The award-winning stop motion animation production company Spare Flesh (Hugo Docking, Erin Hilsdon, Henry Blackaller, Pip Denning & Mike Docking) from the United Kingdom have brilliantly adapted the first single off “A Long Absence” for the screen! Spare Flesh have just come off of creating Moving Parts, To The Brink, Gagging For It and the last refinements of Ritual of Purification. Greatness was inevitable with casting and coordination from the legendary Roos Mattaar (Moon Bird, My Octopus Mind, Nieuwstad, Early Man, A Great Worry, DNA/ The Keys, Sparks, Womb Stories etc.).

The character is inspired by the Sith Lord Darth Maul from George Lucas’ Star Wars universe. Our protagonist is a recluse who’s been on a 9 year hermitage far up in the mountains. He’s been immersed in ancient texts, namely, from the Tibetan Buddhist lineage. Hugo alluded to this leading him to grind down his spikes, grow a long beard and apply his markings with minimalism. (S)Maul is even down to two robes.

Storyboard (Concept Development)

The idea was to have a painting come to life in surreal fashion and then return to its original form by the end of the runtime. I think we achieved well beyond what was first envisioned. The format of choice is a mixture of live puppetry and stop motion animation. Hugo warned that within this Tibetan painting, it could become a Han Solo Stuck In Carbonite situation. Let’s take a quick glance at the murals of Tibet to anchor ourselves in the muse:

Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery Temple M
ural

(Painted by Kalsang Damchoe)

Jewels (Easter Eggs)

It’s always fun when creatives stowaway hidden gems for fans to discover. A way to reward attentiveness in this life that goes by on hyperdrive. The first of which relates to the triquetra symbol found on the box. Many call it the trinity symbol and this version is a labyrinth-influenced arc. Its significance will align upon hearing the concept for Track 6 on the album.

Labyrinth-Edition Triquetra Symbol

(A threshold for crossing the trinity of time, past-present-future, beyond dimensions)

What’s in the box? Darth (S)Maul’s dual lightsaber.

(Remnants of a man trying to leave behind his past, i.e. history of violence)

Relationship to the Album

DSPW is basically the launching point of the album where the journey truly begins. After his hermitage and awakening, (S)Maul plans to return to the nearest cityscape and follow his dharma to enlighten others; share wisdom.

Part 1: Behind The Scenes

Part 2: Main Cover

Part 3: Film-Style Poster

Part 4: Symbolic Connectivity

Penmanship (The Lyrics)

Sitting on a fortune these garments expand minds,
no reciting lines empty on a philistine,
scriptures on the inside,
a mantra you've yet to see,
here raising vibrations symbols in the message,
this purified wheel stays element-powered,
eternal recurrence we shatter the towers,
loss merit to press play,
Small Pro breaking sound barriers,
strings lifted from dreams blessings do follow the,
all expected the least,
rather distinctive of the Sith,
gideon and opulence dispelling illusions,
jewels cause electro-magnetic distortions,
a blackout like '99 method in portions,
lineage of dark fades..
laurels surround the shrine..
insignias scar this skin of mine..
ancient future stone medallion the saber near,
dual-in-a-box beside revolving bookcase for any sage,
strange disciples still wanting me to preface this,
layers and textures stone bricks a pacifist,
Godbody heard it all over the years,
no record of birth it's imperceivable,
out of this darkness it's still anomalous,
they're really after a shadow..
been saying the world never enough,
I've seen the future and I know the interest,
triquetra wormhole I know where it's at,
temptations to change the past,
off in these clouds,
the allure of the Sith lords,
been vilified mystic spirits channeling the earth core though,
some believe this was written off-world,
portals for my recluse community,
silent illumination peripheral folklore,
first and last freedom from the prayer wheel,
no regrets heading back to self

Third eye open spin the wheel (repeat)

Mixing and Mastering

From the sketch below, Small Pro was able to reimagine a custom world for the official version that not only suits the identity of the album but also matches the concept for the song and the textures in my vocal approach.

Small Pro and I mixed the entire record, from the layers of instrumentation, vocals, effects, drops, skits and all other nuances that go into the creative process of making music. He’s really one the best producers in the world and I’m hoping to further showcase this on release day. From Philadelphia, USA to arcNCR, Canada; we’ve crafted a transcendent 18-Song concept album.

Brian Kidd in North Carolina, USA mastered the audio from the vocation of his 1Sound1Vision imprint. Let “Darth (S)Maul Prayer Wheel” be your entry point into the upcoming landscape. You can expect an exceptionally monumental experience of an LP, something century-proof. At first, you’ll ponder about the haunting presentation but shortly thereafter, you’ll realize the layers and intentionality in every decision.

Compounded Gratitude

I want to carve out this space to thank all of the players involved in the creation of my first music video. It’s a big achievement and I’ve always been a fan of stop motion holding a high respect for the form. To the team over in the United Kingdom; Hugo, Erin, Henry, Roos, I extend endless gratitude your way for being apart of this reverie. For your attention, infinite skill, time, care and dedication to crafting with the peak of your abilities. Without your collective gravitas, none of this would exist.

To the team over in the United States of America; for making this song shine in all the brightest and darkest ways. Small Pro for redesigning the soundscape to suit the artist at hand and trusting the vision for the album. To Brian for mastering all the joint-stereo levels to threshold heights. To Clara here in Canada for the impeccable credit rollout and all those detailed refinements that make a world of difference in the final product.

I hope you’re all as proud as I am! (S)Maul’s expedition will continue shortly during the album itself. He brought a lasting and timeless frequency exchange into our lives. Watching him embrace the truth of his reality, coalescing into ones’ life purpose; showing us we can do the same. Perhaps there will be a day when we will all be awakened, unmasked, perceptive to everything happening around us.

Release Date

With the album officially set in motion 2024-07-19, there will be (3) more singles out before the mystifying “A Long Absence” Pre-Order ☸ in the fall. You can find “Darth (S)Maul Prayer Wheel” on iTunes, Spotify and ↬ Bandcamp!

Peace, love, stone and light. —Dex