Tom Shear of Assemblage 23 delivers a powerful remix of Unhappily Ever Now’s “To The Light.” While the original is a deeply emotional tribute to an aging feline friend, Shear transforms that core grief, love, and remembrance through his distinctive electronic production, creating a darker EBM/Synthpop/Darkwave interpretation.

Presented as a companion piece to the original, “To The Light (Assemblage 23 Remix)” represents an evolution of the mythos within the UEN project.

Throughout the last several years, I’ve found myself haunted by the scene within 12 Monkeys (SYFY) in which James Cole goes back in time and says to his younger self, "There's a beginning, and there's an end to all this. And all you and I are ever gonna have is what's in between."

Over the past year, because of his declining health, I’ve continued to find myself devastated by the sense of impending loss of my cat son on some unknown, future date.

One day, during the preparation of this remix release, I found myself struck with grief when I looked at the only photo I have of him as a young kitten. I went upstairs crying, held him in one arm, his photo in the other.

In that singular moment, I saw his beginning and his end before me, with the realization that all he and I are ever gonna have is this life together. It was at that moment when I realized that an important piece of his story was missing.

This is why “To The Light (Assemblage 23 Remix)” features the digitally restored photo of my cat son as a kitten to show you the beginning, the end, and the story of the vibrant life we’ve lived in between for over 18 years.

- Stephen, UEN

"TO THE LIGHT" is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written— a tribute to my son, not by blood, but through our bond, the one who’s been with me through everything, who gave me strength when I didn’t have any, who made my darkest days feel bearable when my world felt broken and empty.  "TO THE LIGHT" isn’t a goodbye, but a promise. A promise that his love will always live in me.  A promise that whenever the time comes, he’ll walk into the light knowing he meant everything to me.

The paw print on the merch is completely real — it’s my cat son's actual print. I pressed his paw onto paper using a touchless ink pad, took a photo of it, and then prepared it digitally so that it would look sharp and print-ready. Pay tribute "To The Light" that has been a part of your life with this special design.