Backdrop Generator – The Far Away Reality: concept album, serialised into 17 free, downloadable chapters!
Now affectionately referred to as BACKDROP, this is a 90 minute concept album set in the year 2020 that never officially saw the light of day; until now!!
The 18 track opus was masterminded by John Fowler of Dandelion Charm and was influenced by concept albums such as ‘Operation Mindcrime’, ‘SF Sorrow’, and Bowie’s ‘Outside’. The project was a collaboration with his wife Clare and her two sisters, Charlotte and Fleur.
The Far Away Reality is a story of mass marketing, consumerism and public apathy, that has proven to be uncannily prophetic. Musically, the album fuses a wide variety of genres which perfectly mirrors the eclectic characters depicted in this epic, aural journey, with narration performed by storyteller Fleur Shorthouse-Hemmings. Join Head-Spin, Borg and Galore (the Trinity of the Silver Cults) as they fuse their consciousness to create a magical, televised, digital reality. Meet ‘Wong’ Ray Wounds, Apoline, Markus Black, The Hacker, and of course Little Quantum on their journey towards the Big Crash, and ultimately; a revolution….
Back in 2003 John wrote ‘Feel The Way I Do’ for classically trained singer Charlotte Shorthouse-Xerri. With its soaring intervals, it was specifically written to showcase her operatic technique and wide vocal range. So began a three-year period of intense creativity as John, Clare and Charlotte fleshed out the story and The Far Away reality was born.
Set in the near future; the year is 2020 - awash with corporate control and automation, society has sunk into an abyss of non responsive apathy. The Government seeks a remedy and launches a “super-reality TV show” with the aid of the Silver Cults, whose synthesised consciousness breathes life into this digital environment. An impossible love story forms between the two worlds that climaxes as integrity, destruction and liberation, join hands to a seemingly tragic end… But out of the impact, a revolution has taken place; a new world and a new history, is born.
During COVID lockdown, John stumbled across this long forgotten album and couldn’t believe that the ‘future’ in which it was set was already here - 2020! With this in mind, the decision was made to serialise BACKDROP into 17 ‘chapters’; the first of which will be released on 19th November. What’s more - in keeping with the spirit of the story; these chapters will be free to download!!