By 2000, Archer and Lynch were moving the project in a darker electronic/dance direction, resulting in a self-released full length album entitled ‘Dragonfly’.
After a short hiatus from recording and a lengthy period of trial, error, and revision, and many regional live performances, Ego Likeness signed with Dancing Ferret Discs/ Noir Records for the release of 2004’s ‘Water to the Dead’. This album featured the band’s electronic roots while exploring a bit of a heavier rock
sound.
2005 saw the band tour Germany, Luxembourg, and the continental US with label mates The Cruxshadows, as well as performing at several festivals on the east and west coast, including Convergence 11 (San Diego CA), Dracula’s Ball (Philadelphia PA), Black Sun Festival I (New Haven CT), Freaks United (DC), Eccentrik Festival I (Raleigh NC), and others.
Their first album ‘Dragonfly’ was re-released on Dancing Ferret Discs in 2005.
In addition to The Cruxshadows, they have had the honour to share the stage with Voltaire, The Damned, Chris Connelly, Collide, Razed in Black, Bella Morte, Das Ich, Rasputina, The Start, Iris, Decoded Feedback, The Azoic, More Machine Than Man, In Strict Confidence, Combichrist, and many others.
They have also appeared on numerous compilation CDs, including several Asleep by Dawn releases and 'Where's Neil When You Need Him?' (a tribute to the work of author Neil Gaiman, DFD July 2006); released remixes for The Cruxshadows (Cassandra-Fortress in Flames), The Last Dance (Terribly When- Reflections of Rage), Thou Shalt Not (Inside of You, In Spite of You- The Projectionist), and Black Tape for a Blue
Girl (Tarnished- Scarecrow); and appeared on Voltaire's album Then and Again. EL has also been featured in publications such as Gothic Beauty, Outburn, ABD, Sideline and Sonic Seducer, to name a few.
Their third full length album, ‘The Order of the Reptile' (release date July 4th 2006, Dancing Ferret Discs) ventures back into the realms of heavy electronica, a bit of trip hop, and darkwave.
Archer and Lynch have been married since October of 1999 and currently live in Baltimore. Steven is also the creator of the atmospheric electronica project Hopeful Machines, and performs with the industrial/ power noise act Blind Till Now. All three members of EL, along with Alexx Lackey of echomatrix make up the experimental/ spoken word outfit The Trinity Project.
Former band mate Justin ‘Dingo’ Sabe also lives in Baltimore with a lovely belly dancer and some rather large cats. When not performing with EL, he spends his time on fire and robots and knitting, and can often be found at festivals that involve fire, robots, and/or knitting. He also plays the tuba and hopes to form a marching band in the very near future.
Current line up:
Steven Archer - Guitar/ Programming/ Music & Words/ Vocals
Donna Lynch - Vocals/ Piano/ Words & Music
Mike K. Johnson - Drums
Former members:
Justin 'Dingo' Sabe - Keytar/ Synths/ Noise
Official Site: www.egolikeness.com/
Steven also works on a solo project at www.hopefulmachines.net
Aviary
Ego Likeness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to take you down and tear the ribbons from your hair
In come the songbirds with bitter melodies
to sever all your heartstrings as they light upon the trees
This place can sometimes be so ugly
This place can sometimes be so strange
In come the blackbirds in murders and in droves
to cover you in shadow as they clean you to the bone
And here I come, a firebird
Don't offer up your sorrow
Today you see me crash and burn but I'll be back tomorrow
This place can sometimes be so perfect
This place can sometimes be your cage
This place can sometimes be so beautiful
This place will always be so strange
The lyrics of Ego Likeness's song "Aviary" describe a world in which the natural world is not always as it seems. While songbirds and blackbirds are often associated with beauty and freedom, here they are depicted as agents of destruction and control. The vultures, too, are not simply scavengers, but active predators, "tearing the ribbons from your hair." In this context, the firebird - a mythical creature known for its beauty and power - is a more fitting hero than the more conventional bird tropes.
The repeated refrain of "this place" reinforces the idea that the natural world is not a stable or benign force. Its beauty is always caught up with its danger, and its freedom is always paired with its constraint. The singer oscillates between celebrating this world and despairing of it, as they are caught between the competing forces of the birds and their own desire for escape.
Overall, "Aviary" represents a powerful commentary on the human relationship to nature. It suggests that even as we revel in the beauty and wonder of the natural world, we must be aware of its darker side - and our own role in shaping that reality.
Line by Line Meaning
In come the vultures through dusty air
The arrival of scavengers in the form of vultures through an atmosphere clouded with dust.
to take you down and tear the ribbons from your hair
Attacking and destroying a person's pride and dignity.
In come the songbirds with bitter melodies
Melancholy birds singing disheartening tunes.
to sever all your heartstrings as they light upon the trees
To break a person's spirit, causing emotional pain and suffering.
This place can sometimes be so ugly
Sometimes the world is a dark and unpleasant place.
This place can sometimes be so strange
The world can be inexplicable and confusing at times.
In come the blackbirds in murders and in droves
The arrival of ominous blackbirds in large groups with the intent to harm.
to cover you in shadow as they clean you to the bone
To inflict severe emotional and/or physical pain, while casting a dark cloud over it all.
And here I come, a firebird
A fierce and unyielding phoenix entering the scene.
Don't offer up your sorrow
Don't let the pain and heartache consume you entirely.
Today you see me crash and burn but I'll be back tomorrow
There may be setbacks, but one's unwavering spirit and determination will lead to future success and accomplishments.
This place can sometimes be so perfect
Occasionally, the world is an ideal and flawless place.
This place can sometimes be your cage
The world can confine and restrict a person in various ways.
This place can sometimes be so beautiful
The world can be stunning and captivating in certain moments.
This place will always be so strange
Overall, the world is an enigmatic and peculiar place.
Contributed by Anthony F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.