The Indigo Child

The Indigo Child | The Dear Hunter | Story Explaining

This is my explanation of the story behind The Dear Hunter’s 2021 album The Indigo Child. 

This album serves as an introduction to the dystopian science fiction world of Antimai. The album is comprised of two singles and the soundtrack to their short film: The Indigo Child: Prologue: Cycle 8

If you have not seen the short film, please watch it! You can find it here.

In the short film we get a glimpse of life in the slums of the city. As we meet a mother (Parser) and her child (Satv’k) on the day of his 8th cycle (8th birthday). The layout of Antimai is explained in their 2022 album. I assume this prologue takes place in ring eight—where the impoverished reside. But more on that when I cover the Antimai album.

The idea of “The Indigo Child” is introduced as a prophet or deity of sorts. This indigo child is promised to return to offer salvation to the people. However, it is unknown when the child will return. In the meantime, one must be faithful and devout. The mother warns of the risks of fighting against the system.

Just then, a droid rolls into their shanty, followed by the patrolmen of the emperor XCV. We learn it is customary for children in this sector to be taken on their 8th birthday and enlisted in work service.

Track 1) “The Indigo Child”

  • This track introduces the prophecy of the Indigo Child and how she is destined to save those who maintain faith to her once she returns (whenever that might be). The lyrics lead us to see faith in this prophesized savior is wavering. She had not given the people any signs of her presence or any indication of when she will return.
  • We see the struggle of trying to believe in prophesies of salvation while living a life in a seemingly godless world. The Indigo Child’s believers are suffering and dying, as they have been for years and years.
  • The message here is that the Indigo Child will arrive when she’s good and ready but, in the meantime, just keep suffering. I see this track as coming from the POV of a people who are beaten down to the point of feeling indignant about their Messiah’s refusal to return in their lifetime.
  • The big question posed here is, “Why hasn’t she come yet?”

Track 2) “The Indigo Child (reprise)”

  • This track seems to be told from the perspective of those who have not wavered in their belief in the Indigo Child.
  • In answer to the question, “Why hasn’t she come yet?” We learn the people are not doing enough or acting in the correct way to warrant her return.
  • While the previous song was a somber plea of salvation and a demand for justice, this song is a quiet insistence on patience and a devout request for salvation.

**The remainder of the tracks are used on The Indigo Child: Prologue: Cycle 8 short film.

Track 3) “To Your Cycle”

  • This instrumental track is meant to convey the bittersweet arrival of a birthday—another year in Antimai. And if you’re unlucky enough to live in the outer rings of the city, your 8th birthday is your Retrieval Day where you’re dragged off to essentially become a slave to the system.
  • The prologue story opens with the mother, Parser, lighting a birthday candle for her very sad looking son, Satv’k, who is too upset to eat his cake.

Track 4) “Prayer | Uncle Boot | Breach”

  • The “Prayer” section of the song takes place while Parser says a prayer to the Indigo Child.
  • Parser then tells Satv’k a story about her brother, Satv’k’s “Uncle Boot.” She explains about how he rebelled against the system and tried to get his family to fight with him. It’s not clear exactly what happened, but we are led to believe their mother was killed while Boot was hauled off and never seen from again.
  • Parser uses this as a warning to explain how the best way to serve the Indigo Child is to wait patiently and put all your faith in her—to stay quiet and subservient until she returns. Which, if you want my opinion, is the answer to the question posed in the reprise track. The lyrics, “You haven’t got a clue you’re not doin’ anything she wants you to do” is in reference to her followers not standing up to fight, just cowering and waiting to be saved. They need to make a stand. As soon as that happens, she will return but as long as people are content to accept their fate she will not return.
  • Or another idea is that this “Indigo Child” is an invention of the god emperor XCV. Perhaps he invented this religion as a way to keep the people in line. If rebellion is akin to abandoning your god, then why ever rebel?
  • The “Breach” section of the song is when this little round droid thing—which I think is a disruptor sphere—rolls in and scans the room. The patrolmen of the state then barge in and violently grab up the boy while restraining Parser. Satv’k is subdued and implanted with some type of symbiont-like thing.

Track 5) “A Guide to Retrievals”

  • The patrolmen sit Parser and Satv’k down at the table. The boy has his mouth taped and is looking very drugged and out of it while the men apologize to Parser for the brutal treatment, saying they get a lot of “false retrievals” and they “never know what they’re walking into” which makes it seem like there is maybe a rebellion going on where traps are set to ambush the patrolmen.
  • Anyway, the patrolmen let in this very creepy robotic-looking thing known as a “Retrieval Guide”. (By the way, the filmmakers in combination with the soundtrack do an excellent job of making this almost silly looking robot really freaking creepy!) The Guide begins explaining all the details of Retrieval—but in this awful guttural language until Parser explains she can’t understand it and the patrolman translates.

Track 6) “Your Reward is Not Tax Exempt”

  • The Guide explains how her son is now “eligible for work service” and how they will be taking him “to the camps.” In exchange for her cooperation and the “lighting of your beacon”—which I don’t really know what that means. She is then gifted 50 Salarum.
  • Parser is given a ticket to retrieve her son on his 20th cycle if she so chooses. However, if she loses the ticket or if he is “deemed worthy for guard” Satv’k will be ineligible for “redemption” and “retired to service.”
  • I’m not sure what all this means exactly but it makes me think these work camps are for the impoverished to work off a type of debt owed to the god emperor. Maybe they are seen as unclean and need to achieve “redemption” in order to ascend the rings of Antimai? Or maybe the slave work is part of their devotion to the Indigo Child.
  • Lastly, the Guide reminds Parser the 50 Salarum is not tax exempt—because of course even in a sci-fi/ fantasy world death and taxes are inescapable.
  • The Retrieval Guide leaves and the patrolmen throw Satv’k over their shoulder and haul him off. Before the last patrolman leaves, however, he seems to take pity on Parser who is weeping on the floor. He looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is there before he tells Parser, “Our darkness for her light” which is a prayer to the Indigo Child.
  • Being that XCV is a god emperor all those working beneath him should believe in his holy power, right? That would make prayers to the Indigo Child blasphemous (if not treasonous). Therefore, I see this kind gesture as a bit of a rebellion on the part of the patrolman. I think he feels bad for Parser and is secretly letting her know he believes in the Indigo child when his faith should be entirely in the emperor XCV. Maybe there is a secret movement operating in the shadows here.

Track 7) “Disruptor Sphere | Sprawl | Antimai”

  • We then see this beam of light pointing up at the sky from a pole in the ground outside the shanty where Parser and Satv’k live (which might be what the Guide was referring to about the “lighting of your beacon.”) Below the beacon we see that little disruptor sphere again. It seems to be interfacing with the beacon.
  • It then rolls away and we get a little mission-impossible-esque music as we watch it roll along through the dark, barren landscape. We get the feeling this little bot is up to something.
  • We zoom out to see what looks like some industrial mining operations going on before the camera settles on a ship powering up. The ship is piloted by someone who looks like it could be one of the patrolmen we met earlier.
  • While the ship is powering up, in the reflection of the glass we see the outline of a person—I don’t know who or what it’s supposed to be (perhaps the Indigo Child) but before we can get a better glimpse, the ship takes off.
  • All of this leaves us with the idea something big is coming.

Track 8) “Credits”

We then roll the credits with lyrics reprised from Track 2.