Shortly before the recording of the album, longtime collaborator and former maudlin of the Well member Sam Gutterman left to pursue outside projects, and was replaced by Tom Malone. It was the group's first and only release on the Robotic Empire label. The group embarked on a lengthy and highly successful tour after the album's release, which would be the last tour in which the band was mostly made up of former motW members, as Greg Massi left shortly after the tour to pursue solo projects, eventually forming the band Baliset. Ryan McGuire and Forbes Graham also left after the tour.
All songs and lyrics written by Toby Driver.
Credits:
Toby Driver - guitar, piano, clarinet, percussion, and voice
Greg Massi - guitar, vocals, percussion
Mia Matsumiya - violin and percussion
Forbes Graham - trumpet, euphonium, percussion, and voice
Ryan McGuire - bass and voice
John Carchia - guitar and voice
Tom Malone - drums and other percussion
Gemini Becoming the Tripod
Kayo Dot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To meet a constellation
Borne on psychic waters
Geometry showed me its dark side
And showered me with its arcing plumes
The lovers met in deepest dreams
Tourmaline eyes glinting in the non-light
I bring to thee an orchid I picked
Once as a human from my spiral garden
I held the holy tripod and all the nothing held its breath
Gemini solemnly split themselves
The world closed its eyes
Supreme love in the opposite
The world hid in clouds
From a severed two came on
The world quaked in fear
Galaxies slow, and ammonites
The foe e'en trembled in his darksome cave
The lyrics of Kayo Dot's song "Gemini Becoming the Tripod" are deeply poetic, filled with vivid imagery and metaphor. The opening line, "The portraiture within me rose up," implies a sense of self-discovery or self-exploration, perhaps referring to the songwriter's journey or introspection. The line "To meet a constellation" suggests that this self-discovery is taking place on a cosmic level, connecting the individual to the greater universe.
The lyrics go on to describe the experience of encountering "geometry," which shows its "dark side" and "shower[s]...with its arcing plumes." This can be interpreted as a confrontation with the darker aspects of the cosmos, as well as a suggestion of the immense power and complexity of the universe.
Later in the song, the lyrics describe a pair of "lovers" with "tourmaline eyes" meeting "in deepest dreams." This romantic imagery is juxtaposed with descriptions of turmoil and upheaval: "Gemini solemnly split themselves," "the world quaked in fear." Ultimately, the song seems to be meditating on the duality of the world and the reconciliation of opposing forces.
Line by Line Meaning
The portraiture within me rose up
My inner self-expression and creativity was awakened
To meet a constellation
In order to connect with something greater than myself
Borne on psychic waters
Encountered while in a deep state of consciousness or meditation
Geometry showed me its dark side
I was presented with the hidden, mysterious aspects of structure and form
And showered me with its arcing plumes
This knowledge came to me in a grand, majestic fashion
The lovers met in deepest dreams
Two entities who are deeply intertwined came together in a subconscious state
Tourmaline eyes glinting in the non-light
Eyes which are clear and bright were visible in a place where there is no physical light
I bring to thee an orchid I picked
I offer you a gift - something I created, nurtured, and carefully selected
Once as a human from my spiral garden
This gift comes from a place of personal growth and experience
I held the holy tripod and all the nothing held its breath
I experienced a profound moment of clarity or understanding, which was felt throughout the world
Gemini solemnly split themselves
Two aspects of one whole became divided
The world closed its eyes
The physical world was not ready to bear witness to this event
Supreme love in the opposite
The purest form of love was found in a seemingly opposing force
The world hid in clouds
The physical world retreated from this moment
From a severed two came on
The juxtaposed entities continued to evolve and thrive
The world quaked in fear
The physical world was overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment
Galaxies slow, and ammonites
Slow-moving celestial bodies, as well as ancient sea creatures, observed this moment
The foe e'en trembled in his darksome cave
Even the adversary was affected by this momentous event
Contributed by Lucas Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.