Kele Fleming calls out society’s addiction to tech with “Compassion Machine”
Is the world getting to you? Are you longing for more connection? Do you relate more to social media versus social interface? If the answer is “yes,” grab your preferred device, cut through the chaos, and tune into Canadian singer-songwriter Kele Fleming’s new single, “Compassion Machine.”
The four-minute and ten-seconds “Compassion Machine” is an exposing commentary on our technological dependency and its role as a mechanism of coping with reality.
The melody and the single’s instrumentation provides a backdrop for Kele (pronounced “Kelly”) Fleming’s subversive lyrics; her vocals are both congenial and alluring while, at the same time, furthering the single’s cautionary parable in a cleverly ironic way.
“I bow to a new god, all shiny, bright, and oh so sleek,” she sings.
When considering the underlying message of “Compassion Machine,” the Victoria-based artist said the anthemic song is “meant to bring the listener a sense of release from the modern alienation of our dependency on technology as a replacement for connection with life.”
Having been recorded prior to the social restrictions brought about by COVID-19, the song, she said, “took on an entirely new meaning for me in the pandemic, as technology has also been a salve for me and has given me the gift of human connection despite distance.”
The foundation for “Compassion Machine” was built around metaphors from recognizing her own dependency, she admitted.
“Compassion Machine” is the second single (following “Vanishing of Bees”) from Kele’s fourth album, The Song I’ll Write For My Whole Life, and it sees Kele both singing and playing guitar on the track. She is accompanied by Ron Yamauchi on piano, Aaron Troy on bass and Tony Lee on drums.
The single and album were recorded live off the floor at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio with engineer and producer Sheldon Zaharko of Zed Productions. The recording was assisted by Nick Civero and Annie Kennedy. Mastering was handled by Andrew Spindor at Railtown Mastering.
