Drawing us in with an intimate piano performance with brooding bass chords and cerebral vocalizations, Mesmonized opens Song for I K Prisoner 804 Imran Khan with the viscerally powerful situational prose, “Don’t know who 803 is, don’t know when 803 will be free, never heard of 805, don’t know if he’s still alive, 804 talk to me, show the way…”
Immediately we are moved by the narrative, which feels heart-wrenching and shocking. For some context, “Prisoner 804” refers to Imran Khan. He was the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018–2022, and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. He has been incarcerated since August 2023.
Following his ouster, he was sentenced to over a decade in prison in various corruption and state secret cases. He became a symbol of defiance for his supporters, who use “804” as a rallying cry against the military-backed government.
Mesmonized brings this story to life with a high emotional quotient, a sublimely poetic approach to song creation and a spiritual depth that feels tangible, and truly important. We appreciate the zeitgeist nature of the message, at a time when we as a society need an educational expansion. Mesmonized is brilliantly shedding light on an issue that resonates far beyond the confines of Imran Khan’s cell.
The rising British artist confesses, “I have a great deal of work that I wanted to release but this song has taken precedence due to the nature of the changing health situation of Imran Khan. He has lost the vision in one eye and is still being denied access to his team of lawyers, family and physicians. This has now just become a very critical piece of work in highlighting to the world what a dictatorship looks like in real time. I am very proud of this song.”
Mesmonized continues with passion, “I believe democracy as we know it is being eroded away and elitists control who comes to power and who doesn’t rather than the people’s mandate as is the case in Pakistan. Imran Khan is being illegally incarcerated in a death cell in Pakistan. The west that speaks about democracy and champions human rights is relatively silent on this matter. We can’t and we shouldn’t stay silent when it’s a question of human rights.”
Peter Gabriel and Roger Waters are referenced as sonic influences for the track, based on their intention-driven music which reflects “a deep sense of purpose and commitment”, which we appreciate, although there is no doubt that Mesmonized is carving out a sonic universe unto his own design.
Needless to say, we are in awe, and have added Song for I K Prisoner 804 Imran Khan to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream Mesmonized‘s debut single, Deep Blue Sea/Mary.