Fold - In the Goodness of Time (Official Music Video)

The official music video for Fold’s single "In the Goodness of Time" — released on February 21, 2025 — fuses Eisenhower’s ominous farewell speech with intricately edited documentary footage from World War II along with haunting soundscapes to reflect on power, war and peace.

At its core, the song explores a haunting sense of dread, anger, and fear—emotions that feel more urgent and relevant than ever in today’s world. Released both with and without vocals, the vocal version layers this atmosphere with a powerful sample of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell speech, in which he famously warned about the rise of the military-industrial complex. His words—resonating more strongly today—sound even more unsettling thanks to a groundbreaking audio restoration process, which modernised his voice using Descript’s AI tool. The result? Eisenhower’s speech feels strikingly present, emphasising the weight of his warnings about unchecked military power and its consequences on democracy.

“Over six decades later, Eisenhower’s warnings are not relics of a bygone era but urgent reminders for today’s fractured and militarised world, where daily calls for more arms and the threat of war reach headlines.”
— Iain Overton, Action on Armed Violence

But this isn’t just a history lesson—it’s also a commentary on how those predictions came to fruition. Eisenhower’s administration, while protective of democratic ideals, was also complicit in covert CIA operations that installed oppressive regimes across the globe. This duality is woven into the track’s DNA, inviting listeners to critically reflect on the broader narrative.

The track’s eerie, distorted guitars were recorded in 1998 on a 4-track cassette recorder in a suburban New York basement, giving it an anachronistic, nostalgic edge. The bass was created by pitch-shifting an electric guitar through a Korg Pandora FX unit, and the overall sound carries echoes of Portishead’s experimental 90s influence.

Despite its somber tone, the track ends with an optimistic note, quoting Eisenhower’s own hope for peace:

“We pray… that in the goodness of time, all people will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower

In the Goodness of Time is both a sonic journey and a stark reflection on the present moment, blending the past and future in unexpected, thought-provoking ways.