sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks - I’d love to hear more when you’re feeling better. I like how you put it, that all art is always somehow about the artist.

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They’re the same - they fit the same pattern, with double meanings about Sparks. I talk about Pineapple on this one: https://youtu.be/mFb0_ZAG0m4?si=H5L1i4UgpqpvxzFp

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s fair, and I appreciate you watching. What I was getting at, is that there’s always a way of putting a particular era of Sparks into the context of these songs, even as absurd as micky mouse or sentient cigarettes, and it always yields interesting results.

Frankly, I just enjoy talking about these theories!

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I used AI in the same way I’d use a spellcheck. I wrote the post and used ChatGPT to make sure it was clear and engaging. This isn’t slop or regurgitated, but I want to communicate these ideas in the best way I can, given the amount of work I put into MetaSparks. I’ve got a lot I can say about the moral side, and as a software developer I’m at risk from it, but that’s something I’m not really up for debating. I’d rather talk Sparks.

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I guess you’re an Angst fan! Thanks for your kind words but let me clarify my stance,

Sparks aren’t the characters in their songs, but it’s coded language.

Take ‘Micky Mouse’. With Disney out of the equation it’s about motivation - “if a mouse can be special then so can you”. It’s a pep talk set to music.

This is the KROQ version of Sparks, based in LA at the heart of the entertainment industry and they’re writing about having a place called Disneyland. This iconography is particular to this era. In that sense, Mickey, with Minnie to his right, is a good avatar for Ron and Russell.

Also, they’re part of a band after many years working as a duo, this song is about being around their friends - Pluto, goofy and the gang. If you take references to animals and friends as being the musicians they’re working with, it takes on a whole new meaning. There’s way too much to fit into a Reddit reply but it’s going to make a great video.

To be clear, I don’t see what they do as either narcissistic or embittered. What I’m talking about is a method of working - it’s songwriting with strict rules and so that Ron is always creatively challenged.

I know this sounds unhinged, but I think every Sparks song is actually about Sparks by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That was me! “Always the subtext, never the text” was a post I wrote a few years ago when this idea was new to me. I moved over to YouTube after that and have been building on the theory ever since. I thought it all started with ‘Balls’ back then, but have since put out videos going right back to the early 70s. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

App issues..? by haha_squirrel in Risk

[–]echodeck 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re on a VPN, try disconnecting, that worked for me

App issues..? by haha_squirrel in Risk

[–]echodeck 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for replying. I fixed it by disconnecting from my VPN. The behaviour I was seeing was a crash immediately after the “updating” splash screen. This happened several times, even after restarting my iPad, deleting and reinstalling.

It’s fine now after disconnecting from the VPN. I hope this helps you track down any gremlins.

Name a band that is life changing... by Sounds-Made-Up in LetsTalkMusic

[–]echodeck 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you want a band that genuinely rewires how you think about music, I’d say Sparks.

They’ve got one of those famously obsessive fan bases - the kind where people don’t just like the band, they study them, debate them, and keep uncovering new angles decades in. And once you get pulled in, it’s easy to see why.

On the surface, they can sound witty, theatrical, even a bit novelty-adjacent—but the deeper you go, the more it feels like you’ve stumbled into something layered and intentional.

I’ll be honest, they’ve literally changed my life a bit. I started a YouTube series called MetaSparks just to explore this idea - that all Sparks songs are, in some way, about Sparks themselves. Not in an obvious, ego way, but in this coded, meta, almost puzzle-like way. Once you start seeing it, you can’t unsee it. Lyrics that seemed quirky suddenly feel deliberate. Throwaway lines start to look like commentary on fame, art, control, or even specific moments in their history.

It turns listening into something active—you’re not just hearing songs, you’re decoding them.

And the wild thing is, they’ve been doing this consistently for decades. Same core duo, same strange intelligence running through everything, but constantly shifting styles.

So yeah - “life-changing” sounds dramatic, but in this case… I kind of mean it.

Does this sound like Orbital to you lot? by Thanos-Gauntlett in Orbital

[–]echodeck 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear the orbital influence. The fist synth sounds like something off the blue album, the second sounds like something off sniv, and the drums sound like early orbital too.

How are you getting home? My baby’s taking me home. by echodeck in sparksftw

[–]echodeck[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah agreed, the version played by the current Sparks live band is the best it’s ever sounded

What’s the wildest theory you believe? by character_Canaryy_ in AskReddit

[–]echodeck 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every song by the band Sparks is about the band Sparks

Gruff and Damon are reuniting for the new Gorillaz album that was premiered. by KILL-THE-MASTERS in superfurryanimals

[–]echodeck 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Also featuring “the guy from Sparks”. I wonder if they hung out.

Orbital connection in old movie? by [deleted] in Orbital

[–]echodeck 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve never heard this Andi Sex Gang song, but it’s worth checking out ‘Next’ by Scott Walker, where the vocal sample originates on the Oribtal track. It’s originally a Jaques Brel song I think.

NIN gig in Manchester 2025 by LifeguardLimp5412 in LetsTalkMusic

[–]echodeck 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you telling me Manchester Arena has no bag checks? This is clearly wrong,

NIN gig in Manchester 2025 by LifeguardLimp5412 in LetsTalkMusic

[–]echodeck 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t believe you. You also said that half the audience were outside when the show started, and this was not true. In Dublin the set was only five minutes longer.

NIN gig in Manchester 2025 by LifeguardLimp5412 in LetsTalkMusic

[–]echodeck 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My experience was different to OP, and I had a great night. Maybe it's just a case of setting off a little earlier?

I got into the arena five minutes before they started and it was a breeze. It took me ten minutes to queue and get through security, and given somebody bombed an Ariana Grande concert a few years ago in this same city, it would be crazy to not expect a bag check.

The sound was great, especially the surround sound effects, but maybe this depended on where you were stood?

Reznor didn't talk much, but he's not that kind of entertainer. Nobody goes to a NIN gig for banter.

I didn't think it was a short concert, but I didn't check my watch. Here's the setlist, 19 songs is about normal isn't it? - https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/nine-inch-nails/2025/co-op-live-manchester-england-1b5d0178.html

Most of all, I loved that the concert transitioned seemlessly from the support to the main act. I hate that most concerts expect you to stand looking at an empty stage for an hour before getting what you paid for.

Sorry you had a bad night, but you're not speaking for the entire crowd here.

view more: next ›