ONES & ZEROS - VOLUME 0

Volume 1 (2015) of 3RDegree's Ones & Zeros portrayed a futuristic, transhumanist society and promised a second installment. What the band delivered in 2018 was far superior to a would-be "Volume 2" -- we now instead have Volume 0, not a sequel but more of a companion prequel. Volume 0 is rooted in the technological present, suggesting how humanity might wend its careless way toward the ostensibly exciting but intrinsically bleak world of Volume 1.

In my Volume 1 review, I wished aloud that Ones & Zeros had been released complete rather than in halves. I was wrong. Against all odds, the separateness of these two volumes actually strengthens their unification, offering listeners the welcome option to enjoy the pair in two different but equally effective sequences. Personally I'm glad to have heard Volume 1 first: with this nonlinear trajectory I was forced to make assumptions about what would follow, only to have deeper layers peeled away as the underlying realities of Volume 0 came to light and challenged my assumptions. Throughout Volume 0 (which I would argue is the slightly stronger of the two) are plenty of moments that foreshadow the inevitable "logical conclusion" that is Volume 1. Of course, one can just as easily focus on either individual album at a time; each stands well enough alone despite containing many clever references to the other.

Yes, the uniquely versatile structure of Ones & Zeros is one of its main triumphs -- but 3RDegree knows that structure and theme alone are not enough to carry an album (or especially two). Fortunately for us, these lofty overarching ideas are held together by terrific songs. The music's primary purpose is to support the thoughtful lyrics, but the music itself is tight, melodic, and beautifully nuanced, with many of the lush vocal harmonies we've come to expect from this sextet. If the opening riff of "Re1nstall_0verture" doesn't start your blood flowing and synapses firing, please check your pulse because Valhalla Biotech may already have stripped you of your soul. And ultimately that may be the point of this whole thing: Volume 0's closer claims, somewhat ironically, that "It's always been binary code...This magic's only ones and zeros." Yet if the endlessly thrilling potential of our technology has left us feeling more disconnected than ever, it just might be time to rediscover our humanity and find our way back to ourselves.

The future DOES need you -- and it needs more great music like this to keep sentient beings awake.