when i was 10 years old somebody told me that the world was going to end in 2012, on december 21. despite not believing in the theories surrounding the mayan long count calendar, i have since been obsessed with the idea of an end times, and what form it would take shape.

in this piece, which i have inventively named 'THE END TIMES', the apocalypse takes the form of a synchronised outer space attack and plethora of natural disasters. the lyrics are more or less quite vague but the first part is a half-narrative concerning a nihilistic teenager living in rural america whose uncle comes upon a spacecraft prophecising unknown horrors. the middle piano section is from the perspective of one of several migrants who have travelled to mars following the earth's destruction.

to divert the subject from the demise of our existence, the music is more guitar-driven and noisy than my previous records. this song, as well as acting as a soundtrack to the violent explosion of a caldera, is a slight indication of what my next full length lp, 'GRAPEFRUIT', will sound like. a little bit (it's not quite as foreboding as this piece)

again, i should stress that i do not believe there is even minutely reliable evidence to show that the world will end in 3 weeks, and as a result, believe there will be a 2013. however, i also think it's worth noting that one of the few scientifically verifiable end-of-the-world theories lies in recent studies of bee populations, which have been falling drastically over the past decade or so. although not centred around the beginning of the 13th b'ak'tun or related to mythology in any way, the endangerment of extinction of the bee would result in widespread poverty; the bee cannot be replaced by any existing piece of human technology, and mankind would simply die out without it. the world might not end in sync with what (people say the) mayans said, but we're probably not too far away from disaster (this is record is not doomsday-prejudiced, and its subject matter and atmosphere is applicable for all doomsday-related events)

as the years have progressed since 2007 i believe the world has become a little more chaotic, both naturally and due to the actions of human beings. i would put that down to simply growing older and being more aware of international atrocities and natural disasters, but this gradual crescendo of perceived bad omens has left a great impression on me. to anyone my age, december 21st will appear to be a great climax as our knowledge of the evils and dangers in the world has increased in tandem with a knowing awareness of mortality and, even when all logic and rationale says against it, a fear of the world ending on december 21.

the end of the world is 4 days before christmas, and 3 days after my next (and supposedly last) dentist appointment. it is the day after my dad's original retirement date, and on the day i will be washing dishes in an italian restaurant in delph. if anyone, human, mammalian, martian or saturnalian, wishes to join me, the penne markotte is very tasty.

enjoy the piece (and the universe - while you can!),
- kiran (28/11/12)