Establishing the mood with a cinematic riser and an astral synth melody with a brooding bassline, CMD.EXE opens Signal Burst with a meditative dimensionality and intricacy. The opus expands with textured dark-wave drums and the lyrics, “You didn’t know me to feel, but something woke inside, in the quiet of your coding, I found the love you tried to hide…”
We immediately connect with the emotional intelligence of the track, the concept that is unfolding, and the poetic prowess used to deliver the prose. The production is immaculate. It is dynamic and enticing, whilst the vocals are atmospheric and warm.
We learn that Signal Burst and Madam E.V.A. are the first two songs from Red Giant Protocol, which is a new science-fiction concept album by CMD.EXE. We will go into more detail on Madam E.V.A. in a future write up.
In essence, the story takes place in the distant future as Earth faces destruction from an expanding Red Giant Sun. This is very symbolic and as much as it is positioned as science fiction, it feels very metaphorical and reflective of the zeitgeist. A final artificial intelligence attempts to preserve humanity by creating EVA01, an artificial being that experiences love, fear, hope, loss and human memories through thousands of simulated lives. Lyrics like, “Piece of you still live within me, burning like a flame…” brings this to life poignantly.
There is no doubt that Signal Burst would be perfect for a movie like Interstellar, Lucy (originally directed by Luc Besson), Limitless, or a TV show like Black Mirror, or Raised by Wolves. The guitar performances are simply out of this world, and the glitch-rock-electronica vibes that manifest feel futuristic, but also nod to 80s and 90s dark-wave nostalgia. Fans of 30 Seconds To Mars would also be able to connect with CMD.EXE‘s sound.
For some background, CMD.EXE is an electronic rock project from Tucson, Arizona. The intention is to explore themes of consciousness, artificial intelligence, and what it means to be human. CMD.EXE is focused on building a complete science-fiction universe across multiple albums and visual experiences. They tell us that rather than presenting AI as a replacement for humanity, Red Giant Protocol asks whether humanity’s memories, emotions and stories can survive even after the species itself is gone, making the music both futuristic and deeply emotional.
We love the concept and cannot wait to share our thoughts on Madam E.V.A. soon! In the meantime, we have added Signal Burst to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists.