Sananda Maitreya has unveiled his new track ‘Bondage’, the latest single from his 13th studio album, THE PEGASUS PROJECT: PEGASUS & THE SWAN (Songs From The Echo’s Edge). Additionally, On January 1st 2025, a new live album, THE PEGASUS PROJECT LIVE, will be released on all digital streaming platforms.
The album was recorded live during Sananda Maitreya’s last summer tour in Europe, it includes live performances from both festivals & shows in Holland (Hoofddorp & Emmen), France (Tilloloy), Belgium (Sint Niklaas) and Serbia (Belgrade) where Sananda performed with his band, The Sugar Plum Pharaohs.
‘Bondage’ is another ingenious slice of idiosyncratic lyricism with twofold meaning from Sananda, overtly exploring the absurdity of BDSM, whilst commenting on the nature of servitude faced in everyday life. Linking this back to the overarching story of the latest album, Sananda explains, “this is what Prometheus was concerned with; helping to liberate the humans, whom he regarded under his watch, from a lot of the things that bound them to the earth. That their lives were too heavy, too dense, and that they were made to believe in things deliberately that keep them restricted, that keep them at odds with themselves and their cultures because the reason they have problems with one another, is because they have problems with themselves.”
The accompanying lyric video depicts dark totalitarian themes and ominous buildings surrounding people tethered in chains, giving literal interpretations of the subtext Sanada says he sings about, “our free speech has been made like a Bondage. Everything is controversial, like an opportunity for other people to judge and attack you. People have the right to express themselves. With the excuse of protecting people, we cannot use certain words or language.”
Exploring ‘The Pegasus Project’: A Deep Dive with Sananda Maitreya on Music, Inspiration, and Beyond – Listen here.
Sananda Maitreya should feel proud of the mesmerising and ground-breaking journey his music has taken since Introducing The Hardline brought him to an unsuspecting world in 1987. Conceived initially as a 13-song guitar-led record staying on bass, drums and two guitars, the full album now features 41 tracks (many as interludes) presented as two sides – ‘Pegasus’ and ‘The Swan’ – that are summarised as “A Horse that flies & a Swan that never dies”.
Four different recording sessions over the span of 18 months, The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan completes the arc started with his Prometheus & Pandora album in 2017 and continued on 2021’s beautiful Pandora’s PlayHouse. All three projects show the magical, mystical, freewheeling adventures that encapsulates his contribution to an artform that he’s dedicated his life to putting his personal signature on. Says Sananda: ‘Music has given me everything, I owe my entire life & purpose to Music, Art & Literature, and I only ever wanted to give at least half as much back to it, as it has given me, to Sign My Name across its Heart’.
Few musicians give more to the game or are plainly having as much fun playing it than Sananda Maitreya. The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan is an epic that soars, gallops and tumbles, revealing fresh insight with every listen. The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan – a lucky 13 for creator and listener alike.
I look forward to all things produced by Sananda Maitreya. I eagerly await to see this video coming in the new year. From his beginnings to the present holds a body work that is powerful and kept my attention for 35+ years. You can’t beat that with a stick. A sprinkling of grace dust in your pockets and shoes will never wear out. Keep up the great poetry, songs, and music, Sananda. I thank you for it all, my friend!