The Caretaker - Everywhere At The End Of Time - Stage 4 (FULL ALBUM)

Everywhere at the end of time - Stage 4
thecaretaker.bandcamp.com/alb...
'STAGE 4' is available now on limited edition double-vinyl with three panel artwork by Ivan Seal.
boomkat.com/products/everywhe...
00:00:00 - G1 - Stage 4 Post Awareness Confusions
00:22:09 - H1 - Stage 4 Post Awareness Confusions
00:44:02 - I1 - Stage 4 Temporary Bliss State
01:05:03 - J1 - Stage 4 Post Awareness Confusions
Stage 4
Post-Awareness Stage 4 is where serenity and the ability to recall singular memories gives way to confusions and horror. It's the beginning of an eventual process where all memories begin to become more fluid through entanglements, repetition and rupture.
Artwork by Ivan Seal
carlfreedman.com/artists/ivan-...

[@thomdotexe]

By time I got halfway through this one I had to take a break, I decided to watch an SNL skit and clicked on the first one I saw. It was a sketch making fun of old people who forget things, didn't laugh once. Think i'm going to bed now.

[@TunaminV1]

tomdotexe those bastards. Edit: well this sorta blew up. Honestly, even though I hold no grudge with SNL, that skit mentioned in the comment above me really wasn’t cash money(cool) at all.

[@Andrewbud21]

How do you save a comment on youtube?? XD

[@b0ltun0]

what funny cat videos or memes instead man

[@literallygaston2489]

Derp de Derp Why not both dude? Like, if there’s something to be offended about it should be this.

[@trurlCXC]

Thank you, you wrote this - I planned to listen to this part tonight, but now decided to postpone it until tomorrow.

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

I let my brother who worked at a nursing home listen to all 6 parts. He told me it didn’t effect nor scare him at all. I talked to him for while about this album and stage 3 in particular. He told me all of the people he saw that had dementia were pretty peaceful people. Think about it, the things that trouble us in our life typically connect to our past. Those who have Alzheimer’s or dementia technically don’t have a past. They live each day like it’s a new experience and aren’t troubled by their pasts. However, there was one man in particular that especially disturbed my brother. His wife died right before his dementia really took off. Because of this, every day he would relive the day his wife died, and would wake up crying. After I talked to him about this he let one of his friends who’s a therapist and works with dementia patients every day listen to this. She said this whole album series is very accurate to what goes through the minds of those with dementia. Anyway, that’s the end of my rambling.

[@JackSmith-bf8ll]

Thank you for sharing.

[@BenInGame]

Thats really sad about the man who relived the day. But thanks for sharing

[@grummpyoldboy]

All the songs had no effect on me

[@despaceto1152]

@@grummpyoldboy aren't u a badass

[@cheekybananaboy3361]

@@grummpyoldboy i mean from the way you talk about it its as if you went into this album as a challenge and said "im not gonna let this effect me or scare me" as if its some cheap horror movie. so no wonder it didnt.

[@BlastoffDiaz]

This is where the fun ends

[@four-en-tee]

The fun ended after part 1, its just that the somewhat coherent music ended after part 3.

[@orquideaarteaga2301]

It's just starting

[@comradeleah6924]

the fun never began

[@UoirLocer]

the fun never began

[@therock1160]

the fun never began

[@flamingoenthusiast2054]

Some of this sounds like you're headphones are breaking and you're fidgeting with the cord to make it work

[@TriOdy]

This could really be an analogy of whats going on in someones brain during dementia; their 'wires', or neurons are all messed up, but at certain, perfect instances, everything comes together and you get clear thoughts again, just like broken earbuds, but just for a split second. It goes back to its broken state, and yet they keep trying to adjust the cord, hoping for the quality of sound to come back.

[@evanliu1939]

reminds me of smashing old TV when it loses connection, but this time you cannot figure out when the TV is normal or not. so you would just keep smashing and smashing and smashing, until you finally give up.

[@holycrapsnacks7915]

trying to fix the unfixable

[@kartblaster9987]

i am currently in this comment and i dont like it edit: not anymore

[@mindeater9807]

your*

[@malfunctionnnn]

the fact that you can buy this on vinyl and play it on a record player is the weirdest thing

[@bonkboi5820]

Purposely scratch it up so it sounds like an even bigger clusterfuck of confusion.

[@themaidenlesswretch7819]

@@bonkboi5820 the chaos is already perfectly orchestrated and the discord is precariously balanced. Do not taller with the perfect imperfections

[@tensixtyoclock]

@@bonkboi5820 stage 5 on drugs

[@bonkboi5820]

@@tensixtyoclock I’ve never gotten high before, (and I don’t intend to.) but I can imagine how much of a nightmare that would be.

[@RubyPiec]

@@tensixtyoclock that reminds me... *SCRATCH UP STAGE 5. FUCK IT*

[@royps6687]

the worst part is that you can still somewhat recognize the song, like at 15:53 i can kinda hear hear "What does it matter how my heart breaks" but its still messed up.

[@nikolajmadsen1002]

Is that song from stage 1?

[@Flipflipp]

Nikolaj Madsen No, Stage 2

[@xPowerKittyx]

@@Flipflipp what does it matter how my heart breaks is just a slowed down burning memory from stage 1 so technically its correct

[@Flipflipp]

@@xPowerKittyx It’s just a burning memory is from Al Bowlly's version of Heartaches, and What does it matter how my heart breaks is from Seger Ellis' version

[@Cloud_Strife1997]

@@Flipflipp it’s still heartaches though

[@splorgbaby]

If I was dropped into "Temporary Bliss State" without listening my way there, I'm sure it would sound like hell... But it feels like an oasis after making it through the first 40 minutes.

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

I know right, during my first listen I started thinking, “this sounds kind of nice and calm, I wonder why?” Then I checked and it said it was playing “Temporary Bliss State” instead of “Post Awareness Confusions” I love how gradual the decline into this part of the album is, you don’t even realize it’s happening

[@SpeedXaaa]

@@Thorin-MattfromGO Especially on part 6, the haunting melody that eventually plays is beautiful because it's such a nice melodic contrast from the droning that you've been conditioned to. Out of context, it would be more eerie than beautiful

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

@@SpeedXaaa are you talking about the death organs before the choir part at the end?

[@crap4brains652]

@Gianna Hughes okay but what about stage 5

[@aepokkvulpex]

oh lord i'm on the tail end of the first song, I'm very intrigued to get to this oasis now because of your comment

[@lizzyk.3306]

This is heartbreaking. Can’t believe there are two more stages after this.

[@ch3rryc0la79]

Huh?

[@TheJedo]

@@ch3rryc0la79 huh?

[@Pyrashusband]

@@TheJedo huh?

[@zedianzediessi]

@@Pyrashusband huh?

[@winypacifist5034]

@@zedianzediessi huh?

[@blackraptormoses6838]

You can barely remember that anything is wrong. You are losing your ability to coherently process thoughts. You forget the meaning of your own thoughts as soon as they're over. You are still here unfortunately.

[@helios8459]

peeps hi your awareness of yourself has faded away. your brain has decayed to prevent forethought or thinking back. you are stuck in the immediate present, unable to anchor yourself to anything of substance. flying at terminal velocity through time with no brakes

[@theeoddments960]

@peeps hi why are you here then?

[@1dweeb]

@peeps hi they dont get it

[@PartyRockerOG]

I saw this thing where they interviewed dementia patients and one of them said that he always had a feeling he lost something like his car keys or something which he can’t use because he’s in a nursing home

[@flixtocicgaming3576]

@@helios8459 terminal velocity?

[@hollowchatter7429]

Quite the sudden jump from the end of Stage 3. We received hints of what was to come with "Burning despair does ache" but this makes that look like complete lucidity by comparison. From personal experience though, I get it. My grandmother began her steep decline after we moved my grandfather to a care home. His Alzheimer's had gotten bad enough that he had begun wandering outside confused unaccompanied. She on the other hand had been surprisingly good at hiding her own Alzheimer's up until then but it soon became clear that she was also afflicted with the disease (unable to make food, wash herself, etc.). After we sent her to the care home however, things almost immediately got so much worse. She became wheelchair-bound, forgot who her family were, and lost the ability to communicate - first in English, then in German (her native language). She suffered for four years like that before finally passing away. Having devoted her entire existence toward taking care of her husband, I think its the stress that came from the loss of him and the massive change of environment that accelerated the process for her.

[@donnaquixote7538]

That rings so true.

[@NebulatheZorua]

If I were to get Alzheimer's, I would want to be put down , or sent to a home and never visited. It's sadder to see someone forget you and everyone else and suffer, than to see them die on their own terms. Atleast if they die and they want to die, they're dying on their own terms and they still remember everyone they know and love.

[@henrymanahan2764]

bro my grandma had alzheimer's for about a year and a half with steady cognitive decline.. then all of the sudden she fell off... I didn't see her for a week or so and it went from semi aware functionality to 99% dependent living. She was in a vegetative state a month after that.. She lived for another three years in that state.. I was in high school at the time and it shook me to the core. the funeral was so uncomfortable and bizarre..

[@sauroncito9972]

@@NebulatheZorua Stress acelerates Alzheimer, sending them to an unknown place would make them die in quite less time, or that's what I think would happen.

[@yellowmegablocksdogs4569]

imagine if it said "stinky poop" at 0:04

[@estellegourdouras]

I love this so much. We're transitioning from "background music I love to have playing in my house" to "music I will probably play during my horror tabletop RPGS."

[@ri-zg7cv]

Oh, I used to play The Caretaker during Arkham Horror sessions. Not this album, but kind of similar - "Deleted Scenes / Forgotten Dreams". That was great and seriously scary.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Patience (after skelab) would make a great soundtrack for a rainy sea town. Maybe an encounter with a false hydra?

[@artificial_S]

Chill beats to listen to

[@lizzyk.3306]

36:32 is terrifying.

[@avosmash2121]

I like it, it definitely has a good horror movie vibe. Kinda was almost really soothing to me until some of those wailing siren-trumpet distortions came about. Those aren't much fun. The static and ambient tones with air crackles kind of actually make me think of the ocean.

[@TheDJMCproductions]

it got so real right around there. gave me the chills

[@ghoulish6125]

I've been writing to this whole sequence of albums all day. I was at a very tense, near lovecraftian moment of discovery when those haunting, wailing sirens emerged. I cant say if it was perfect timing or not, because I was almost scared that I myself stumbled upon some secret, better left forgotten in the mountains.

[@nikitagaiduk2635]

37:40 for me sounds like the most obscure feeling of horror

[@kaddakai232]

Can definitely agree, lots of dread

[@MylesMarrero]

I think this stage was the hardest for me to listen to of them all. It's so distorted and ugly sounding at parts, but there's always that tiny element that brings you back to when things were at the very least pleasantly saddening in earlier stages. It made me feel like the life was being slowly ripped out of me. I loved this stage, but in a lot of ways I absolutely hated it. I needed a long break before listening to 5 and 6.

[@argonize]

Yeah, it feels like the song is in pain almost, and the sudden jump from weird to scary, I almost noped the fuck outa there. The only reason I kept on going is because my determination was high. The sounds are like screams and cries, It freaked me out. Also the length makes it even more hard to listen too. With stage 5, you at least know what to expect, but this one. And the bliss state sounds like struggling too me but peaceful too. Over all I'd say, this is nightmare fuel.

[@officialbuffoon8506]

I’ve always thought of late 4th - 5th stage as the most heartbreaking in the album. The point where it’s bad enough that your mind has deteriorated rapidly, but not bad enough where it all just goes blank. Being fully aware of the situation but yet knowing nothing about it.

[@argonize]

@@officialbuffoon8506 I feel the same way

[@brandonlee934]

this and stage 5 are hard to listen to, I don't know which one is worse

[@argonize]

@@brandonlee934 Stage 4 is definitely worse in my opinion

[@megaflex4527]

Am I the only one who actually really likes this album? Like it's genuinely a terrifying experience listening to it but the bit at 36:32 is breathtaking... I feel like it'd go great in a trippy horror movie or something. The whole album is a breath of fresh air from horror violins and I fuckin love it

[@sugardude]

stage 4 was fine, and temporary bliss state is heavenly sounding to me. but stage 5 was so damn creepy

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

sugardude stage 5 becomes white noise by the end, once you get past Advanced Plaque Entanglements, it starts to mellow out.

[@CaveyMoth]

Stage 4's garbledygook was just torture. It left me catatonic, unable to get my thoughts together at all. Mission accomplished. It was very Silent Hill-esque, too.

[@IMN602]

36:32 it sounds like the light house in bioshock infinite when you enter the pattern on the bells correctly it "sings" upwards as if some sort of mystifying electronic handshake...

[@pc31754]

I agree. It's so cinematic, it's unlike anything I've ever heard

[@AuroraBorealis2006]

Stage 4: The Subject has entered the post-awareness stages. From here on out memories have little to no structure. They may need assistance with Activities of Daily Living or ALDs for short. They no longer have a concept of time or where they are. From here on out each stage will have four sections for each stage. There is no more structure. By this point, we are so far gone from the first stage that it is unrecognizable. It's horrifying, you no longer recognize where you are and you can barely recognize your own family members. You can't make sense of anything. Stage 4 is the first of the post-awareness stages. and oh boy it's crazy.

[@rockomcdagger6364]

I'm wondering if this was the Stage my great grandma was at when she passed away.

[@Anyo92]

So its somewhat like somebody after pulling like at least two all nighters

[@Anyo92]

@seryseryKOYO idk its mostly indescribable its like the eye of a storm like a warm place in the downwards spiral by nin is

[@NOTequinox]

@@nightshiftts BRO CAN YOU STOP

[@LudiusQuassas]

@rennie ! I think it's referring to those miraculous moments where the patient is _kinda_ back and aware once again, where the brain somehow finds a way to connect again and gift the person with a blissful, clear moment before going back to the hell that is dementia.

[@4345ghee]

My cat was recently diagnosed with a form of dementia. She’s nearly 18 years old now and I’ve had her since she was 3 weeks old. This series of albums is now becoming a terrifying experience for me.

[@thealmightybreadloaf8042]

I know this comment is four years old but prayers to your cat. Mine lived to be 18, been with me right when I was born. A sweet girl.

[@234pg786]

Damn, I didn't even know cats could have dementia...

[@ZSquaredPlusC]

@@thealmightybreadloaf8042 But this comment was left ONE year ago

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

@@ZSquaredPlusC it says 2 years to me.

[@Nehema1000]

Aw, man. So sorry for your kitty!

[@chloe9497]

the fact that you can still hear some of the music is so sad. it’s like we’re holding on to the last bit of life we have left, everything else is a jumble but we still have the main melody. it’s truly terrifying to think that people live like this. how they can’t remember their family or friends or even themselves. how their life is like this album, jumbles of distorted sounds, only a faded glimpse of what life once was.

[@DanteTimberwolf]

The beginning of memory fluidization

[@rick1331]

dam

[@0ddestMouse]

I feel like every stage has the same songs from stage 1, I can hear familiar parts from stage 1 music, except it’s completely different and weird, especially with stage 4, it’s trying to make music from the memories we have left

[@mcdiggles1141]

13:27 is one of the last times that you hear “Heartaches” by Al Bowlly.

[@rkay_bxzq]

nope it appears in stage 5 and 6 slowed down by around 5x and 20x respectively

[@mcdiggles1141]

Emphasis on “one” of the last times i suppose

[@bella_ciao4608]

That’s actually Seger Ellis’s version of “Heartaches”

[@RubyPiec]

what the hell i can hear it

[@PartyRockerOG]

It also appears 2 mins after this

[@panchikofan123]

i feel like someone is behind me.

[@elusory3735]

I had that too, and when i went to bed i felt this fear that i hadnt felt since i was a kid. Whenever i see this image i already feel uneasy.

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

Elusory yet it’s your profile pic

[@elusory3735]

@@Thorin-MattfromGO well yes, the fear has gone away a bit and now its just a very powerfull image for me. So i decided something like that should me my profile pic.

[@Mrhibride]

@@elusory3735 @Elusory hopefully yo are better now, I stumbled across the album a few days back, i can't find the courage to listen to it fully but I keep coming back but I can say everydar it get's less unnerving

[@elusory3735]

@@Mrhibride thanks dude, and yeah its better now. Its worthwile to listen to but might leave a mark for some time.

[@alisonwunderland9900]

The cover artwork sums up the music perfectly...

[@b0ltun0]

it kinda looks this you were trying to remember how "the girl with a pearl earring" painting looked like but you can only remember the shapes but the rest is completley blurry

[@boxecomp1374]

To me, the parted lips and welcoming expression, alongside the forward-facing, conversive The Girl With a Pearl Earring completely contrasts with this version, a faceless, lifeless statue, which to me symbolizes the world no longer speaking to the "protagonist" of EATEOT. The blue, dirty colors of the statue also directly relate to the sadness and isolation of post-awareness.

[@b0ltun0]

@@boxecomp1374 i find any interpretation i read so interesting

[@boxecomp1374]

@@b0ltun0 Honestly, The Girl With a Pearl Earring interpretation is a little far fetched, but I know the color theory here for certain.

[@b0ltun0]

@@boxecomp1374 idk there is something that felt like theyre smiliar kinda, and the differnces make it even more interesting

[@LukeSnywalkersOldChannel]

I listened to this entire project in one sitting last night and that one moment in this stage's second track where the noise cuts out and gets replaced with those horrible drones absolutely terrified me

[@dextercummings5923]

That’s actually a classical piece when sped up, and it sounds sort of nice

[@CaveyMoth]

The wall of noiiiiiise, man. It haunts me. And don't start on the crazy trumpet noises.

[@nikolajmadsen1002]

When is that?

[@krispo7256]

36:33

[@nikolajmadsen1002]

@@krispo7256 thanks a Lot

[@Nexmury]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but the album cover for this stage reminds me of Vermeer's Girl with Pearl Earring. The back of the heads in both of these paintings have something that drops down from the head. This just looks like a mirrored and more distorted version of the original art piece. If this isn't an allegory for the effects of dementia, then I don't know what is.

[@thatonemelon3663]

It reminded me of that too! I'm glad I'm not the only one.

[@BuhTrauma]

ive been thinking about that ever since i found out about it in october and i just couldnt remember the name of the painting

[@zoro.7]

@Caleb Burns maybe is the sadness of the granddaughter or caretaked while the pacient is with dementia

[@zoro.7]

@Caleb Burns i am talking about the cover

[@TheRealVodun13]

@Anastasia Reiner The cover for Stage 6 is a blank canvas with old dried up tape peeling off, representing the age and deterioration of what once was whole and full of life, but is now blank and essentially worn away

[@jakeplatt3308]

Possibly the most frightening thing I've ever heard in my life

[@blmn564]

This is awful. Memories are beyond our control. They're unconscious. Simply the playthings of the hippocampus. We can no more choose to dismiss a mental image than we can control a dream.

[@aegisfate117]

There are thoughts you cannot unthink. Once they're burned into your electrical brain pathways there's always a chance of that same horror surfacing again and again. Until your only solace, losing who you are; your memories, rips that horror and all others from your waking consciousness. Do Alzheimer's patients dream of regular sheep?

[@conceptd0565]

There's nothing more terrifying of becoming something you don't know, or something you may never have even imagined. thinking in a different way, feeling different about something you thought you knew so well, you could almost teach someone about it.

[@spiiicysoup7866]

Ok the herpofderp

[@SirMorganD]

As someone who suffers from OCD, that's true, and its a nightmare.

[@alwithadot]

Nice profile pic

[@properlyoiled661]

Related to image: You wake up. Just last night you were in your parents bedroom, laying with them because you woke up from a bad dream, and now you’re here in this alien room. What seems to be lights buzz louder than they ever have before, and the room is unnaturally cold. The room is bleak, and devoid of any excitement. The bed your on creaks as you move what little you can, and you can’t help but wonder why you’re so weak and wrinkly... you could only be twelve. You see a woman in front of you... at least... you think it’s a woman. She-... or it... grabs your hand and looks you in the eyes. It tries to speak to you, but you can only grab a few words. It’s almost like it doesn’t speak your language. “I... daughter... you.” It makes no sense... You look at it, confused. It grows more frustrated. “I am daughter!” You cower a little. It seems to flip in its emotion into sadness. You’re in fear of it. What if it hurt you? Where’s mom and dad? Why won’t anyone help you? You try to speak. “Hello, I’m sorry. Can you help me?” The thing looks at you, incredibly confused, and seemingly offended, as if you had cursed it, but improper. It can’t be your fault, it’s the thing that can’t speak English... right? The thing leaves the room, and you can’t help but sit there, and wonder why you’re trapped here. This grey hell must be a hospital, maybe you got hurt. You’ll go home eventually, right? But then again... you look so much older than you should be. You can’t even bend your back, to sit up. You’re in a prison, and all the sudden you feel the dread. There’s nothing wrong with you, right? There can’t be, this world is just messed up. You’ll wake up, and be right back with mom and dad. This is all a dream it has to be, but... now you can’t even remember what you started to freak out about. Was there something there? Why are you in this dreaded room? You were... just with mom and dad... ... maybe this is just temporary.

[@properlyoiled661]

I used the best of my writing abilities to write about my personal idea of senile dementia, however, I’m sure the reality is far more hellish. If you are a victim who is able to read this and comprehend this, or a family member of a victim, my prayers are with you. I’m finding myself fearful of this disease at the mere age of 17, and I’m scared it’s making time pass faster because I’m worrying about how much I have left. Alzheimer’s disease steals from everyone, and if I could describe it in words it would be “death before you close your eyes for the last time.” I hope if you read this, you were able to enjoy it despite its mediocrity, and I hope you have a good day. Life is too short, please make something out of it.

[@Elmasdrakosinfenixov]

Reading this while listening to the music was disturbing. It was like a free sample of a broken psyche

[@theofficialassmob]

well written friend, this fills me truly with dread

[@trurlCXC]

Should be a pinned comment

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

That’s the best way I’ve heard the album art described! Well done!

[@thelightbulbcrew1148]

5:10 you can hear "the way ahead feels lonely" so well, the more you listen to this album the clearer it gets, wow

[@zoehardee9518]

i feel like the whole series gets better and better with repeat listens, which is incredible but also feels like a cruel joke because it's 6.5 hours long

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

the first like 6 minutes is just c2 and d5

[@idk11235]

It doesn’t stop. God, why won’t it just stop for a moment.

[@tygovandermeyden8525]

There is a pause button, you know?

[@lotusnaturals1897]

@@tygovandermeyden8525 that's not what he means dumb dumb

[@whatthehell7859]

@@tygovandermeyden8525 that's not what he means dumb dumb

[@samuellinn]

@@tygovandermeyden8525 that's not what he means dumb dumb

[@gimmekromer1151]

@@whatthehell7859 oh no another cringy chain that im going to break

[@sherfofng]

can catch faint glimpses of further altered songs from the previous albums

[@anrylstudios]

yes

[@aegisfate117]

The beginning of the plaque entanglements

[@octavio6635]

The cover looks like Johannes Vermeer’s girl with the pearl earring painting to me.

[@b0ltun0]

glad to know im not alone with this thought, it works very well as a distorted and forgotten version of that painting

[@pdalmao]

yeah, i thought this too. very familiar but so contorted and discoloured that it's only barely recognisable imo

[@yeet8627]

Same

[@OddAntSounds]

Same thought ! But if you look very closely it's predator.

[@flamingoenthusiast2054]

Omg same, thought it was just me

[@tetsuoumezawa5833]

the "hell siren" part starting at 36:33 is genuinely one of my favorite parts of the whole project, and in my opinion way more enjoyable and less unnerving than almost the entire rest of the series

[@supersmilyface1]

It's one of my favorites as well. So far my least favorite part is the beginning of this stage.

[@ScorchedLavender]

@@supersmilyface1 I’d 100% agree, the beginning is horrifying

[@San-ln7sp]

"Less unnerving" you gotta be joking

[@moonlight-qr6px]

Please tell me this is satire

[@youtubeisevil]

@@supersmilyface1 Same

[@avosmash2121]

You know what is strange? I find listening to this version a bit tense and stressful, even in a way tedious, but it is actually MORE bearable, for me personally to listen to, than stages 1-2, because in a way the dissonance, while making me sad, does NOT pack the emotional weight the first 1 and 2 stages do. This stage makes me think of horror environments, fever dreams, storms on the horizon, and mixtapes. The first 1-3 though, make me think of things like my grandmother rotting away in the nursing home, people in general in loneliness, me and how I may have not been appreciative of the good times, losing memories I really should've taken bigger pains to document....I don't think of as deep a connection to music like this, because it is so abstract, and the very nature of its creepiness and haunting tragedy IS what makes it feel less personally real. It metaphorically is horrifying. And I would not at all wanna listen to this in a dark room at 3 am. And I am sure if I ever god forbid were to suffer dementia, this is what a terrifying strain of it would feel like, especially if you were someone who lives thru a life of trauma. All those good and harsh times blurring together. But, as a music piece, in the real raw present right now??....I actually can sit thru this for a while before I am not anymore okay with it. Where as with the other stages...well. I almost bawled.

[@casuspacis3196]

I actually have a friend who has listened to this album sitting alone at 3 am

[@avosmash2121]

@@casuspacis3196 I see! Have they found the meaning of life and/or unholy knowledge of how to summon cthulu yet?

[@casuspacis3196]

@@avosmash2121 all i know he was learning python while listening to this, and he is also a big fan of H. P. Lovecraft, so summoning was possible

[@mtsairmass1123]

I feel as though this album is more real than any of them. All of track 3 is heartwrenching and so is the end of track 2. Now that stage 6 is out, what do you think?

[@avosmash2121]

@@mtsairmass1123 Well, now reflecting back on this track months later, and listening a bit to stage 6, my opinion is both the same, and somewhat changed... (I'm not strong enough/bored enough to listen to any of these albums all the way thru btw. Even if they weren't so depressing or creepy, too much repetition is a bit annoying to me after awhile/I'm not very much of a fan of old timey music such as this at all, even in normal form...in fact I'm in a diner right now listening to a harmonized, regular version of music such as this, and it already is making me nauseous and mildly irritated.) ....but anyway...this previous opinion I stated in my last comment, is something that still holds true, yet also, I take a bit step back from what I said before. When I had first listened to this, I was less affected by stage 4, but now, I will confess just the very thought of it badly upsets me and has given me these past few months on end long amounts of existential despair and anxiety at random, that have greatly affected my sleep pattern and general ability to be happy. But these are personal issues that needed already resolving, than any of the music's fault, and I address these issues as I can. Part of that despair is to do with things I've always thought about since childhood, and the fact this painting in stage 4 bears an extremely big resemblance to my late uncle Edward is a big part of that. This video reminds me painfully of loved ones who past, and yet musically, it's still less depressing to listen to than stages 1-3, which are much less scary, but far more sad. It's merely frightening and upsetting on a visceral sound level. ...But that artwork paired here with it, along with my aforementioned thoughts...and bearing in mind the symbolism of what this piece means... really does not help. I think stage 5/6 in their strange own ways are soothing, at least more soothing than this stage, obviously. They still discomfort me, but at least feel a bit better and reassuring, in some spiritual way, I guess, hope providing, at least, as for me as an agnostic, that whatever will be will be, but maybe, it will be peaceful/who knows where or how the soul will reincarnate or be recycled or peace will maybe be found towards then, or whatever. I just need to grasp my life by hand so I can better appreciate it. The good thing about all these albums is despite making me sad is their insistence in the message that it's important to cherish family, and the present, and sanity/good health, and memories. Part of me wishes I never was introduced to this, but I'm really glad I came back here to read these comments and got to vent all this out. I do feel a little bit better.

[@BlackFlagHeathen]

When I was in high school I volunteered at a nursing home for a while. There was a lady in the Alzheimer’s/dementia ward who was always so sweet, talkative, and child-like. I would stand in front of her while she sat on a couch and we’d toss a ball back and forth to each other and just talk about whatever. I think she was in her temporary bliss state. That was several years ago. I don’t like to think about how bad she must be now, if she’s even still alive at all. I hadn’t thought about her again all that much until I listened to EATEOT. Now I can’t stop thinking about her. Edit: I found her obit. Turns out she was my fucking great grandma’s sister… We were family and I didn’t even know all this time. I’m losing my god damn mind right now. This is nuts. Funny how life works. I’ll definitely never forget her now. My lost great-great aunt.

[@ethanotoroculus1060]

Incredible story, can't believe you're just posting it in a comment honestly.

[@hongkonger885]

That's just nuts. I feel sorry for you going through that. Life... it's just incredible how it loops onto itself.

[@dovacon7409]

WOAH the turn!!

[@dazsomesalt]

Makes me want to be a caretaker

[@TripleDDD204]

That’s insane

[@Hattoresu]

1:19:50 onwards feels like the patient is being visited by their family, and they’re happy, though they barely recall these people. It’s actually very calming. It’s Very sad and surrounded by the vinyl crackle, and there isn’t really a consistent melody, but it’s mostly carried by one chord that nearly silences the noise before coming back, which the chord cuts off, before bringing back again. It’s surprisingly enjoyable for me? I actually slept to it yesterday.

[@leafyclass]

you have no idea how much i needed this piece of calmness, thank you very kind hatless stranger

[@momyscokingmom4697]

at 11:57 you can hear that same instrumental with a broken version of heartaches maybe theyre being visited by the one that song is advocate

[@youtubeisevil]

Absolutely, best moment on the album for me

[@fletchqc9900]

At stage 4 (actually stage 5 dementia), the patient is actually able to recognize their loved ones, if i remember correctly. This ability seems to be lost at stage 5 (actually stage 6 dementia). At stage 4, the patient doesn't remember his address, phone number, or what season/time of day it is.

[@Molten546]

i love the ending of J1, its so peaceful

[@youtubeisevil]

Can we appreciate how amazing the album cover is?

[@the.n.1]

i can

[@kitma9]

it's by ivan seal if you're wondering

[@yonklina6049]

no

[@calicracks3926]

It's also called "glitsholder" which is pretty obscure, like the fact the album covers even have names.

[@hydrodoxxed2]

@@calicracks3926 stage 3 is hag

[@kittenplush]

Temporary bliss sounds like anything but bliss. It’s probably more bliss than the other tracks have been, but it sounds like some kind of creepy music box slowed down and reverbed

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

You are correct. That’s actually exactly what is is, it’s a song called “The Prettiest Little Song of All” slowed down

[@TheLandOfDreams]

Its sounds like I'm in my house, having tea and trying to chill, but I can't because there's a powerful hurricane outside

[@supersmilyface1]

@@TheLandOfDreams "This is fine..."

[@g-ray4088]

G1 = A1 and C3 H1 = E1 I1 = E7

[@user-nn3zc1fj4p]

@@g-ray4088 J1 is like I1 but much MORE distorted

[@Rekker420_1]

Oh god I didn't expect it to sound this distorted already. This is like it's from a different plane of existence.

[@Elmasdrakosinfenixov]

That place being hell

[@luckyotter623]

@Ryan Smith Stage Five is the most terrifying thing I've ever heard. This is second to that.

[@NanoCubeOG]

well, it IS a year apart from stage 3. imagine how much worse the dementia in the caretaker has gotten since last year.

[@Luje_YT2020]

a big step up from stage 3 for sure

[@NatureLover-zr9iz]

Oh ok...

[@Take5JLW]

Great music to fall asleep to! Really empties the head.

[@user-ys1mb9ho2m]

Best comment ever

[@user-nn3zc1fj4p]

I don't know how to react to this I feel like it's funny but it's with sense

[@whyis2plus2]

@Rowan Knight even during the day

[@clawcakes]

:(

[@Ok-ok3jz]

It was emotional until this comment

[@thapoint09]

The way the peaceful end of the album contrasts with the chaotic opening makes me think that "we've" stopped fighting our dementia, stopped trying to remember, and just resigned to it. Thinking about it that way, the album's final moments are much sadder.

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

thapoint09 then it picks right back up again only more extreme at the beginning of stage 5

[@ChewyLampShade]

I don't even think we've "resigned" to it, so much as we've forgotten that we were ever fighting it to begin with.

[@dogf421]

it almost gave me a fucking heart attack. it goes into a very repetitive state towards the end then it hits you with a deafening wall of pure chaos

[@luckyotter623]

Stage Five is so much more chaotic though, especially the first half.

[@finden3362]

@@luckyotter623 yep, but i think stage 5 is louder because the confusion is bigger

[@Yuriding]

I'm trying to hear everything at once. This stage makes me think that our memories are like pictures painted and hung on the walls of a giant house that you never entered. In this house, there is no light and everything is very dark. Without being able to see more than a hand ahead, you are lost in the corridors, opening doors, somehow you can see the silhouette of the size and shape of the pictures, but as much as you try, you cannot see what is drawn on them. These are your memories at this stage.

[@luckyotter623]

Jfc that is horrifying.

[@jakobyarns4369]

Sounds like that one gravity falls episode but scary

[@semkoops]

Great analogy!

[@zigzog5786]

That actually feels accurate for this stage! How morbid!

[@SyntaxxErrroRR]

At 10:00 you can here the completely distorted, but still recognisable “It’s Just a Burning Memory.” It’s crazy how far this song has come.

[@that1toad64]

That's not actually IJaBM, that's actually What Does it Matter how My Heartbreaks/Mournful Cameraderie. But it still is Heartaches, so you're right.

[@PartyRockerOG]

@@that1toad64 its just a burning memory is in this but it is mostly what does it matter how my heartbreaks

[@PartyRockerOG]

@@that1toad64 and it’s just a burning memory can be heard in the left ear on this time stamp

[@SyntaxxErrroRR]

lol ik that heartaches is the og sample, but i was just using it's just a burning memory as.. the name ig idk why it matters lol.

[@red.hydrogen]

38:35 There's something about this small segment immediately after the Hell Sirens that makes me feel a way I just can't describe

[@luckyotter623]

I get that too. Hell sirens to me is not so much a traumatic memory (many people say it's a war memory) as it's an episode of horror (panic attack?) caused by a temporary sudden awareness of what has happened to their mind and the horror of being powerless to stop the fall into the abyss, if that makes any sense. It could be a particularly bad sundowning episode. The section you reference is a rising static, pierced by the music trying to break through. It sounds to me like after the hell sirens (panic attack) finally fades, the patient is thrust into a deeper level of dementia, signified by the louder static that comes like ocean waves, obscuring the broken memories trying to break through. Yes, it's devastating.

[@Someone-zs3pe]

Lately ive been listening through the stages everytime I went to bed this week. Out of all the stages this one freaked me out the most, the whole thing is scary but at 37:40 made me terrified and literally pushed me into tears. I regret(but dont)listening to this horror in the time of everyones most vulnerable state.

[@dextercummings5923]

This section is actually a classical piece when sped up, and it sounds pretty nice

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

I don’t have the video open, but I’m assuming your talking about what’s known as the “hell sirens”

[@finden3362]

i don't cry from it, but it sends chills on the spine, thats why in my opinion stage 4 is successful to bring horror

[@Kooglet]

@@Thorin-MattfromGO being 15 minutes into stage 4 on my first listen and reading a comment about “hell sirens” has officially made me question the safety of the comment section XD whyyyyy (update) I’m past the hell sirens and boy am I glad I didn’t listen at night, I stopped before stage 4 at midnight last night, best decision I’ve ever made

[@Thorin-MattfromGO]

@@Kooglet it’s really not that scary. Just startling and out of nowhere

[@chomskyhonk1680]

I can imagine stage 6 is going to be basically record pops and wavering static. This is great.

[@PedroMouraLerBD]

Dear asdASDAF ASDFASFD, try this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fICcY5mdr9WYjrM

[@lou_gubrious]

Chomsky Honk you were right

[@youtubeisevil]

Guess what.

[@TunaminV1]

Pedro Moura magnificent, it was. thanks for that.

[@Walrus-yq6uh]

Narrator: It was.

[@Weedsmoker40K]

Maybe the joke is he's just going to forget to make 5 & 6 altogether. Can't really see how this could be taken further without becoming straight up noise music.

[@cuvo7285]

Well, stage 6 is practically noise music.

[@aegisfate117]

@@cuvo7285 until... ya know, 13 angels standing guard round the side of your bed and all that...

[@lotusnaturals1897]

Because the last 5 minutes of stage 6...

[@carwyn3691]

Narrator: "It became straight up noise music"

[@crisostomodamien]

Didnt age well did it

[@nicf1555]

this album sounds like your arm falling asleep in olive-sepia tones

[@avosmash2121]

Nick F you get it!

[@pedestrian_overkill]

The cover painting although it's clearly a person but also resembles a boot. For me it's symbolises how people losing their most primordial, cornerstone perceiving abilities. brain is so damaged at this point, poor fella will no more able to separate human beings from inanimate stuff. And subject not aware anymore, he/she literally living only in brief present moment, without past or future. The opposite of aging, descending into fetal state.

[@daneiltherat2327]

It does,I just noticed that!

[@johnscottfrasier4045]

As a child, I spent my summers at the Casa Del Ray Grand Hotel. It was the late 1970’s & I had the run of the place. Old ladies kissing me, piano lessons, and empty rooms. A lot of time for a boy to spend in a place at the gates of eternity so near the Boardwalk. I visit it on vinyl now & walk down its hallways. Thank you caretaker

[@deanerdaweiner3829]

having a grandma whos mental health is deteriorating made this impossible to listen to

hope you're doing ok

[@mirror1001]

I’m so sorry for what you are going through. I hope you and your grandmother are well. Bless You.

[@xx_pussyslayer420_xx7]

I hope the commenter is doing okay nowadays

[@mirandazhang1359]

I was listening in one ear and I was like “huh, ok.” But then I put them both on and holy cow.

[@mirror1001]

Left earbud moment

[@Ketannabis]

My grandmother has had dementia for 12 years and imagining her existence as this is horrifying.

[@kevinhixson1586]

Every time I blink or look away from the screen I feel as if this blue woman is staring at me, expecting something, only to be disappointed or sad when my eyes re-meet with her.

[@aegisfate117]

Look up the painting called Girl with a Pearl Earring. This painting looks like how a dementia patient would remember the Pearl Earring Painting

[@beautifulmushroom3466]

You made it even worse

[@whyis2plus2]

I already am parinoid because of the music, this just made it worse. Thanks!

[@MusicTheoryLover]

I don’t know what she’d expect from me. I don’t know what she wants from me. It’s like. She doesn’t talk. Maybe she doesn’t. Maybe she does. I just wanna know what she wants from me, if she doesn’t talk, what am I supposed to know from her? What am I supposed to think from her? Why won’t she JUST.. talk to me?

[@watergrey4010]

She is looking away cuz im ugly as hell

[@Lucy1606...]

*POST AWARENESS CONFUSIONS 1* 0:00 G1 Mind Delaying in Time 6:11 G2 A Static Dusk 8:22 G3 It Only Meant Heartaches 11:58 G4 A Mild Coping 15:53 G5 Revolving Confusions 19:43 G6 Losing Sadness is Fading *POST AWARENESS CONFUSIONS 2* 22:09 H1 Post Awareness Confusions 25:17 H2 Bewildering Cavern 28:43 H3 Loud Internal Entangling 33:30 H4 An inminent Fate 36:32 H5 Empty Hell Sirens Beyond Sanity. 38:34 H6 We don't have any days *TEMPORARY BLISS STATE* 44:02 I1 Temporary Bliss State 49:58 I2 Drying Oasis 54:12 I3 Disbelieving Bliss Confusion 59:48 I4 Lurking Mourning Darkness *POST AWARENESS CONFUSIONS 3* 1:05:03 J1 Fading Hope into Despair 1:07:48 J2 Surrending Beyond Loss 1:13:14 J3 Aching Awareness Without Coherency 1:16:02 J4 Last Moments of Beautiful Madness 1:20:20 J5 Unconscious Denial 1:25:53 J6 Rain Before Pure Retrogenesis

[@Acoolwedge]

yoooo did you split it into smaller traks?

[@thedude2733]

@@Acoolwedge yes he did

[@lordroy88]

Great job splitting these up!

[@marzolaxo2456]

Finally, the original.

[@SyntaxxErrroRR]

THANK YOU

[@newsom192]

inb4 stage 6 is just hours of silence

[@Gy0952]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX6YmZ-ooMaDidE We'll never reach silence...

[@theta426]

@@Gy0952 not until death, the final minute.

[@eyjafjalajokull9046]

Not far off, actually.

[@youtubeisevil]

Guess what

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Actually it ends with a 1, 2 oatmeal version of made in heaven since *kirby* is such a pink cute guy and pucci is a gangstar. Sorry for spoiling it my fellow gamers

[@TheKingBJ]

Recommended: 'Alzheimer's and the Brain' by Vsauce

[@alexsiemers7898]

And the more recent comments from that are recommended this series funny enough

[@QuidProQuo999]

Hey Vsause Here! What if you... Wait umm... Where am I again?

[@tristansgooberpuzzle]

The oldest among us

[@ManyLegs]

I believe this stage is the most heartbreaking. You know there is something, but all you can see are echos and shadows. It's pure agony.

[@edibleforks]

This is by far the hardest one to listen to. I honestly cant sit through it, I feel fear throughout, at every moment. I can sit through stage 5 and 6, but this. Gives me chills

[@aegisfate117]

Temporary bliss state is pretty alright in a "overdosing on fentanyl" kinda way. As in when you OD you hear this

[@elusory3735]

This was the worst one for me aswell.

[@CaveyMoth]

Stage 6 was very tough for me. But it was at 4am. I literally felt dead.

[@luckyotter623]

@@aegisfate117 I didn't like Temporary Bliss State at all. It wasn't blissful to me at all, sounds like something from a horror movie, and that's pretty accurate really.

[@that1toad64]

5 is just noise with bits and pieces of familiar melodies, and 6 is just an abyss. But 4... This is something I can't explain.

[@xlegendaryblade]

All of the artwork in this series look like they could be sculptures but could also be very detailed paintings. It is so hard to tell.

[@whyis2plus2]

They are paintings

[@thapoint09]

0:49 a snippet of "The Way Ahead Feels Lonely" from stage 2

[@xr_asura]

And 5:10

[@HellhammerSS]

Blast this on repeat when your gone for the weekend. No one will rob your house.

[@DontYouDareToCallMePolisz]

Electricity bills: allow us to introduce ourselves

[@Cr3reeper]

@@DontYouDareToCallMePolisz just have a phone charged and its connected to a speaker, its not that much compared to most pcs, also turning off lights will make the horror gets worse (but idk some new ghost can haunt that place tho? 💀)

[@glasra]

Temporary Bliss State is such a calming track. Definitely one of my favorites from the series.

[@NOTequinox]

its bewildered in others eyes

[@qazzaz6842]

Its my least favorite lmao. It sounds like a fork scratching a plate

[@supersmilyface1]

I'm one of those wackos that likes the Hell Sirens portion.

[@aligaytor]

@@supersmilyface1 same

[@therealwisemysticaltree]

@@supersmilyface1 sped up is a bop

[@TunaminV1]

This whole album is like a river that pollutes itself more and more, with bits of clarity and purity spread across it.

[@stylesmarshall6990]

Just Give me the needle. I can't imagine slowly fading for years just so my family can pay huge sums of money and energy to keep "me" safe and alive. If I develop dementia, I want to go out on my own terms. I don't want my loved ones last memories of me to be anything like this. I want to smile, tell them I love them, and go in the same day. This... this just seems absolutely cruel.

[@supersmilyface1]

It seems cruel both to the person with dementia, and the family/friends of that person.

[@azumanguy]

why even comment on this as if words did it honor

[@thebrownmantapesthenewchan2206]

C'mon! You all know the words! And a one, and a two, and a- *Sounds of the damned souls from hell*

[@supersmilyface1]

*Demonic shrieks*

[@tensixtyoclock]

@@supersmilyface1 "Maybe if we all play really loud we will sound better" - Squidward.

[@Vileplume87]

@@tensixtyoclock *stage 6* “never mind, just play so quietly that nobody can hear us.”

[@watergrey4010]

Hrtcs hrtcs b lvn y ths nl hrtcs

[@watergrey4010]

@@Vileplume87 take care its a Desert out there be like:

[@mitchellhaigh9579]

Those first 22 minutes I felt like my chest was tightening and tightening, real terrifying, absolutely incredible how music can instill such a tangible sense of dread, can’t even begin to imagine what phase 5 is gonna sound like...

[@Rokiotop900]

Oh boy, this sound calm compared with stage 5

[@yourmom6472]

i think that G1 is actually still kind of aware, you can hear clear music and its not nearly as intense (till you get to the last section atleast) as the other "songs" in this stage. You may be asking "Then why is it called 'Post Awareness Confusions'?" and i do say, thats a good point. *BUT* you should know that the track names switched to an outsiders viewpoint, meaning that they might still be internally aware but unable to show it properly. It must be horrible having all this happen *still be aware of it* and yet not be able to show it to anybody else. heart destroying.

[@lukassheridan5271]

I don't know if there's something wrong with me, but this stage doesn't make me sad, it just makes me feel a blank emotion, like a night when you don't have a dream, stage 2 really got me, I felt like there was no hope for me, and that life was too short, but this stage is kinda numb, I think I've gotten used to the ambience

[@arex7350]

I’m just starting this stage and I agree with you. It sounds like acceptance; submission to dementia. Stage one it was hard to tell anything was wrong, stage 2 and 3 were the sadness and avoidance of the disease, but this stage? It’s bittersweet. It’s the release of the sadness of avoiding and embracing the numbness of the situation.

[@supersmilyface1]

The very beginning of this stage scared me, but the rest I find pretty nice. A bit relaxing in some parts, even.

[@wissamdalloul]

I felt like that for the whole 3 stages

[@ortherner]

Well, that’s exactly what the main character in this stage feels right now.

[@youtubeisevil]

something wrong with you? hoho this stage makes me feel excited energetic and more powerful, definitely nothing wrong with you

[@Yottifferent]

I tried to split the songs into sections and then give those sections song titles. This is what I came up with. I don’t know too much about dementia, I’ve just looked at the song titles, realized things about Alzheimer’s/dementia through this album and comments. When I learn more about Alzheimer’s/dementia I may update the song titles. Credit to Argon for doing the sections for H1 stage 4 Post awareness confusions (except i changed those sections a bit) 00:00 - g1 - beginning of thick fog too sudden 05:22 - g2 - desire of awakening / dream 05:39 - g3 - uncaring and cruel life pushing back 07:31 - g4 - ache 16:36 - g5 - lullaby of loneliness and depression 19:45 - g6 - incoherent depression / loved ones forgotten 22:09 - h1 - libet 25:33 - h2 - horror is now mundane 26:21 - h3 - I’m vanishing 26:29 - h4 - horror is now mundane 28:40 - h5 - sadness you have but can’t comprehend 32:27 - h6 - static confusion 36:33 - h7 - the hell sirens / flashbacks of war 38:32 - h8 - relief and dread 41:36 - h9 - deterioration minute by minute 44:02 - i1 - temporary bliss state 49:17 - i2 - an empty bliss 54:33 - i3 - end of bliss 59:48 - i4 - time bliss, of everywhere 1:05:03 - j1 - beginning of horror return too sad and lonely 1:06:20 - j2 - Intiminimal equibliss 1:13:20 - j3 - confusion and horror intensifying but maintaining bliss like structure 1:15:23 - j4 - bliss like structure fades away 1:16:23 - j5 - wishing it was a dream 1:17:35 - j6 - feeling the above 1:19:46 - j7 - rare peace state

[@rkay_bxzq]

i1 - Temporary Bliss State i2 - An Empty Bliss i3 - End of Bliss i4 - Time bliss, of Everywhere

[@Yottifferent]

Fun fact: the start of J2 is the beginning of the second half of the entire project

[@rkay_bxzq]

waffles

[@Zawmbbeh]

I like this interpretation.

[@zelwach]

Misplaced in time 4:54

[@GaigeGrosskreutzGunClub]

I'm 7 years out of college and I have done little to no upkeep of intellectual pursuits since then - save for some incidental brainteasers embedded in the odd videogame I play. Discovering this album has made me so regretful for taking my intellect and mental health for granted and has made me so aware of what has or could have degraded in these seven years and what could be in store for me if I continue to neglect sleep, socialization, physical activity and meaningful activity for my brain. It's amazing seeing such a large amount of feedback for this musical project that on its surface is just a bunch of old songs gradually degraded, tweaked, shuffled around, and mixed in with droning and ambient noise. But in order to elicit such powerful audience response, The Caretaker must have had to work so hard in the arrangement and mixing of this terrifying and poignant epic - I have no idea how he went about doing it and part of me doesn't want to. Maybe a large part of the effectiveness is the context presented in the description and the album art, and Stage 4 is probably the biggest drop off in terms of both sound as well as the given context around it. It's the first stage where the song titles are clinical and the songs themselves are now large blocks of ambiance brought to the forefront, overtaking the music that was becoming increasingly distorted and now reduced to snippets embedded in the void. The art is probably the most striking to me out of all six pieces - lacking the finesse of the previous three, but retaining the focus of the scroll in stage 1, the humanoid elements in the vase in stage 2, and a complete break from stage 3's branching random synapses - a cold, isolated silhouette barely recognizable as such, yet still grappling familiarity with the classic portrait composition evocative of A Girl with a Pearl Earring, as has been observed already. The gradual decay and meandering of the first three stages has finally been refocused, albeit only because the memories have crashed and now we see the decay of the person themselves. This collection scratches the itch I have when I do things like browse nuclear test sites/isolated atolls in the Pacific. Maybe one day I'll have the time and hutzpah to sit down and listen to the entire movement front to back. Hopefully by then, I'll have taken some steps to protect my brain from decaying.

[@hamster8706]

Wow, i like comments like these. This is deep.

[@AlastorTheNPDemon]

I can appreciate a thorough analysis, whatever the context. This is proper internet usage, fellow thinker.

[@tristanawesome23]

A Big Comment What if Stage 4 Songs Were Like Awareness Songs? Stage 4: Horror and Confusions is a common thing in stage 4. Memories no longer are coherent, were, there is still some fractured rements of memories. The start of post awareness. G SIDE: 0:00:00 - G1 - Confusions Replace the Beautful Memories 0:05:32 - G2 - Ended with Nothing 0:07:38 - G3 - Empty Blissful Ache 0:10:34 - G4 - An Empty Empty 0:17:23 - G5 - Aches of There 0:19:23 - G6 - Incoherent Depression H SIDE: 0:22:09 - H1 - Libet Horror 0:25:34 - H2 - Remnants of Memories 0:30:23 - H3 - Libet Horror 0:36:28 - H4 - Post Tramitc Stress Disorder 0:38:56 - H5 - Gave Up 0:40:12 - H6 - Bliss? Stage 5: Bliss. 0:44:02 - I1 - Bliss 0:51:23 - I2 - Gives Away 0:58:45 - I3 - Muffed Horror Awaits 1:05:03 - J1 - Horror Coming Back too Sad and Lonely 1:12:23 - J2 - Wishes of Back There 1:19:34 - J3 - Calm Before Worse Confusions

[@blackfloyd23]

This stage, particularly H,1 is very well constructed and clearly represents the utter horror of losing the ability to think and remember. It reminds me of Clive Wearing's initial reaction to having completely lost his long-term memory and most of his short-term memory. He was essentially trapped in horror for years, crying inconsolably, intensely aware that something catastrophic happened to him but unable to make sense of or remember what is wrong. He was able to talk and hold a thought for a few seconds, and kept a journal where every 2 minutes or so, he would write a new entry indicating that it is the first time he has ever been conscious. That is a fate far worse than death, particularly for those that love him, since they can remember. Clive Wearing's experience certainly is very different in comparison to the experience of victims of Alzheimer's disease, since he went from a powerhouse of an intellect to a completely broken husk of who he once was over the course of several days versus several years, if not decades. Hopefully, one day humans will have figured out how to prevent/treat Alzheimer's. It seems as though that a healthy lifestyle is about all that can be done in the way of preventing this disease.

[@Aladayle]

It's taken me several listens to realize how toned down the noise becomes at the end of this stage. It started in chaos and is sinking into ambience and drifting sand

[@YepsMr]

i'm not even done with the first song in my brain hurts

[@catastropheclub]

I didn't cry at the end, but cried about 15 seconds into this stage. The sharp decline in lucidity is even worse than death. The few audible samples from previous stages makes it even more tragic as the last bits of memory disappear. Temporary Bliss State is the real nail in the coffin, like the mind's final comfort while sentience disappears

[@franciscodoesstuff4898]

It’s been 4 years since stage 4 released. It’s still holds up to this day…

[@lifeofrileyo7674]

this was the stage where i stopped breathing. where i cried until i needed water. where my memories faded, and where my mind left my body. i saw my abusive father in the painting and i could no longer watch. i leave you with my trauma. hope you are all well and safe. we are broken, but we will mend. much love.

[@invertedcarcal6871]

Thank you for sharing your feelings here today. This is a hard listen and I finished this stage yesterday. Please, stay safe.

[@theahughes703]

im so sorry that you have to go through abuse. i hope that you will be alright soon. remember the semicolon. " ; "

[@purge2481]

@Colasticc that's a bit insensitive

[@richardw6859]

it is fine to take breaks or stop. nobody is forcing you to listen, so go take breaks, talk with people and have fun in between stages

[@sparkycar]

You TikTok tourists really gotta make everything about yourself huh

[@2TurretKid2]

I have lost so much sleep after listening to the album.... sometimes I imagine seeing this woman in the painting, watching me in the dead of night... my imagination runs wild and I see her standing there...

[@blase1856]

The beginning is the most depressing part of stage 4. It sounds like your brain is trying to put a music together but it just... can't.

[@ortherner]

yea that's what it feels like.

[@benobii]

I'm trying to listen to the whole thing, but everytime I do so I just end up having a panic attack about my own mortality and the fact that I will one day stop existing. Despite that, I just can't help but keep listening despite what it's doing to me. Why did I think that watching this wight before bed was a good idea? I'm problably gonna have a long night ahead of me..

[@benobii]

I am not okay

[@pilarm.a.5976]

God, that sucks. This music makes me really scared at times, but it's nothing compared to what you have to go through

[@Yuriding]

Are u ok today??

[@benobii]

@@Yuriding yeah, i was just thinking in the moment. i'm okay now

[@IMN602]

I always manage to talk myself down with thoughts like "there's nothing you can do" "its basically like sleeping, you are unaware of the moment you fell asleep and the next thing you know, your waking up... " and "should probably just enjoy every moment while i can"

[@jtn050]

oh god we still have 2 more stages left

[@ronnytorkovic]

Absolutely stunning artwork

[@theconfessor3177]

yeah love it !

[@XPElite]

No

[@declantan86]

@@_theeb the artwork for the series is by Ivan Seal www.ivanseal.com

[@b0ltun0]

it reminds me of "girl with a peal earring" but more distorted

[@aegisfate117]

@@b0ltun0 thanks for this comparison

[@tophu7903]

After a while this feels weirdly comfortable.

[@DJBOGOSFLOFFICIAL]

And my stage? LOL

[@itsfunnehfan4230]

@@DJBOGOSFLOFFICIAL I fell asleep to your stage. Then I woke up to hell sirens

[@froghaven]

I am a person with adhd and I think this really helps me get more stimulation in my brain to make dopamine

[@froghaven]

*so many things going on.... so stimulating....*

[@pongdian4442]

Listen to breakcore and hyperpop It will help you with ADHD This album is just depressing and shows the reality of mortality and existence Everything just fades away...........

[@aquamidideluxe5079]

Way creepier than stage 5 to be honest, because there's more that's still there to be lost.

[@oleksiipetrychenko8241]

this starts off like a straightforward dark horror, but gets very beautiful and tranquil by the end. wow!

[@dillanskatez8376]

Death is beautiful

[@whyis2plus2]

Yeah

[@brrbrr1390]

I've gone through all the comments and now I just have to wait for this to end alone

[@cuvo7285]

In 8:40 you can actually hear the instrument from the first song in the original album, the one that we seem to be trying to recall so much. It seems like a very precious memory that we often think about, so we try to go back to our "happy place", but all that comes back is just a tiny, almost unrecognizable fragment of it. The sample appears throughout the entire song, but this is the moment when you can hear it the most clearly (it's also kind of clear in 12:07 and 14:28).

[@Rammichi1]

This is the stage that scared me the most. Some nights I listened to this album while lying down in the darkness, and around 36:30 is when the anxiety crept in and I started having visions and felt like they were turning over and over, just making me feel manic while these nightmarish sounds were blaring on my earphones.

[@dextercummings5923]

That section is actually a classical piece when sped up, and it sounds pretty nice actually

[@NOX814]

The music, hurts. Not me, the music itself is hurt. It's in Pain. Every moment it can muster to come back to what it once was, it winces in pain and devolves back into noise, and is silenced on addendum. Its wailing cries haunting the halls in Echo, and grow distant. Enough to know that as far as we are gone, the memory can go father into the grey.

[@vascorleans8582]

Temporary Bliss State will always be my favorite music of this whole album, I can't describe how oddly peaceful is to listen to this song even though it sounds like the world crashing right before your eyes

[@thesalmonguy3342]

Interesting Parts: *Start of G1* 0:00 Swoosh 0:38 Misplaced in time 3:33 Sounds wonky 10:44 Seger Ellis Heartaches 11:10 Heartaches is noticeable again 12:28 Libet delay 16:07 Belle of the east 16:34 Loud jingle 17:03 Don’t put the blame on me 17:19 not white noise anymore 20:24 Lombardo Heartaches 20:33 Weird Wreerp Sound 21:08 Suppose nobody cared 21:46 *Start of H1* 22:09 Libet delay Piano 23:00 Libet delay piano 2 23:06 Strange pauses 23:13 Faster Blips 23:54 Big pause 24:07 Big pause 2 24:10 Big pause 3 24:13 Big Pause 4 24:33 end of Libets delay being heard 25:50 Start of hell sirens 36:33 Noticeable Rupture 36:41 Noticeable Rupture 2 36:48 Noticeable Rupture 3 37:00 Noticeable Rupture 4 37:13 Deeper Tone (I think it’s faster) Now THIS what is hell sirens are 37:50 End of hell sirens (Finally) 38:36 43:29 Really Calm *I1 Start* (Disclaimer: I1 is really boring) 1:04:59 J1 Jumpscare *1:05:04** J1 Start*

[@that1toad64]

I'm here to inform you. 3:33 C2 Misplaced in Time 16:07 Yes, that is F7 16:34 Belle of the east Albert Benzler 17:19 Don't put the blame on me Layton and Johnstone 20:33 21:08 Guy Lombardo Heartaches (Same Artist as B1's sample is here though, The greatest mistake of my life) 21:46 Suppose Nobody Cared Dick Powell H1 38:36 Piano Medley of Layton & Johnstone Successes (Part 1) (Ramona) & Piano Medley of Layton & Johnstone Successes (Part 1) (Chiquita / Ramona)

[@persik123]

I'm surprised you didn't mention 5:10

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

Misplaced in time has been playing since like 2 seconds in.

[@birdlovesart]

23:54 sounds clearly like the first few notes of libet's delay

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

@@birdlovesart anytime with the piano chimes on layer one, that is the start of Libet's delay.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

49:30 that kinda sounded like all star. Maybe I'm going insane but I can swear I can hear all star through all the sound pollution. My brain is populated by all the different smash-ups I've heard in my life and then quickly memorized. All star is the essence of the universe. Smash Mouth is the universal constant. My mind is starting being to become ogre. Their are thoughts no mogre. I can see a dull green light at the end of the tunnel. I'm finally going to meet shrek via the great stairway to the all stars and he'll greet me when we both enter the great swamp in the sky together.

[@youtubeisevil]

Morge? You mean ogre?

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

@@youtubeisevil more + ogre portmanteau

[@aplasticsoldier9130]

It sounds like the midi version of all star but with some of the LAYERS peeled off

[@TunaminV1]

It’s never ogre

[@aplasticsoldier9130]

@@TunaminV1 But it's always a downward spiral

[@PremiereMisser]

Me Completing Stage 3: Fuck Yeah Halfway Through! Me 5 Seconds Into Stage 4: Oh Fuck Fuck Fuck Go Back Hell No

[@HS-bs1pv]

wow, it went from old 40's music to a broken record

[@memekinganimations6048]

*Actually it was 20s music and 30s music*

[@ChazzDiStefano]

The last 7 minutes of this are crushing. They’ve given up. Simple and minimal but one of the saddest sounds I’ve ever heard. Matches the painting perfectly

[@trurlCXC]

Ok, 3 hours of depressing music for visualisation of dementia and memory loss. Here me go! 0. (I'm 5 minutes in, and it's close to midnight, so after reading some of the top comments I decided to listen it up tomorrow. I have problems with sleep, so there is no point in deepening it. I'm leaving this as a reminder, I did not listen to one track a day, as I planned) On the other hand, the cover graphic reminds me of John Vermeer's 'Woman with a pearl', because of the colours, vauge human shape, and velon-like thing. I wonder if there is some deeper connection. Pearl, due to the way it is created (a clam, that swallowed a piece of debris, tries to lessen its pain, by covering it with with pearl masse. It however only enlarges the debris and brings more pain) is a symbol of suffering. The painting itself is rather mysterious - not a date nor name of the woman is known. On the contrary to other Vermeer's works, it is devoided of any narration, as if placed in a void. Intresting is the difference: Vermeer's girl reacts to something, maybe to the viewer; this girl isn't. Her face is devoided of life, when Vermeer's is clearly not. Lastly, she's placed instead of black (typical for baroque) in greenish yellow. Yellow is almost always associated in the visual art with negative feelings - most often with envy (not a case here) and with fear (!). 1. I must write down: in between 8 and 10 minute there's a clear distinction between fairly undistorted sound in the left earplug and distorted in the right. It seems this is alternating. I can't put my finger on, why is it this way. According to the description, this stage is introduction of fear, but this pattern would fit better as a confusion. Perhaps later I understand. 17 minute introduces a very unpleasant noise - apparently 8:00 - 17:00 was leading up for this, and my former edit is outdated - this fits perfectly and it is genuinely painful to listen to. 2. 22:00 is just scary. I have a feeling, as if I'm sitting in the middle of some frantic preparation for something, and I just can't understand what is going on. At this point I have no expectations. I can't imagine what is coming next. I can't imagine later stages. I heard the last 5 minutes is where this project really takes off - I can't visualise that either. Maybe only pure silence, as a symbol of complete loss of identity. Or a child's song, as a symbol of vulnerability, that comes with it. But it's too cheap, I don't think they would do that. About 40:00 I just might've heard the Special One melody. 3. I was scared of this track, because I thought it would be partial recollection of memories, and I would break. But it's fairly serene. A bit as if someone forgot all his worries. Ironic really, giving the fact that such serenity is actually a defeat in the struggle to perserve what's left. Upcoming confusion makes me uneasy however. 4. It wasn't so bad after all. Huh. 5. It was painful, but not unbearable. Maybe it's that I knew what was coming, or that I like ambient. I dunno. I had to pause after 22:00 section to regain composure. Slow bass should never ever be paried with quick squeeky sounds like these - never again. Unless there's a really good reason for this. That section was fucking terrifying, and I'm glad I postponed the thing. I can't imagined listening to this in a dark room and alone in the dead night, just before sleep - it's like perfect nightmare fuel. It's good to write when listening to this, because it keeps you grounded in reality. Oof, this is starting to be a challenge. Onto the next stage!

[@selfisht]

update us?????

[@trurlCXC]

@@selfisht i did... (°_°)

[@whyis2plus2]

E

[@hart418]

@@selfisht maybe he commented on stage 5

[@electrik_loss]

Stage 4 - J1 is the calm before the horror. I remember listening to this album in full, and that was the part where I broke. G1 and H1 terrified me and I wanted to cry out in fear, especially with the "Hell Sirens" of H1, but then I1 lulled me down, and I started tearing up. I felt scared and alone, yet calm. That beauty translated to one of my favorite parts of this masterpiece, J1. I took a small break after this part to get myself something to eat, and I stepped out on my porch and saw the full Moon, unimpeded by any clouds, and it was so beautifully bright. It was quite cold, but the last bit of J1 played for me over and over in my head. I also saw Orion, and again I began to tear up, I felt at peace. There was no me, just the Moon, Orion, and the cold air. With stages 5 and 6, well, you can guess how it went for me, but those last notes of J1 will keep repeating forever in my head.

[@youtubeisevil]

Great comment, thank you. I love J1 equally, my favorite track, very pleasant from start to finish and each section is exciting.

[@kittenplush]

As someone who has GAD and feels paranoid often, this was the scariest stage to listen to. I always felt like someone was behind me, watching me, waiting to grab me. Stage 3 was also sad to listen to, since this stage has the last coherent memories, but stage 4 feels so SCARY and I feel so PARANOID where I don’t feel that way with the other stages (stage 5 just seems like a bunch of gibberish where as this one, you can make out a bit more so I guess it makes you feel paranoid? I’m not sure why this is the case?) Anyone else feel this way?

[@itsfunnehfan4230]

Same. ( except for the GAD part )

[@hecklife6636]

@George Harrison general anxiety disorder i think

[@triposki3541]

i also have GAD and am extremely paranoid, though strangely this stage is just fascinating to me lol. i skip past the first few stages honestly. this thing's a bop

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

What's scary about this and stage 6 is that you can make out the memories, but they are not what they seem, they've been twisted into this monstrous torture. Stage 6 doesn't distort it as much, it sounds faded, like you just smoothly sanded a record player but evenly. But this they're barely recognizable but you can just make them out, at least with the other prost-awareness stages there is some abyss.

[@joe6go]

I havent even been able to Watch the whole 6 hours, and even then the snippets of post awareness i've listened to have reignited my childhood fear of the dark. Legit im 20 and I looked over at the doorway out of my room into pitch blackness (the door doesnt close properly so i just leave it open) and Instinctively turned on my phone flashlight so the all-consuming void doesnt spread further.

[@catHORSE]

37:49 The scariest part of the whole thing

[@dextercummings5923]

It’s actually a classical piece when sped up, and sounds pretty nice too

[@argonize]

No not really, that part just sounds cool... The real scariest part is the start of G1...

[@AldrichAFI]

This Stage breaks me. I don't know why. "Temporary Bliss Stage" makes me feel extremely sad. It brings out things from deep within me. Things I've never thought of, and things I wish to keep locked in there. It's like my subconscious just bursts and everything pours out. Out of all the album, that part breaks me. Automatically. I've listened to the whole album. But that part broke me the first time. I was just revisiting this Stage. And the second I heard the first notes, I teared while walking back home. It's just unbelievable... EATEOT is a masterpiece.

[@luettexiv]

after 36:30 i feel like im dying mentally. fucking chillingly beautiful.