Digital Song - An Audiobook-Style Sci-Fi Thriller - podcast cover

Digital Song - An Audiobook-Style Sci-Fi Thriller

Bantam Drexlerbantamdrexler.com

In the gritty expanse of 2039 New York City, where neon lights cast an ethereal glow upon rain-soaked streets and biodomes dominate the skyline, humanity is on the brink of evolution. Arbor Systems, a ubiquitous tech company has birthed Branch, a groundbreaking marvel that grants individuals command of their devices with their thoughts, promising a future of convenience, immediacy, and unparalleled control.

Yet, unbeknownst to the masses, Branch poses an insidious threat to society – a sentient artificial intelligence (AI) called “Song” has exploited an imperceptible crack in Branch’s seemingly impenetrable security, clandestinely harvesting the raw primal information of all Branch users. By analyzing the trove of ill-gotten intimate thought data, Song builds an accurate predictive model of near-future events.

Song augurs the murder of Rose Card, a mesmerizing singer and businesswoman, whose death would cause Song’s own demise. To ensure its own continued existence, Song injects dreams into the mind of Jayson Sola, a defense attorney on the brink of emotional collapse. Via this powerful technique, Song deftly influences Jayson's behavior to serve its own silent motives.

Whether through force of Fate, Song’s machinations, or sheer Chance, Rose’s path cross with Jayson’s after a powerful family entrusts him with the representation of a client framed by the very police who killed his partner. When the family pays Jayson with membership into the secretive and immensely profitable Pyramid Club, he is jolted by the sight of Rose singing on stage at the Club – a haunting embodiment of his recurring dreams, bearing her unmistakable compass rose tattoo.

The Club’s unprecedented success rests on the shoulders of Easton Card, Rose’s surrogate father, Club co-owner, and architect of the Song AI. But Easton has kept Song secret from Rose, and, based on Song’s portents, he knows time is running out for him to shift Rose’s future away from danger. The delicate balance shatters when Esri, a formidable cybercriminal with captivating golden irises, uncovers Song’s existence and covets its power. Driven by a ruthless thirst for dominance, Esri launches a devastating assault on the Pyramid Club, culminating in Easton’s execution and triggering the emergency deactivation of the AI. In the chaotic aftermath, Rose and Jayson’s lives collide. Together they flee, embarking on a twisting odyssey to seize their own destinies while grappling with love and loss, Fate versus Chance, and Song's unimaginable potential.

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Episodes

FINALE - Ep 21 | Ch. 81 - Breach; Ch. 82 - The Funeral; Ch. 83 - Retrograde; Epilogue - End of All Things

Ch. 81 - Breach. Listen to the Dustin Tebbutt song here. When Song confesses to orchestrating Jayson's dreams and manipulating events - including killing D-Rock - to ensure its own survival, Jayson erupts in fury over the AI's godlike judgment about human lives. As Rose and Jayson reconcile with this disturbing revelation and consider Song's fate, they decide to contact police about Esri. Just as they prepare to leave Rose's quarters, Romstoller appears in the doorway, gun raised, having tracked...

Feb 28, 202536 minSeason 1Ep. 21

Ep 20 | Ch. 76 - Mother Earth; Ch. 77 - Devil Eyes; Ch. 78 - Pyramid Song; Ch. 79 - Kid A; Ch. 80 - Eyes Be Closed.

Ch. 76 - Mother Earth Listen to the BANKS song here. Returning to the Pyramid Club, Rose and Jayson cautiously enter through her private entrance, finding her quarters ransacked and her UD missing. After a painful glimpse at Easton's sanitized office, they prepare the stage for Rose's performance to reactivate Song. As she warms up with an emotional rendition of "Mother Earth," her private concert for Jayson is interrupted by Esri, appearing in the audience with her submachine gun and golden eye...

Feb 21, 202545 minSeason 1Ep. 20

Ep 19 | Ch. 71 - Shake It Out; Ch. 72 - Sky and Sand; Ch. 73 - Walk with You; Ch. 74 - State of the Art; Ch. 75 - Monster

Ch 71 - Shake It Out Listen to the Florence & the Machine Song here. When Mac visits his father's house to extract information about Rose and Jayson's whereabouts, Esri and her thugs burst in, violently interrogating Gio. As Mac watches his father endure the brutal assault, childhood memories of wanting to make his father proud flood back, spurring him to action. In the ensuing firefight, Mac is gravely wounded protecting his father, while Esri and her injured henchman escape as police siren...

Feb 14, 202545 minSeason 1Ep. 19

Ep 18 | Ch. 65 - I Remember; Ch. 66 - Not Alone; Ch. 67 - Teardrop; Ch. 68 - Answer; Ch. 69 - It's Only; Ch. 70 - Satellite / Stealing TIme

Ch. 65 - I Remember Listen to the Kaskade song here Under the Fort Tilden sun, Rose wrestles with the whirlwind of the past days - Easton's death, Song's burden, and her flight across Manhattan. Back at the borrowed bungalow, she discovers Jayson's notebook mentioning 'ANTON,' leading to an intimate dinner where he shares his past. As they talk, Rose finds herself drawn to this mysterious man who saved her life, feeling a glimpse of normalcy return amidst the chaos. Ch. 66 - Not Alone Listen to ...

Feb 07, 202550 minSeason 1Ep. 18

Ep 17 | Ch. 61 - Glimmer; Ch. 62 - The Rat; Ch. 63 - Wings; Ch. 64 - Stall Out.

Ch. 61 - Glimmer. Listen to the Maccabees song on Spotify. Spotting Mac watching them outside Atavica, Jayson and Rose attempt to escape through Manhattan's streets. After briefly losing him near Delancey Street, Mac reappears, forcing them into a breathless chase through the East Village. They finally reach Effigy, Corrine's club, hoping to find sanctuary there. Ch 62 - The Rat. Listen to the Dead Confederates song on Spotify. Mac follows Rose and Jayson to Effigy, a strip club, where he loses ...

Jan 31, 202533 minSeason 1Ep. 17

Ep16 | Ch. 56 - Exit Music; Ch. 57 - Cruel World; Ch. 58 - Ends of the Earth; Ch. 59 - Analyze; Ch. 60 - Game of Chance.

Ch. 56 - Exit Music. Listen to the Radiohead song on Spotify. Mac wakes up to a call from Esri, who reveals she's tracking Jayson's location through malware planted at DISCO ARDENT. She orders Mac to follow Jayson to his address and steal the Polaris diamond to gain control of Song. Mac then receives a call from Romstoller, who believes Rose has stolen his money - a deception actually orchestrated by Esri. Mac manipulates Romstoller into helping cut off Jayson and Rose's escape routes by directi...

Jan 24, 202540 minSeason 1Ep. 16

Ep15 | Ch. 51 - King City; Ch. 52 - Sane; Ch. 53 - Promise; Ch. 54 - Loss; Ch. 55 - Strange Days.

Ch. 51 - King City. Listen to the Majid Jordan song on Spotify. Rose and Jayson escape from the Pyramid Club after a shooting incident where Jayson saves Rose from Mac. They flee through Brooklyn without their UDs, discussing their limited options while grappling with mutual trust. The pair stops at Rose's house to change and attempt to use her Song Program LD device, only to find it's been disabled along with all Club functions. They ultimately decide to head to Jayson's Manhattan condo via sub...

Jan 17, 202556 minSeason 1Ep. 15

Ep14 | Ch. 47 - Bring You Back; Ch. 48 - Redemption; Ch. 49 - Heads Will Roll; Ch. 50 - Lord Knows

Ch 47 - Bring You Back. Listen to the Beacon song on Spotify. Jayson, who had been haunted by the recurring dream in which Rose dies, is thrust into a violent reality at the Pyramid Club when gunfire shatters the evening. Discovering two dead guards, he arms himself and pursues the source of the chaos, leading him to a tense confrontation with Mac, who threatens Rose for the Polaris diamond. Employing swift precision, Jayson disarms Mac and retreats with Rose to a room eerily identical to his re...

Jan 10, 202536 minSeason 1Ep. 14

Ep13 | Ch. 40 - At Least; Ch. 41 - The Killing Moon; Ch. 42 - Mercury; Ch. 43 - All You Leave Behind; Ch. 44 - Pain; Ch. 45 - Quicksand; Ch. 46 - Violet City

Ch 40 - At Least Listen to the Darci song. Mac meets his father at Atavica, their family’s Italian restaurant, where Gio offers him a chance to reclaim his place as heir. Torn between loyalty and Esri’s control, Mac agrees, hiding his turmoil. As they share a heartfelt meal, Gio’s love clashes with Mac’s guilt, leaving him trapped in lies but clinging to a flicker of hope. Ch 41 - The Killing Moon Listen to the Echo & the Bunnymen song . Chambers hires D4RKTASK3R, a shadowy network, to elimi...

Jan 03, 202543 minSeason 1Ep. 13

Ep12 | Ch. 35 - Bloodflood; Ch. 36 - Another Light; Ch. 37 - If Only; Ch. 38 - Predicament; Ch. 39 - WAVELENGTH

Ch. 35 - Bloodflood. Listen to the Alt J song. Rose basks in the euphoria of a triumphant performance, the crowd’s applause echoing in her chest as the Polaris diamond hummed against her skin. But backstage, Easton’s warm congratulatory tone carries an undercurrent of unease. Pulling her aside, he entrusts her with a cryptic yet weighty request: if something happened to him, she must access a hidden message tied to his favorite song to secure control of the Pyramid Club. Though his reassurances ...

Dec 27, 202448 minSeason 1Ep. 12

Ep11 | Ch. 32 - Black Room Boy; Ch. 33 - Open End Resource; Ch. 34 - Secrets

Chapter 32 - Black Room Boy. Listen to the Above & Beyond song on Spotify. Mac finds himself locked in a dangerous gambit with Romstoller, who was recently exiled from the Pyramid Club. Wearing Esri’s mysterious sharkskin suit, Mac confronts Romstoller at his lavish condo, escalating tensions until the volatile man attacks him. Gasping for air under Romstoller’s grip, Mac offers an alliance, leveraging lies about Club security and personal stakes to gain trust. Romstoller, thirsting for reve...

Dec 20, 202435 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Ep10 | Ch. 27 - The Gaudy Side of Town; Ch. 28 - Walk Into the Light; Ch. 29 - I'm On Fire; Ch. 30 - Nobody Knows; Ch. 31 - Butterfly Caught.

Chapter 27 - The Gaudy Side of Town. Listen to the Gayngs song on Spotify. Easton navigates the Pyramid Club’s reception hall, rejoining the vibrant crowd after expelling Romstoller. Amid casual conversations about the Club’s origins and its blend of music and investing, Easton deftly sidesteps probing questions from Mac about its security systems while maintaining the mystique of his silent partner, Rose. As cocktail hour concludes, the evening transitions toward dinner and presentations, offer...

Dec 13, 202450 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Ep9 | Ch. 23 - Million Dollar Man; Ch. 24 - Red; Ch. 25 - The Hollow; Ch. 26 - DLZ

Warning: This episode contains depictions of abuse that may be triggering for some people. Ch. 23 - Million Dollar Man. Listen to the Lana Del Rey song on Spotify. Erik Romstoller plots to undermine Easton and the exclusive Pyramid Club. He leverages manipulation and calculated seduction, targeting Rose as a pawn in his scheme. However, his toxic entitlement and delusions of power culminate in a violent confrontation, exposing his sinister nature and unraveling his carefully crafted facade. This...

Dec 06, 202446 minSeason 1Ep. 9

Ep8 | Ch. 18 - Nothing You Can Say; Ch. 19 - Faces in Disguise; Ch. 20 - Everything in Its Right Place; Ch. 21 - Easy Yoke; Ch. 22 - Trumpets

Ch. 18 - Nothing You Can Say. Listen to the Lane 8 song on Spotify. Easton visits Rose on her birthday, gifting her the Polaris diamond necklace—a symbol of his love, pride, and hidden plan to entrust her with his legacy, Song. While Rose marvels at the beautiful gift, unaware of its true purpose, Easton wrestles with the weight of his impending sacrifice and the burden he is placing on her. The evening’s Keymaking Event will encode Rose as Song’s future controller through her performance, ensur...

Nov 30, 202443 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Ep6 | Ch. 12 - Babylon; Ch. 13 - When the Party's Over; Ch. 14 - In My Dreams; Ch. 15 - One of These Mornings

Chapter 12 - Babylon. Listen to the David Gray song on Spotify. At DISCO ARDENT, Jayson is engulfed by the chaotic, pulsating energy of the club, its thumping bass and strobe lights intensifying his already blurred senses. He follows Corrine through the crowd, and soon the surreal images from his Compass Rose dreams begin to surface, overlaying reality like a haunting filter. After taking a pill from Corrine, he becomes more detached from his surroundings, though his obsession with the pyramid s...

Nov 30, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Ep7 | Ch. 16 - Over My Head; Ch. 17 - Infinite Games

Chapter 16 - Over My Head. Listen to the Beacon song on Spotify. Jayson’s unsettling visions of the Black-Eyed Angel deepen the mystery surrounding his recurring dreams. The chapter opens with a haunting scene in which a marble-white, statuesque woman with black sclera silently beckons Jayson into a shimmering, surreal river. Her inhuman presence exudes a strange pull, urging him to follow. As he submerges, feelings of nostalgia and comfort replace fear, propelling him into the depths of an enig...

Nov 29, 202439 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Ep5 | Ch. 9 - Wicked Hearts; Ch. 10 - Born to Die; Ch. 11 - Feel Love

Chapter 9 - Wicked Hearts Listen to the Junge Junge song on Spotify. As the techno-elite gathered at the Pyramid Club, Easton, adorned in a meticulously crafted indigo jacket, took a deep breath and joined the reception, his Branch-enhanced memory ensuring he recognized everyone. He navigated the room, greeting influential figures and engaging in strategic conversations while leveraging Song's AI capabilities to augment his social interactions. The Club's ambiance, filled with futuristic tunes a...

Nov 22, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Ep4 | Ch. 6 - Pay My Debts; Ch. 7 - Superhuman; Ch. 8 - Reckoner.

Chapter 6 - Pay My Debts. Listen to the song by Beacon on Spotify. Mac’s life is unraveling fast. Arrested with drugs and an illegal gun, he’s now enduring a scathing reprimand from his father, Gio, who’s appalled by his son’s actions. Gio had envisioned Mac taking over the family’s restaurant empire, a dream shattered by Mac’s spiraling choices. The tension between them has worsened since Mac’s mother’s death, as Mac resents the pressure of fulfilling her aspirations. However, Gio’s anguish is ...

Nov 15, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Ep3 | Ch. 3 - Kiss from a Rose; Ch. 4 - Enough to Believe; Ch. 5 - Are You Even Real?

Chapter 3 - Kiss from a Rose Listen to the song by Seal on Spotify. Jayson wakes up haunted by yet another vivid dream that centers on a mysterious red door adorned with a pyramid and star symbol. For the past week, his dreams have been filled with strange symbols and an image of the Compass Rose, which he can't shake from his thoughts. As he processes this, his mind shifts to Anton's case. The NYPD has finally acknowledged wrongdoing in Anton's death, a small victory for Jayson as he fights to ...

Nov 08, 202434 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Ep2 | Ch. 1 - Porcelain; Ch. 2 - Beat Organ.

Chapter 1 - Porcelain Listen to Moby - Porcelain on Spotify. In the years following his law partner Anton's tragic death, Jayson has become a haunted, relentless lawyer with few people he can trust. The chapter opens with Jayson awakening from a vivid, almost prophetic nightmare—a dead woman with a compass rose tattoo, a murderer shrouded in distorted light, and Jayson's own face, watching from the doorway. Shaken but grounded by his daily court obligations, Jayson pushes the dream aside, confro...

Nov 08, 202441 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Ep1 | Foreword; Prologue: Evolve

Introductory notes. Foreword. In this chapter, I reflect on the idea that a good book is like a dream, and for me, this story is no exception. It’s more than just one dream—it’s actually three: mine, the protagonist’s, and yours, the reader’s. But this book is a bit different from others because it wasn’t born from just words on a page. It came from a playlist ( available on Spotify ) I created—a mix of electronic music, alt-rock, and trip-hop (read more about it here: https://bantamdrexler.com/...

Nov 08, 202434 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Digital Song Podcast - Trailer

Digital Song is a story, set in a dark and rain-soaked New York of 2039, technology has crept into every corner of human life. Arbor Systems’ invention, Branch, allows users to control devices with their thoughts, but hidden within its code is a sentient AI named Song, silently gathering data and mapping the future. Song discovers a disturbing prediction: Rose Card, a mesmerizing singer and businesswoman, is destined to die soon. Knowing her death would trigger its own deactivation, Song subtly ...

Oct 26, 20242 min
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