end of his time he finally comes to terms with reality and dies. Now, the Space Station seems like a sci-fi interpretation of the afterlife, a place where you go after death, and Level 7 probably represents Heaven, the last stop, and being different levels to advance before one can finally rest (Also 7 is not only a lucky number, but also sometimes related with divinity in a way). The song is the 6th because it's telling of what happened to the girl after Murders (That being she died) and is where the protagonist wants to go so he can apologize and be happy again with her. • The Full Circle: The Story starts with the man at the "edge of the universe" and also the end of time "humming a tune" (Again, Literally or metaphorically) and it ends again with this same situation, so it could even be the same moment, maybe it's the man telling it's tale after everything ended and after he repented for his actions in the past. And maybe that's why many motifs of the rest of the album are found on the last song, being a last goodbye to the universe and the story it entails.

[@galawhitelol]

There are also the leitmotifs that are found in the album, like The Mind Electric and Murders having little ones that represent the evolution of his state of mind, or the direct parallels between Introduction to The Snow and Dream Sweet in Sea Major like going back to the present after hearing a story. It seems there are a lot of ways to take that information and make it into a narrative, but I can't say which one is better. I love the theories and speculations, like the Mind Electric being a representation of someone who survived execution by the electric chair, or the Whale being Joe Holly inserting himself as the entity that guides spirits to heaven.

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks for all of this information regarding motifs and meanings. It reminds me of watching a good film where the details can only reveal themselves on subsequent listens.

[@galawhitelol]

​​@@CriticalReactions Your welcome, I'm happy to hear that you find them interesting. It's indeed a lot like that and that's why I love Hawaii: Part II (And most of the similar works) I haven't had time to dive into the channel yet, but I would recommend the Concept Album "Everywhere At The End of Time" if you haven't heard it already, the narrative it's just *chef's kisses* incredible. If you already have a video up for it, then I know what to watch next

[@eggshellfan406]

A lot of what I would have said has been said by everyone else but a couple things I haven’t seen anyone mention is that “the whale” in Dream Sweet is referring to Joe who goes by whalejoey (anagram of Joe Hawley) on some social media and also that Dream Sweet has the same hum from Stranded Lullaby in the transitions between sections, along with the return of the line “and lo the hues arrange to show its perfectly clear” from Black Rainbows

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

And the whale features in the Isle Unto Thyself music video

[@thewoodpeckers655]

I’m 21:28 in and already a lot of connections and observations you made were ones I think I’ve always felt, but never had the words to describe, and as a hardcore Miracle Musical fan, I’m seeing you uncovering a lot of lore implications that took me months to figure out! For example that dark implication you get from Isle Unto Thyself is likely that last bass note because how I see it, it makes this whole bright and hopeful song end in an even darker tone than it started and was all for nothing.

[@lucc1800]

no way a miracle musical reaction!!! I love this album! if you have the time you should definitely react to more tally hall related songs, like Tally Hall's album Marvins Marvelous Mechanical Museum or Good and Evil, or Joe's strange solo project Joe Hawley Joe Hawley (its weird but I love it lmaoo) I agree with what you said that the sound is hard to place in time, it really does give you that feeling and yeah Joe samples a lot of video games, he does that in jhjh a lot, and in Hymn for a Scarecrow (the whistle is from Zelda) a song from Good and Evil

[@WD_RatLad]

you should listen to Joe Hawley Joe Hawley :D

[@owalterluan]

I want more William Wood 😭 This miracle musical album is a very curious one

[@Idkausernamelol69]

With or without tapeworms?

[@GUNUFofficial]

Fun fact: Mind electric and labyrinth where originally connected in demo 4, also kinda wish we got demo 4's horrifying agonistic scream, also mind electric was originally a tally hall song meant for the album "marvins mechanical museum" originally named "inside the mind of simon"

[@Gullbone]

The most popular theory as to what the album is about is that it’s about a man named Simon who sails to Hawaii on some kind of vacation and meets the girl of his dreams only to murder her (seemingly due to the voices he hears in his head) and then proceeds to go onto trial and is sentenced Roy eh electrical chair throughout the mind electric and then him reflecting on his life in lullaby and Time Machine before living the last seven minutes of his life with this life flashing before his eyes before dying. (P.S another popular interpretation is the same but Simon was framed which in my opinion is a very silly interpretation given the context from the first few songs)

[@penntopaper9305]

1:50:09 I believe these lines youre talking about are actually, in a literal sense talking about how the twilight, which is between night and day, makes night and day realize that *eachother* are how they came to be. as in creating one another. at least thats how it sounds to me