In 1997, Fredrik Janáček joined –123 min; a musical addition that was critical for the future development of the band. This bassist of Swedish origin honed his skills by playing in the Scandinavian group Isildurs Bane (which released several self-produced albums) and two Czech bands - Sluneční orchestr (The Sun Orchestra - three CDs for BMG, Warner Music & Faust Records, respectively) and Sluníčko (The Little Sun – one CD for BMG). In Fredrik, Zdeněk Bína found a musical soul mate and fellow songwriter, and he quickly became a cornerstone of –123 min.’s distinctive sound. Together, they now form the creative nucleus of the band.
In 1999, they released their debut album Shooba Dooba (recorded with drummer Václav Zima), an album which took the Czech music critics and culture by storm. The album received several of the nation’s top musical prizes: the Newcomer of the Year award in the two most prestigious Czech musical magazines – Rock & Pop and Rock Report – and the 1999 Czech Grammy from the Akademie popularní hudby (Popular Music Academy, APH) for Best New Artist.
This achievement was all the more remarkable in that they achieved this by breaking into the mainstream and garnering major critical and commercial interest without any affiliation or support from a major label, a point that reflects the independent and self-reliant spirit of -123 min. Since then, “the Minutes” (as they are known informally) have hardly been able to keep up with the increasing demand for their music and live shows; performances which are always notable for their unrestrained improvisation and charismatic energy which demands your attention and draws you in.
In May 2000, Emil Valach, then playing with Bára Basiková and Liquid Harmony (Sony Music), joined –123 min. as the new drummer. With this line-up, the band returned to the studio to record Try, an album with a wider musical scope than the previous. The album was released in March 2001. The group then signed with the distinguished independent label Indies Records, which issued their third album Home? in 2002, a record that further explored the edges of –123 min.’s ever-expanding boundaries of musical influences and interests.
Although the band has achieved widespread critical and commercial success, their music remains off the radar of contemporary Czech radio due to the reluctance of local programmers to play and promote any local bands who sing in languages other than Czech; a point, however, that should only underscore the creative and popular potential of the group. Despite utilizing English lyrics and a non-traditional sound, they continue to build and draw large interest within and across diverse alternative and grassroots musical networks that span the globe. These people recognize that the music of –123 min. has never been calculated. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why –123 min. were again nominated for the Czech Anděl Award (Angel; formerly known as the Czech Grammy) in 2002, in the prestigious category of Best Rock Album of the Year, for their album Home?.
On New Years Eve 2002, Emil Valach left the band to pursue his individual interests in computerized music. Since January 2003, Martin Vajgl (previously of the band Vltava – five albums on EMI and Sony Music), has been the drummer of –123 min., and it is with this stellar line-up that the band toured clubs and festivals throughout Europe and North America during 2003.
In May 2004, the band went on an extraordinary tour throughout the Czech Republic and Poland as -123 min. XL, i.e. augmenting their sound with keyboards, brass and percussion and an enhanced stage setting. The tour was partly perpetuated in a recording that resulted in the band’s longed-for first live record XL Live, which was released in September 2004.
In 2005, they have signed with Humbug, a sub-label of Universal Music, and named their 5th album Mom. For this album –123 min. were nominated for the Czech Grammy (Anděl) in the "Best Sound" category.
2007 Autumn - Unplugged Tour: Minutes are playing new and older songs in acoustic suit.
In April 2008 Martin Vajgl leaves the band and is replaced by Miloš Dvořáček.
-123 min. announced their split in December 2009, only weeks after the release of their last studio album Dream.
2016: After seven long years the band comes back to scene - on June 11th 2016, under new name minus123minut they played their gig at festival [festival]Votvírák[/festival] in Milovice (CZ). In autumn 2016 there will be: COMEBACK TOUR 2016 - more than 20 gigs in CZ and SK.
The renewed band members are:
Zdeněk Bína - vocals, guitars, texts, music
Fredrik Janáček - bass guitar, contrabass, texts
Daniel Šoltis - drums
Dance or Die
-123 min. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A parade in white, It's time for some fun
The general waves from his stage
To the samba queen, let out of the cage
Happily she's dancing
To celebrate this day
Seven sins, seven years
Maybe saome say:
"That is life: Being eaten, the fittest survive..."
Still I won't be able to dance
My toes are gone, cut off in advance
Have you faced the terror?
Samba-dancing death
Torture toys to make you talk
And all you've got to say is:...
The lyrics to -123 min.'s song Dance or Die evoke a sense of celebration and joy despite the underlying theme of impending danger and death. The first verse sets the scene of a bright and sunny day, with people dressed in white enjoying a parade. The general, a figure of power, watches from his stage as the samba queen, previously trapped in a cage, is finally able to dance. The chorus celebrates the joy and revelry of the day, but the second verse provides a somber turn. The singer reveals that their own toes have been cut off in anticipation of the inevitable violence to come. The final verse brings the theme of violence to the forefront, with the singer asking if others have faced the same "samba-dancing death" and "torture toys" that they have.
Line by Line Meaning
Same old smiles in the sun
People are putting on a happy face for this event, just like they always do when the sun is shining.
A parade in white, It's time for some fun
It's a festive occasion, with people dressed in white and ready to have a good time.
The general waves from his stage
The leader of this event is addressing the crowd from a platform or stage.
To the samba queen, let out of the cage
The leader is acknowledging and welcoming the most important person at the event, the samba queen who has been released from captivity.
Happily she's dancing
The samba queen is enjoying her freedom and celebrating with dance.
To celebrate this day
She's dancing because today is a special occasion worth celebrating.
Seven sins, seven years
There's some idea of sin or wrongdoing associated with this event, possibly connected to some superstition about the number seven.
And all he has to say:...
The leader has something to say, but we don't know what it is yet.
Maybe some say:
There are those who believe that...
"That is life: Being eaten, the fittest survive..."
Some people think that life is all about survival of the fittest, and that those who are weaker will be consumed by those who are stronger.
Still I won't be able to dance
Even though others might have fun at this event, the singer can't participate, likely due to some physical ailment.
My toes are gone, cut off in advance
The reason the artist can't dance is because their toes were amputated ahead of time.
Have you faced the terror?
The singer is asking if others have experienced something truly terrifying and gruesome.
Samba-dancing death
The singer is describing death in a metaphorical way, as a terrifying figure who dances the samba.
Torture toys to make you talk
This event features some disturbing objects used to extract information or confessions from people.
And all you've got to say is:...
People are being forced to talk, but we don't know what they're saying yet.
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@m.0331
do you think you could do a stretching routine for when you're on your period? i feel like doing the right stretches could help a lot with period cramps, but i don't know which ones. keep doing what you do :))
@kauigirl808
Same. On my period lol
@tanii1356
Yesss
@m.0331
@LoFi Yoga Girl ooo i'll definitely try them out! thank you!
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If you are a beautiful raw vegan girl with blue or green eyes and sufficient intelligence,
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@SevenHunnid
When i look at the Top, where all the successful people are.. i see NO mexicans 😒it makes me sad. I smoke weed on my YouTube channel & i did a Mukbang inside Lowes.. trying to make it out The Hood💯😭😭😭
@hannap8318
I always think about the many different choreos in her dance workouts that there can't be any different steps left...
And then she always finds a new dance routine, that includes so many new ones as the "cheerleader" or the "will our love die?" in this warmup!
Really appreciate your creativity Pam! ❤️
@annpeters72
That’s exactly what I was thinking! She’s so creative 😊
@loveforfarmiga3147
you NEED to make a dancing workout with abba songs like gimme gimme gimme, voulez vous and other upbeat songs of theirs 🥺😩💗
@siyajagadi7684
I felt as if I was dancing in a music video!! This is going to be my go-to video!! Thank you Pamela❤