01011001 is the seventh studio album by arjen anthony lucassen 's long-running ayreon project .
" 01011001 " is the binary representation of the decimal number 89 , and the hexadecimal number 59 ; it is the ascii codepoint for the letter y. 01011001s plot is tied to the " planet y " and " forever of the stars " storyline developed in the albums into the electric castle , universal migrator and the human equation .
17 singers in total -lrb- including arjen himself -rrb- contributed to the album .
of these , only anneke van giersbergen , floor jansen , and arjen himself have sung on previous ayreon albums : anneke on into the electric castle , floor singing backing vocals on the dream sequencer , and arjen on every ayreon album , except flight of the migrator .
<p>
plot
<p>
the cd follows two storylines : the first is a sequence of songs that tells the story of the planet y and the " forever of the stars " .
the second storyline is a set of independent songs that narrate us the life of several people on our planet earth .
<p>
disc 1 - y
<p>
age of shadows
<p>
the album 's story begins with forever lamenting for their home planet , y. one forever -lrb- tom englund -rrb- tells that " we never saw this coming " , while others -lrb- steve lee and daniel gildenlöw -rrb- say that they depended on machines to evolve , machines that now " blot out the sun " .
another two forevers -lrb- hansi kürsch and floor jansen -rrb- point out that as a result of extensive mechanisation , they have lost all of their feelings and emotions , whilst two further forever have no hope -lrb- jonas renkse and anneke van giersbergen -rrb- for the future , saying that they are prisoners and that they wait for no one .
soon after , a new forever -lrb- jørn lande -rrb- joins steve 's and daniel 's forevers .
the forevers then send out a distress call to the universe in binary code -lrb- help , forever , and sos -rrb- .
<p>
comatose
<p>
this song is a conversation -lrb- sung -rrb- between anneke 's and jørn 's forevers .
anneke 's forever maintains that there is no need to feel anything , whilst jørn 's forever wants to be released from his comatose state -lrb- hence the name of the song -rrb- in order to have emotions and feelings once again .
<p>
liquid eternity
<p>
in this song , three forever -lrb- jonas , daniel and bob catley -rrb- recall how their homeworld was before the machines , before their succession into mechanised beings -lrb- " once a world , endless and free / eternal and blue / of fear and dismay " -rrb- .
another forever appears -lrb- magali luyten -rrb- , remembering the " liquid eternity " which the forever inhabited .
tom 's forever asks if they would prefer a mortal life , if they would prefer the pain , the peril , the life they 've learned to dread .
jørn 's forever is losing his reason to live and floor 's ask if they want to destroy " all they have achieved " .
<p>
connect the dots
<p>
this is the first song that differs from the forevers storyline , for it narrates the story of one of the normal people living on earth .
the protagonist is an average middle-class worker -lrb- ty tabor -rrb- , who narrates one of his days in the form of song .
the song describes how wasteful the protagonist is , preferring to drive by himself to work , buy fast food , and overuse his air conditioning .
the protagonist is also portrayed as disconnected from his family and as someone who downloads torrents , presumably illegally .
the chorus of the song explains that " we all know " what is wrong , yet do not correct our ways as " we are living for today " without heed .
<p>
although lucassen has his own character on track 11 , mr l , he sings with tabor during the chorus , not as his character but as the middle-class worker 's conscience .
<p>
beneath the waves
<p>
& # 34 ; beneath the waves & # 34 ; & # 34 ; face the facts & # 34 ; & # 34 ; but a memory ... & # 34 ; & # 34 ; world without walls & # 34 ; & # 34 ; reality bleeds & # 34 ;
<p>
this returns to the forever narrative with , daniel 's , bob 's , anneke 's , floor 's , steve 's , jørn 's and tom 's forever still remembering how it was to live on their old planet , without frontiers , without walls , in their " kingdom of the free " .
during the second part -lrb- face the facts -rrb- , hansi 's and anneke 's forevers arouse the others to act , understanding that their future is black and there is no way back .
yet , the other forevers still linger in their memories .
<p>
newborn race
<p>
& # 34 ; the incentive & # 34 ; & # 34 ; the vision & # 34 ; & # 34 ; the procedure & # 34 ; & # 34 ; another life & # 34 ; & # 34 ; newborn race & # 34 ; & # 34 ; the conclusion & # 34 ;
<p>
while floor 's forever wants to come back " to when we lived another life " , daniel 's forever thinks , looking for a way to continue living but reviving their past .
tom 's forever suggests to " explore the vastness of space " , jonas ' say they should try , for their life is passing by , and bob 's forever advises the use of their seeds .
while hansi 's forever hopes that their dna one day will reach a world , jørn 's forever question himself and the others about the fact of creating and destroying life .
jonas ' forever rushes the other , bob 's forever rely on the absolute control , but jørn 's forever does n't believe that they will stand a chance .
in the end , jørn 's forever is persuaded of doing this , and daniel 's forever cries that they have found a way " to awaken the nation that ’ s died " .
<p>
ride the comet
<p>
the preparatives for the seeds ' departure are done .
jørn 's , floor 's , tom 's , jonas ' and bob 's forever wishes luck to the " little extremophiles " to reach a planet riding a comet .
magali 's forever says the seeds need to pass on their genes , to " sail uncharted spheres " , to " journey on the migrator trail " -lrb- see flight of the migrator for a complete story -rrb- .
<p>
web of lies
<p>
this is the second song that differs from the forevers ' storyline .
this song narrates the story of simone -lrb- simone simons -rrb- and px -lrb- phideaux xavier -rrb- , two internet-dating service users who fall in love .
simone is much more passionate .
knowing that px is the one for her , she is suffering for him , and she ca n't sleep .
eleven days after , px replies , telling that he has already seen simone 's pics , that she looks great .
he also feels alone , believing that fate united them , for he thinks they match .
however , by the time px replies , simone has moved on , saying that " ol " is the one .
<p>
it has been verified by arjen lucassen that " ol " refers to simone 's current boyfriend , oliver palotai .
<p>
this is the third song arjen lucassen writes criticizing the massive and excessive use of computers .
the first is " computer reign -lrb- game over -rrb- " from the final experiment and the second is " computer eyes " from actual fantasy .
<p>
at the beginning of the song , below the modem and ambient sounds , the song " valley of the queens " -lrb- from the album into the electric castle -rrb- can be heard .
<p>
disc 2 - earth
<p>
the fifth extinction
<p>
& # 34 ; glimmer of hope & # 34 ; & # 34 ; world of tomorrow dreams & # 34 ; & # 34 ; collision course & # 34 ; & # 34 ; from the ashes & # 34 ; & # 34 ; glimmer of hope -lrb- reprise -rrb- & # 34 ;
<p>
forevers are happy and hopeful for their plan , relying on its success to live again like they lived in the past .
suddenly , tom 's forever encounters -lrb- sees from planet y -rrb- the perfect planet to plant the seeds .
steve 's forever suggests to remove any kind of life dangerous to their precious dna , daniel 's forever supports this idea arguing that they have waited far too long , but jørn 's forever , again , question the fact of annihilate life , not being their right .
meanwhile , bob 's and hansi 's forever rejoice on this news .
tom 's forever sees that the dangerous life forms were mere reptiles -lrb- dinosaurs -rrb- , " a lower form of intelligence " , but jørn 's forever still replies asking what makes them superior to kill other beings , even pointing out that doing this wo n't make them better .
eventually , the comet crushes the earth , killing the dinosaurs and spreading a cloud of smoke and ashes .
jonas ' and hansi 's forevers note that this planet is " bare and cold " , but tom 's , daniel 's , bob 's , steve 's , floor 's and jørn 's forevers recomfort them , as they see the smoke rising and the sky brightening .
floor 's forever pushes to " enter the next stage " .
daniel 's forever ends the song concluding that " the die is cast , we are alive " .
<p>
waking dreams
<p>
the title of the song makes reference to the time when the humans , already formed from the comet 's seeds , have n't awakened .
jonas ' forever initiates some processes on the seeds ' minds -lrb- " we 'll fuel your minds " -rrb- to insert colors , sensations , emotions , etc .
anneke 's forever tells the seeds to stay calm as they insert these processes , to " sail the stream as i dance upon the waves , of a waking dream as it passes you by " .
jonas ' forever tells them to " live the dream we have been dreaming " .
<p>
the truth is in here
<p>
this is the third song differing from the forevers storyline .
this time , the protagonist is mr. l -lrb- arjen lucassen -rrb- , a mentally ill man in an asylum and his nurse -lrb- liselotte hegt -rrb- .
mr. l has had a weird dream several nights , showing him visions of the future world , warnings of man 's demise , amazing flights through the stars , a life beneath the waves and cold machines rising from the deep .
his nurse 's reaction to the revelations is one of indifference , asking him if he has taken his meds , to relax , wondering if he feels okay , even suggesting an increase in the dosage of his medication .
soon after , mr. l , who reveals that they have spoken to him on the dreams , claims that " the truth is out there / is in here " , but his nurse ask " why should we believe you ? " and forces him to take another pill .
in the end mr. l is scared , yelling that they are all clones , while the nurse calms him , assuring that they are alone .
<p>
in the verses , mr. l alludes to previous ayreon albums : the first verse describes the experiences of the character ayreon in the final experiment , the second includes lines from into the electric castle suggesting that mr. l is the hippie from that album , and the third verse appears to allude to other songs on 01011001 .
in addition , several lines can be interpreted as references to " the human equation , " with mr. l saying that " they live inside my head , feeling everything i feel inside , " and " they speak to me in dreams , they can see all i can see , they have always been my guide " , recalling the emotions of " me " which spoke to him .
<p>
the " l " on mr. l refers to " lucassen " , as he is the new prophet promised by merlin and foreseen by ayreon .
<p>
unnatural selection
<p>
returning to the forevers storyline , tom 's forever notes that humans must be helped to evolve faster , or they will be ended before they had a chance to live .
steve 's forever argues that this will lead the humans to their demise , just as the forevers ' technology slowly led them to become soulless machines .
tom 's does n't change his mind , for he sees mankind dying due to diseases ; neither steve 's forever , who claims consequences as overpopulation and a great consummation .
on the other hand , bob 's and jørn 's forevers admire this new life form , while hansi 's forever points out that it 's better to die in a world that is thriving , rather than live in a world that 's slowly dying out .
after they finally decide to advance humanity 's knowledge , bob 's and steve 's forevers discuss how the humans have used the gifts forevers gave , such as science -lrb- to make bombs -rrb- , reason -lrb- to burn the planet -rrb- , art -lrb- to create nuclear weapons -rrb- , insight -lrb- to degrade and enslave -rrb- , wisdom -lrb- to destroy everything at their reach -rrb- and language -lrb- to put the world in disarray -rrb- .
finally , they ask " we gave them dreams , and what did they dream ? " .
in the end , jonas ' forever suggest to put an end to this decay , to save the lives they have wrecked .
<p>
in the middle of the song , five speeches can be heard , pronounced by john f. kennedy , al gore , george h. w. bush , franklin delano roosevelt and winston churchill .
<p>
river of time
<p>
bob 's and hansi 's forevers analyze the possibilities to save mankind , concluding that there are chances to save them .
they will send visions of wars and decay to mankind to shape the present , alter the past , and create a new future .
<p>
e = mc2
<p>
this is the fourth and last song that differs from the forevers storyline .
a 21st century scientist -lrb- wudstik -rrb- receives the visions from the forevers -lrb- " it all came to me in the wake of a dream " -rrb- and decides to send projections of humanity 's decline into the past , thanks to the knowledge that the visions brought .
his companion , another 21st century scientist -lrb- marjan welman -rrb- points out that this is the last chance for man to survive ; if the experiment fails , humanity will be consumed by their own devices of war .
the answer is to break the e = mc2 equation -lrb- the mass-energy equivalence , derived from albert einstein -rrb- .
their first attempt fails , and teaches them that they have no control over where the visions will go .
the second attempt is a success , leading to the events of the final experiment , but in the end there is very little change .
-lrb- " i have sent it but nothing changes / just a line in some ancient lore . " -rrb-
the song ends with a distorted clip of the end of the final experiment , with the voice of merlin saying " the outcome of the final experiment has now been placed in your hands " followed by the ticking of a clock .
<p>
the sixth extinction
<p>
& # 34 ; echoes on the wind & # 34 ; & # 34 ; radioactive grave & # 34 ; & # 34 ; 2085 & # 34 ; & # 34 ; to the planet of red & # 34 ; & # 34 ; spirit on the wind & # 34 ; & # 34 ; complete the circle & # 34 ;
<p>
returning once more to the forevers ' point of view , tom 's forever says that now is humanity 's final hour , where " all will be decided . "
steve 's forever claims that man 's evolution has finally come to an end , as the final experiment was a failure .
all the forevers lament how mankind has suffered in the end during the war of 2084 , and see that their fears have indeed been confirmed ; because of their interference , mankind has destroyed itself with the knowledge given them .
despite all their hopes being destroyed , the forevers realize that through their experiment to put life on earth , they have remembered some semblance of their lost emotions .
in the end , they see that the last human will see his spirit set free , just as the forevers wished to do .
-lrb- " he 's the last man alive / knowing he wo n't survive .
relives the past to reclaim the future / and soon he 'll set free his spirit on the wind . " -rrb-
with earth left a burning wreckage from humanity 's final war , the forevers pray to the universal migrator to complete the circle and restore their lives .
-lrb- " make us whole , migrator soul / follow me home , complete the circle . " -rrb-
<p>
track listing
<p>
disc # title writer composer time one - y 1 . & # 34 ; age of shadows & # 34 ;
<p>
age of shadows we are forever arjen anthony lucassen 10:47 2 . & # 34 ; comatose & # 34 ; 4:26 3 . & # 34 ; liquid eternity & # 34 ; 8:10 4 . & # 34 ; connect the dots & # 34 ; 4:13 5 . & # 34 ; beneath the waves & # 34 ;
<p>
i.
" beneath the waves " ii .
" face the facts " iii .
" but a memory ... "
iv .
" world without walls " v.
" reality bleeds " 8:26 6 . & # 34 ; newborn race & # 34 ;
<p>
i.
" the incentive " ii .
" the vision " iii .
" the procedure " iv .
" another life " v.
" newborn race " vi .
" the conclusion " 7:49 7 . & # 34 ; ride the comet & # 34 ; 3:29 8 . & # 34 ; web of lies & # 34 ; 2:50 two - earth 1 . & # 34 ; the fifth extinction & # 34 ;
<p>
i.
" glimmer of hope " ii .
" world of tomorrow dreams " iii .
" collision course " iv .
" from the ashes " v.
" glimmer of hope -lrb- reprise -rrb- " 10:29 2 . & # 34 ; waking dreams & # 34 ; 6:31 3 . & # 34 ; the truth is in here & # 34 ; 5:12 4 . & # 34 ; unnatural selection & # 34 ; 7:15 5 . & # 34 ; river of time & # 34 ; 4:24 6 . & # 34 ; e = mc2 & # 34 ; 5:50 7 . & # 34 ; the sixth extinction & # 34 ;
<p>
i.
" echoes on the wind " ii .
" radioactive grave " iii .
" 2085 " iv .
" to the planet of red " v.
" spirit on the wind " vi .
" complete the circle " 12:18
<p>
personnel
<p>
vocalists
<p>
forever
<p>
in the booklet , each of these vocalists is represented by a symbol .
<p>
hansi kürsch -lrb- blind guardian , demons & wizards -rrb- -lrb- celtic cross -rrb- daniel gildenlöw -lrb- pain of salvation , ex-the flower kings -rrb- -lrb- ® -rrb- tom s. englund -lrb- evergrey -rrb- -lrb- lightning bolt -rrb- jonas renkse -lrb- katatonia -rrb- -lrb- inverted pentagram -rrb- jørn lande -lrb- masterplan , ex-ark , ex-beyond twilight -rrb- -lrb- crow -rrb- anneke van giersbergen -lrb- agua de annique , ex-the gathering -rrb- -lrb- ♥ -rrb- steve lee -lrb- gotthard -rrb- -lrb- ☯ -rrb- bob catley -lrb- magnum -rrb- -lrb- pinwheel -rrb- floor jansen -lrb- after forever , star one -rrb- -lrb- ω -rrb- magali luyten -lrb- beautiful sin , virus iv -rrb- -lrb- crescent -rrb-
<p>
man
<p>
simone simons -lrb- epica -rrb- as simone , an internet-dating service user .
phideaux xavier as px , an internet-dating service user .
wudstik as a 21st century scientist , preparing the final experiment .
marjan welman -lrb- elister & # 38 ; autumn -rrb- as a 21st century scientist , preparing the final experiment .
arjen anthony lucassen as mr. l , a mentally ill man in an asylum .
liselotte hegt -lrb- dial -rrb- as the mentally ill man & # 39 ; s nurse in the asylum .
ty tabor -lrb- king 's x , platypus -rrb- as an average middle-class worker , with an average family .
<p>
instrumentalists
<p>
arjen anthony lucassen - guitar , keyboards , synths , bass guitar , programming ed warby -lrb- gorefest -rrb- - drums and percussion lori linstruth -lrb- ex-stream of passion -rrb- - guitar solo on & # 34 ; newborn race & # 34 ; michael romeo -lrb- symphony x -rrb- - guitar solo on & # 34 ; e = mc2 & # 34 ; derek sherinian -lrb- planet x , billy idol , yngwie malmsteen , ex-dream theater -rrb- - keyboard solo on & # 34 ; the fifth extinction & # 34 ; tomas bodin -lrb- the flower kings -rrb- - keyboard solo on & # 34 ; waking dreams & # 34 ; joost van den broek -lrb- after forever -rrb- - piano and keyboard solo on & # 34 ; the sixth extinction & # 34 ; jeroen goossens -lrb- flairck -rrb- - flutes ben mathot -lrb- dis -rrb- - violins david faber - cellos
<p>
trivia
<p>
as seen on the artwork created for this album , one of the pictures shows the seventeen vocalists placed in a special order .
on the upper section , it shows the ten vocalists that have a forever role , having as background a dark and mechanized planet -lrb- planet y -rrb- , whilst the six vocalist that have human roles are in the lower section of the artwork , with planet earth as the background .
between those planets , resembling mr. l & # 39 ; s connection with the forevers and mankind , along with a white light as the background , is the seventeenth singer , arjen anthony lucassen .
also , below each forever vocalist & # 39 ; s pictures , there are symbols to represent the vocalists . -lrb- written above -rrb- .
<p>
during the song & # 34 ; age of shadows & # 34 ; , the section sung by anneke van giersbergen displays a binary code that stands for the words & # 34 ; help & # 34 ; -lrb- the 0/1 part -rrb- , & # 34 ; forever & # 34 ; -lrb- the on / off part where on = 1 and off = 0 -rrb- , and & # 34 ; sos & # 34 ; -lrb- the yes / no part where yes = 1 and no = 0 -rrb- .
<p>
reference
