We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

YOU WILL COMPLY

by ROBOSAPIEN

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $1 USD

     

1.

about

Greetings humans, cyborgs, androids, and other sapient beings. This is your resident Robosapien bassist. Most of our posts here are "fun" or "whimsical" but I'd like to step out of the persona for a moment to talk about the song that we're releasing today.

On August 12, 2019, our esteemed United States Attorney General, and Donald Trump's current legal enforcer, William Barr gave a speech at the Fraternal Order of Police's national conference wherein he, according to one frequent critic of government abuses, "declare[d] war on the general public." In his speech, he asserted that police are engaged in a perpetual war. That the public must take a "comply first" attitude with police. That there must be "zero tolerance for resisting police." That imposition of death sentences "must be swift and certain." When I learned about the speech a few days later, I felt like I had to rebel against it somehow. "YOU WILL COMPLY" was born out of that frustration.

You may have observed that Robosapien has numerous silly songs about technology, paranoia, espionage, cats, and the like. "YOU WILL COMPLY" is, on one level, another one of those silly songs. It imagines a dystopia where robots or artificial intelligence have become sentient and turn the tables on humanity. (There's even an Emerson, Lake & Palmer reference in there for the *checks headcount* precisely zero of you Robosapien fans who, like me, enjoy pompous 70s prog rock.) The chorus is intentionally blunt. YOU WILL COMPLY. YOU WILL COMPLY. There is no alternative offer to "kneel or be knelt." There is no warning or explanation that "resistance is futile." Compliance will not be rewarded. There is only compliance. While the song imagines Bill Barr's words in the context of a science-fiction dystopia, that is precisely the reality that he wants to bring about. And the police got the message, not that they needed a reminder.

Over the last few weeks, as peaceful protesters all across the country marched in response to the brutal murder of George Floyd, police responded by demanding compliance with utter disregard for public safety. They fired tear gas and pepper spray at crowds indiscriminately. They fired rubber bullets at people minding their own business, injuring and maiming many. They made no distinction of peaceful protesters, journalists, race, gender, children, or the elderly. All were equal at the business end of their weapons. They did it all knowing that they were being filmed from multiple angles. Police believe they should have the right to abuse, molest, assault, steal, and kill with impunity, without even a hint of accountability or oversight, and that we should probably thank them for the privilege. That is the message to take away from "YOU WILL COMPLY" right now.

But really, we don't care if you buy or listen to our dumb little song about robots. Go donate time and money to help rebuild black communities that have been disproportionately affected by police violence. Call your state and local legislators and council members and tell them to put a stop to warrior-style policing, judges rubber-stamping no-knock warrants, purchasing military equipment, qualified immunity, and civil asset forfeiture. Demand an end to a police culture that eschews all forms of accountability and the police unions that actively shield the worst abusers. YOU WILL COMPLY.

-Alex

NOTE: All funds from this release are being donated to #RestoreNorth

giving.onecause.com/public/02ad4737-2285-4ad2-91c6-95cd66b423bf/fundraisers/c60e5030-69ce-4853-8b11-4727da5054ad/donate

credits

released June 19, 2020

Written by Alex Lowery/Robosapien
Recorded by Robosapien
Mixed and Mastered by Knol Tate

Personnel:
Kenneth Bressler - Lead Synthesizer
Natalia Mendez - Lead Vocals
Alex Lowery - Bass Synthesizer
Will Mackin - Drums & Cymbals
Tommy Rehbein - Guitar & Vocals

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

ROBOSAPIEN Minneapolis, Minnesota

We are a collective of robots and robot-human hybrids holding secret meeting (called "shows") to intervene in the destructive activities of humans.

contact / help

Contact ROBOSAPIEN

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

ROBOSAPIEN recommends:

If you like ROBOSAPIEN, you may also like: