Blame Game featuring Harry Shotta is a pioneering 20-minute music experience comprising four tracks and five-part audio-only cinematic scenes. This piece explores socio-economic issues such as crime, poverty, deprivation and mental health. The story is told from different perspectives reflected in the lyrics and narrative transitions that help the audience to better understand the complexity of the depicted relationships.

The aim of this collaboration was to bring together conventional music production and songwriting with the narrative sound design and new generation immersive audio technologies usually associated with cinema and gaming.

“We wanted to engulf our audience in music as well as physical environments. The project utilises a number of experimental techniques including recordings with ambisonic and wearable binaural microphones that offer a new sound to the listening experience typically not included in conventional stereo productions.” Oliver Kadel 2021

The use of spatial sound design for narrative components and cutting edge Dolby Atmos audio format for music mixing brings the audience face to face with the stories unfolding throughout. Blame Game EXP showcases the true potential of immersive storytelling to on-demand music streaming.

LYRICS

The Joker

Tears of a clown with the biggest cheesiest grin you’ll see,

Trying to meet society’s standards; no one pays attention to me,

Tension feel it deeper than most, bensons yeah I’m blazing them smokes,

Since day one I been like knock knock, but no ones laughing at them jokes,

Knock knock who’s there there’s no answer, from time I awoke,

To the time I sleep I get no peace, and so called decent folk,

Don’t ever answer my cries of help, and I’m hooked on legal dope,

And now they say they wanna take it away and we say there do called decent blokes,

Who got me hooked on these medicine, in there ties and suits so educated,

But there profiting on my misery on there chemicals I have vegetated,

And look at them how there celebrated when deep down there the sick ones,

And they say I’m sick cause I’m in the dirt,

But they put me here all them rich ones,

With there big talk, and there big houses,

It’s time to turn on the big guns,

I got a little gun, but got six bullets, so if practise taking out six ones,

There’s six less ah some sick fucks, this world is gonna l know my face,

I had to fight back to find this peace and now I really know my place....

Welcome to the mind of the joker,

You tried to laugh me now I'm saying the jokes over,

Cause when the jokes on you, you don’t get it, and I’m delirious,

Looking in my eyes like why so serious.....

You turn away in disgust,

I disgust you discuss me in your meetings with this doctors I don’t trust,

Think you got me sussed, do you?

Do you really know me, from birth, I couldn’t fly cause I was crushed,

By an adopted mum and abusive step father, but that was brushed,

Under the carpet, dreams I have are some of the darkest,

but there just flashbacks of my childhood, took a toy from the market,

Punishment was that leather belt on my back, bang hit the target,

My face and his legs he’d never mark it,

Now it’s 10 years on follow his car watch him park it, it’s time to make amends,

I got a joke that I scribbled down and the punchline says sweet revenge,

Them therapists just condescend if i do this closure mark the end,

Of that chapter, I just can’t pretend,

Anymore, like how could you defend,

His actions, my innocence he stole it,

He gave me this anger but now I can’t control it,

So I’m kicking off the door, heart racing it’s payback pull you to the floor,

Before I take your life I wanna see the fear in your eyes that you saw once before in me....

I’m the shiver down your spine,

The character you never see

Your turn a blind eye, I’m too ugly for your memories,

I have no friends, I have no enemies,

I’ve never felt compassion, they never gave me empathy,

My memories are all nightmares if my destiny was meant to me,

Then I’m cursing this wicked world for these demons they sent to me,

there’s no turning back I knew this day would come eventually,

The doctor said that I’m healthy but I’m far from healthy mentally I’m the joker.....

Nosy Neighbour

I’m the nosy next door neighbor or at least that’s what they call me,

Call me what you like there’s something I don’t like bout number 40,

In my building something don’t seem right I know I’m right, I sense it,

Told my kids stay away from there kid & they know that I meant it,

Swear that kid is mental, no parental control that’s essential,

He just sits outside his door with his colouring books and pencils,

That’s not normal is it, even when weather’s exquisite,

He don’t go outside to play, grandparents never visit,

Explicit movies always playing everytime I pass him.

Sometimes wanna say are you ok but I don’t ever ask him,

I just got to much to do, I’m on my way I am departing,

Shut my door, forget it, kids are starving there dinners need starting,

Chopping up these carrots on the chopping board, grilling the chicken,

Stick in them potato’s in the microwave,

Time bomb ticking,

Thinking maybe I should ring the social, grab the phone then dismiss,

All them thoughts put down the phone because it is none of my business....

Look away, look away,

Look away,

I’m crying out for help everyday

They look away look away

Nobody looking, am I invincible....

One day, everybody’s gonna pay

I’m the local shop keeper, I sing along to Dua Lipa,

Such a happy go lucky character I’m that type of geezer,

People pleaser since the shamen sung that song bout Ebenezer,

E’s are good in this niegbhourhood pay by debit or the visa,

Looking out my winda, everyday I see the same stuff,

Couple kids pushing this one kid but kiddies play rough,

Evenday they rough him up maybe he’s needs to toughen up,

The other day he tried to hide, he had his coat all buttoned up,

But they recognised him cause his attire is always shabby,

Couple holes in his coat, but now these boys are getting aggy,

Grabby grabby pushed him to the floor,

I heard him cry stop,

so I jumped over the counter and I ran out of the shop,

Screaming leave him alone, they looked up kicked him in his chops,

Then they run away laughing, all heading back into there blocks

I nearly called the police but then I shooked my head and dismissed,

All them thoughts out of my mind because it is none of my business....

What a day it's been, another 24 hours in hell,

left the house before he woke,

Carrying my speak n spell,

No one speaks to me, that’s ok on my way back from my school,

Nearly home i thought I made it, but that weren’t to be at all,

Out of nowhere they grabbed me and then they through to me the floor,

I just let em do it I ain’t got no fight left anymore,

Heard the shop door open, then they kicked me in my dome

Thanks for scaring them away but then he

left me on my own,

Back to number 40, petrified of home sweet home,

So I sit outside the front door, in my lickle zone,

A lady with her shopping passed, I’m feeling so alone,

I look up she looks looks me in my eyes face full of stone,

Jingle jangle keys goes into her yard,

I look up into the heavens why is life so hard,

I just need someone to help me, I just someone to witness,

What I’m going through, I guess they think it’s none of their business....

Stuck In A Trap

Ungrateful little fucker,

Took her little boy on and she plays me for a sucker,

At first she showed respect for me, she used to show me gratitude,

She says she’s sick of me well I’m sick of her attitude,

I’m out working like a dog, putting in the hours,

Come back from work, she’s in her dressing gown and still ain’t showered,

No dinner on the table, nah there’s fuck all my plate,

& to top if off she cooked for herself and her bloody mate,

So the kitchen is a state I take a look at her face,

And feel nothing but contempt, deep feelings of hate,

All I do is bloody give and all they do is bloody take,

In the same bed but she just rolls over I lay awake,

While she’s texting on her phone tap tap for God’s snake,

I feel like Adam I can’t fathom I got sucked in by a snake,

I’m gonna break I’m at boiling point, she don’t appreciate,

a single thing I do, I wanna move on but it’s too late....

I’m stuck in this trap,

Everyday I work hard & I get nothing back,

(I get nothing)

So sometimes I react,

I’m not saying that is right but you don’t know the facts,

So if I gave him a slap and made a mark on his arm,

My dad did the same to me and it’s done me no harm,

You try being me, for just one day,

Maybe then you’ll understand why I am this way....

This kids doing my nut in, he always wants suttin,

I’m trying to watch the footy, there he is trying to but in,

I’m entitled to some me time, I’m never given nothing,

Feeling paranoid off of this this puff I’m puffing, throw my can in the dustbin

In a perfect world I would be-down the boozer,

Now she knows I want to hear this and she’s starting with the hoover,

Fuck sake, now he’s playing shitty tunes on his pad,

I regret the day I said I’d be happy to be his dad,

Cause I resent him with a passion I have no life,

It’s all

centered round him and this bitch of a wife,

So as the dyson hits my foot for the second time I erupt,

Push her to the ground, kick her in the stomach whussup,

He’s running over screaming stop it, leave my mummy alone;

But this is just another day in our home,

So I grab him and I smack him so hard he flies into the door,

I crack a can and say yes as I see my team score!!!

You know I didn’t mean it, you know I wanna change,

You get me so angry, you’ve always been the same,

It’s only cause I care so much, hate seeing you in pain

Just give me one more chance, I fully take the blame,

I’m sorry too little man, you know I love you really,

Stop flinching when I move, there’s no reason to fear me,

I couldn’t bare to lose you come and sit near me,

I said come here now what you didn’t hear me clearly,

Let me take a deep breath,

Count to 10 calm down your all that I left,

Your my family I love you I just want what’s best,

For both of you so come cuddle rest your head on my chest,

Your the best I’m gonna make it up to you that’s a promise,

I know I’ve said this all before but I’m just being honest,

I’m so sorry, don’t tell no one I feel so ashamed,

It’s our little secret it won’t happen again…

Micheal Green

This is Micheal Green live from the scene of the crime, no motive known for the Homicide of the man killed by his stepson,

Who took his own life, in his prime,

Two dead bodies in the hallway a senseless killing of a father who raised this child from young,

Though he can’t be named we spoke to a neighbour who said she was sickened by what he’d done,

it’s terrible, did we see the signs in the community, Well probably not,

Although I did use to wonder why he didn’t play with the other kids, sitting outside a lot,

In his own world, did I ever think anymore,

Not really they just lived next door;

It’s none of my business I said this before,

Round here we don’t involve the law,

And that’s that, just how it goes,

Had my own issues I can’t get involved,

Had my own problems that had to get solved,

Solvent abuse that was out of control,

Could I have done something, is it my fault

Could I have stopped such a deadly assault,

Part of me knew that something was not right with that child I failed him as an adult ,

I should have helped him I saw how he looked,

Up at me I knew he needed me, hooked,

On my addiction, I turned away put my keys in then went into the kitchen and cooked,

What did you expect? I’m not super women, I don’t have the answers for what was neglect,

Neglected to think about what he was going through,

I had my own family to protect,

When I was a child I was abused,

Daddy addicted to pills and the booze,

Gamble all day and if then he did not win,

Then We would all suffer then we would all lose,

When he looked up at me I was confused,

For just a second I travelled back into time, I was standing in his shoes,

Poor little bubba all battered and bruised,

10 years old out in the cold,

Said that I’d run away, didn’t get far,

To the end of the road,

Came back, daddy been drinking, so much rage that was never controlled,

And today was the day that he lost his job,

I could tell he was gonna explode,

So I ran to my room hid under my bed,

he screaming my name but I stayed still, so he grabbed Kelly instead,

petrified I closed my eyes, hands on my ears, but I heard the cries,

Of my sister screaming, with the eyes of a demon then daddy stopped to her surprise,

The next thing that I saw was his face in mine and him dragging out of that bed,

A kick to the face two slaps to the side of my head, turned my little pony wallpaper red,

Never said that he was sorry, he just told me he’s in pain,

He just told me that he loved me, I said that I feel the same,

Cuddled and hugged on the sofa, that’s when he gave me this chain,

I told daddy I was sorry and seven months later it happened again,

So don’t think I don’t understand, but I can’t be the one to blame,

What about teachers, local shop keepers,

Even now we don’t know his name,

Did he have to die, for us to hear him,

Did he have to die for us to see him,

I saw him and I just looked away even though I used to be him,

The feeling of having no freedom, he bought all those feelings back,

So we were selfish we turned away and selfishly I did not react,

We did not save him We saved ourselves cause we was scared to feel that again,

and now it’s too late, we can’t go back and break that poor child free from the pain

That he felt on a daily basis,

Now Micheal’s here with his camera and I overheard tabloid journos saying that is gonna be a perfect story for page 6,

Uh, Just hear for the views,

Perfect for the 10 o'clock news,

The step dad seen as the victim because that’s the story that the press choose,

A baby born into the world confused,

no guidance just violence,

In his cot screaming,

Never knew what it felt to feel hope,

Or feel love born destined to lose,

so how about this for your ten o'clock news all of us we are to blame,

when we look away we are just as guilty as the monster, almost one in the same......