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h o u r m a r k . A s h o r t , s t r u c t u r e d p i e c e
o f m u s i c a n d s i n g i n g , w h i c h i s r e p -
r e s e n t i n g t h e v o i c e a n d e n t i t y o f t h e
d e a d p e r s o n , i s s u b t i t l e d " R e q u i e m " .
T h e v o i c e i n t h e s o n g i s r e a s s u r i n g
t h e s u f f e r i n g , l i v i n g p e r s o n t h a t t h e y
( t h e d e a d p e r s o n ) a r e s t i l l w i t h t h e m ,
a n d t h a t t h e y s h o u l d n o t t r y t o f o r g e t
t h i s i n t e n s e l o v e t h e y s h a r e d . . . . . . t h a t t o
f o r g e t t h i s l o v e w o u l d b e t o f o r g e t t h e i r
w h o l e l i f e a n d t h e i r w h o l e b e i n g .
A n d s o b e g i n s t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h i s
l o n g j o u r n e y t h r o u g h d e a t h , a v e r y
u n s t r u c t u r e d e l e c t r o n i c s e c t i o n m a d e
w i t h i P h o n e s a n d s y n t h v o i c e s . T h i s
I t b e g i n s w i t h a p i e c e t h a t r e s e m b l e s
a s t r u c t u r e d s o n g . . . . b u t i t i s a l o n g s o n g
t h a t g o e s f o r a b o u t 2 5 m i n u t e s . I t h a s
1 0 v e r s e s , b u t w e r e a l l y g e t t h e f e e l i n g
t h a t i t g o e s o n i n d e f n i t e l y . T h e r e i s a
r e p e a t e d l i n e a t t h e e n d o f e a c h v e r s e
w h i c h i s t h e p u n i s h i n g r e a s o n t h e s o n g
e x i s t s - t h e l i n e , a n d I c a n t s h u t o f f
m y h e a d i s p r o b a b l y o n e o f t h e w o r s t
a f f i c t i o n s h u m a n m i n d s c a n s u f f e r ( i t i s ,
f o r s u r e , a r u n g b e l o w t h e h i g h e s t w o r s t
p h y s i c a l p a i n t h a t w e c a n t s h u t o f f ) . . . .
a n d t h e 2 4 h o u r s , t h o u g h i t i s l o n g f o r a
s i n g l e p i e c e o f m u s i c , i s r e a l l y o n l y o n e
d a y . . . . s o m e m i n d s a r e n o t a b l e t o s h u t
t h e m s e l v e s o f f f o r y e a r s a n d y e a r s . .
d r e a m s w h e r e t h e l i v i n g p e r s o n i s
s e e i n g , h o l d i n g o r t a l k i n g t o t h e d e a d
p e r s o n . . . . . o n l y t o a w a k e s h o c k e d a g a i n
t h a t t h e r e a l p e r s o n i s n o l o n g e r h e r e .
T h i s s e c t i o n g o e s o n f o r a b o u t a n h o u r
a n d h a l f a n d l e a d s i n t o t h e l o n g e s t
s e c t i o n o f 7 S k i e s H 3 , a n a b s t r a c t
p i e c e o f i m p r o v i s e d p e r f o r m a n c e s .
T h i s p i e c e i s s u b t i t l e d M e t a m o r p h o -
s i s . I t c l i m a x e s a n d d i e s r e p e a t e d l y
f o r 7 h o u r s . I t i s a t u m u l t u o u s , c r u m -
b l i n g , t i m e - s u s p e n d e d s e r i e s o f c h o r d
c h a n g e s w i t h d y n a m i c a l t e r e d s t a t e s .
T h i s l e a d s u p t o t h e m i d d l e o f 7
S k i e s H 3 , s o m e w h e r e a r o u n d t h e 1 2
24 HOUR SONG SKULL
7 SKIES H3
and, as occasionally happens when
conceptualizing, I could see the whole
universe in an instant.
7 Skies H3 is based on the concept
of an intense, romantic love tragically
left suspended at the height of its lust
and power by the suicide of the young
woman. It is a retreat into the nether
world of loss....it is a rehab holding
station designed not to comfort, but
to simply accompany the mind devas-
tated by grief. It is long and weird and,
like I said earlier, it is a sound odyssey
and is perhaps, as some have sug-
gested, our deepest voyage yet.
A l o n g , r e p e a t i n g o r c h e s t r a t e d s e c -
t i o n w h i c h c a r r i e s t h e m a i n t h e m e
o f 7 S k i e s H 3 i s f o l l o w e d b y a s l o w
m o t i o n v e r s i o n o f t h e f n a l s t r u c t u r e d
p i e c e , w h i c h i s s u b t i t l e d C a n t L e t I t
G o . C a n t L e t I t G o i s n o t o f f e r i n g
a n y s o l u t i o n . . . . w e a r e c h a n g e d b y o u r
e x p e r i e n c e s . S o m e o f t h e s e e x p e r i -
e n c e s w e w i l l b e a b l e t o l i v e w i t h . . . .
a n d m a y b e s o m e o f t h e m w e w i l l n o t
b e a b l e t o l i v e w i t h . W e c a n n o t c o n t r o l
o u r m i n d . . . . . . . .
T h e s t r u c t u r e d b e g i n n i n g t e l l s u s t h a t
w e a r e s e t t l i n g i n a n d i s s e t t i n g u s u p
f o r s o m e t h i n g l i k e a d r i f t . . . . . a n d o n c e
t h e d r i f t s t a r t s , i t i s r e l e n t l e s s . P i e c e
N o . 1 , w h i c h w e w i l l g i v e t h e s u b t i t l e
A n d N o w T h a t Y o u r e N o t H e r e , d i s -
s o l v e s i n t o a c a l l i o p e t r a n c e w i t h m a j o r
a n d m i n o r c e l e s t i a l s e c t i o n s . I t i s a
f o r e v e r - b u i l d i n g p i e c e o f n o n - p e r f o r -
m a n c e m u s i c t h a t g o e s f o r a l i t t l e o v e r
a n h o u r , s e g u e i n g w i t h s o m e k i n d o f
r a d i a t i o n w i n d i n t o a s t r e t c h e d s l o w -
m o t i o n , g r i n d i n g v e r s i o n o f A n d N o w
T h a t Y o u r e N o t H e r e , w h i c h i s , a g a i n ,
a m e a s u r e m e n t o f p e r c e p t i o n . . . . . w h e n
w e a r e i n e x t r e m e m e n t a l o r p h y s i c a l
p a i n , t i m e s l o w s d o w n . . . . . w h e n o u r j o y s
a r e a t t h e i r z e n i t h , d a y s c a n g o b y u n -
n o t i c e d .
T h i s b r e a k s i m m e d i a t e l y i n t o t h e
f o u r t h s e g m e n t , w i t h g a l l o p i n g , b r u t a l ,
d i s t o r t e d d r u m s a n d b a t t l i n g v o i c e s
f r o m b e y o n d . T h i s s e g m e n t g o e s o n
f o r a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 1 / 2 h o u r s , d r i f t i n g
i n t o a s h o r t , m e l l o w , e l e c t r o n i c t o y f a c -
t o r y s e t t i n g ( s u p p l i e d b y y o u n g w e i r d o
r o c k g e n i u s e s P i t c h w a f u z z ) , a n d t h e n
g o i n g i n t o a n o t h e r g a l l o p i n g s e c t i o n
s u b t i t l e d I n A D r e a m . L y r i c a l l y , t h i s
s e c t i o n e v o k e s t h e n e v e r s e t t l i n g ,
n e v e r a n s w e r e d g h o s t s o f d r e a m s . . . . .
s e c t i o n i s b o t h u n s e t t l i n g a n d s o o t h -
i n g a n d f a d e s i n t o t h e m o s t r e l a x i n g
s e g m e n t o f t h e e n t i r e 2 4 h o u r s . A
b - f a t c h o r d i s s t r u m m e d f o r a l m o s t 4
h o u r s w i t h v a r y i n g a c c o m p a n i m e n t . . . . .
s o m e s e c t i o n s p l a y i n r e v e r s e . T h i s
l e a d s t o a n o t h e r p l e a s a n t , d i r e c t i o n -
l e s s , i m p r o v i s e d s y n t h e s i z e r j a m w h i c h
g o e s a b r u p t l y i n t o a n h o u r o f p u m m e l -
i n g c h a o s s u b t i t l e d R i o t I n M y B r a i n ,
w h i c h i s m a d e u p o f a s h o r t l o o p f r o m
a n i m p r o v i s e d f r e a k o u t j a m ! ! ! I t l o s e s
i t s f o o t i n g s e v e r a l t i m e s a n d k e e p s t h e
l i s t e n e r a l m o s t c o m p l e t e l y o f f - b a l a n c e
f o r a l m o s t a n h o u r , d i s s o l v i n g i n t o t h e
f n a l 2 1 / 2 h o u r s .
7 Skies H3, (or, as it will prob-
ably forever be known, The 24 Hour
Song), is not so much a song....it is
more a sound odyssey. The title 7
Skies H3 comes from an iPhone app
that Steven had initially played the very
haunting melody of (what we will refer
to as) the main theme with. I believe
he changed it eventually to another
similar sound, but 7 Skies H3 was
what I had written down the frst time
hearing it. I thought 7 Skies H3
sounded like the name of a drug or the
scientifc equation of a newly discov-
ered galaxy. This cool title and its
mournful sound exploded in my mind
WRITTENBY
THE FLAMING LIPS
WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, MICHAELIVINS,
KLIPH SCURLOCK AND DEREK BROWN
PRODUCEDBY
THE FLAMING LIPS, DAVE FRIDMANN
AND SCOTT BOOKER
RECORDEDBY
Dave Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios.
Oct. 2011 in Cassadaga, NY
ENGINEEREDBY
Dave Fridmann and Michael Ivins
AUDIOMASTERINGBY
Dave Fridmann
MEDIAMASTERINGBY
Dave Fridmann, Michael Ivins and George Salisbury
ADDITIONAL MUSICBY
Pitch Wah Fuzz
24 HOURSONGSKULL
CONCEPT ANDDESIGNBY
Wayne Coyne, George Salisbury and Rick Sinnett
HUMANSKULL CONSULTING
Skulls Unlimited International
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
CHROME DRIPS
The Crucible and Ramos Chrome Plating
BOXFUR
Kyle Bunting Design
24 HOURSTREAMPAGE
Daniel Giles Helm, Tate James and George Salisbury