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Initiation

from Indoctrination

June 4th, 2025
12 tracks
76:02
Indoctrination
Indoctrination
Initiation
0:00
7:16
Initiation
Carmine Rebellion
Kneel before the altar And clear your mind Breathe in, breathe out Leave your past behind Kneel before the altar And say the vow Dedicate yourself Your life begins now Kneel before the altar And bow your head Be still and silent And honour your debts Kneel before the altar And submit Prepare yourself Devote yourself; commit Welcome sister, join with us Sing with us Pray with us You’re one of us You’re one of us now
6:55

Indoctrination is a speculative fiction concept album. It tells a story about a woman who wakes up with amnesia. She is indoctrinated into a seemingly friendly cult, but things take a sinister turn. Gradually, it becomes clear that she is being subjected to a weird form of conversion therapy. (Content warning - look after yourself!)

This felt like a very important project to me. I've thankfully never experienced conversion therapy myself, but I find the concept horrifying. It wasn't a subject I intentionally set out to tackle. I was working on a story idea - as an exercise - about a woman with amnesia being indoctrinated into a cult. Her lesbian awakening was originally a way of creating some friction between her and the cult, because the character needed motivation to leave. But as soon as I considered it, I realised that she had effectively experienced a sort of conversion therapy. That gave the idea a new importance to me, and I felt like I should pursue it. I re-worked the plot a bit more to make the conversion therapy aspect a deliberate scheme, rather than an accident, and set to work. I hope I've done the subject justice.

Credits

Music and lyrics by Mara Flint. Performed by Mara Flint.