This track's origins go waaay back... to 2004 or so. It was the last song we started before leaving Hattiesburg, MS for the grayer pastures of NYC.
Some of our video game-inclined friends might recognize the ringing bells from the title screen of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The title-inspiring other sample is from Spaceballs: The Movie. The entire song is based on one of the best scenes in the movie: Lone Starr and crew have given the slip to Dark Helmet and Colonel Sandurz, who are now in the process of watching the video cassette of Spaceballs: The Movie. Their ingenious plan is to watch the movie they're currently participating characters in (“The newest breakthrough in home-video marketing... Instant cassettes, they're out in stores before the movie is finished.”) and fast forward to a later scene to determine the ultimate whereabouts of Lone Starr. They inadvertently play the tape from the exact point they're filming in the movie... kind of confusing:
When Will Then Be Now?
What the hell am I looking at? When does This happen in the Movie?
Now. You're looking at Now, sir
Everything that happens Now, is happening Now.
What happened to Then?
We passed It.
When?
Just Now
We're at Now, Now.
Go back to then.
When?
Now.
Now?
Now.
I can't.
Why?
We missed It.
When?
Just Now.
Just Now.
When will Then be Now?
Soon.
Everything that happens Now, is happening Now.
The song's not really inspired by much else other than that scene and how neat we think the whole idea of it is. It's like being in a room with mirrors on opposing walls. You stand between them and you see your image repeated infinitely, smaller and smaller each time. I'd lean in real close to see how small the images eventually got, but my head would then get in the way as I got closer. Attempting to study the details ruined the effect. How quantum mechanical.
The Bass is the anchor, set perspectives accordingly.