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
Try
-123 min. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When life was slow and oh, so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember the time of September
When love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow
Deep in December, it's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December, it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made us mellow
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
And follow, follow, follow
The above lyrics are from the song "Try" by -123 min. The song talks about nostalgia and reminiscing about the past, specifically about the month of September. The lyrics ask the listener to try to remember the kind of September when life was slow, mellow, and full of love. The lines "when grass was green and grain was yellow" represent a picture of warmth, beauty, and abundance, and the line "when love was an ember about to billow" suggests that there was a sense of passion and romance in the air.
The song also talks about the importance of remembering the past, especially during difficult times. The lines "Deep in December, it's nice to remember" suggests that despite the cold and harsh season, memories of September can bring warmth and comfort. The line "Although you know snow will follow" means that even though difficult times will come, we should hold onto the good memories and the hope that the warmth of September will return.
Overall, the song is a soothing tribute to the past and a reminder to hold on to memories that bring comfort and joy, even during difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to remember the kind of September
Recall the memory of a distant time in September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow
When life was not rushed and easy-going
When grass was green and grain was yellow
When the fields were in full bloom and everything was vibrant
When you were a tender and callow fellow
When you were young and inexperienced
Try to remember and if you remember
Reflect on the past and recollect it
Then follow, follow
Emulate the past and keep the memory alive
Try to remember when life was so tender
Recall the time when life was gentle and sensitive
That no one wept except the willow
When there was no sadness except in nature
Try to remember the time of September
Remember the memory of September
When love was an ember about to billow
When love was in the early stages and about to grow
Deep in December, it's nice to remember
Even in the darkest and coldest times, remember the good times
Although you know the snow will follow
Describing the inevitability of winter and the hardship it brings
The fire of September that made us mellow
The warmth and happiness of September that made life peaceful
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
Even in the toughest times, keep the good memories alive
And follow, follow, follow
Continue to emulate the past and take inspiration from it
Contributed by Scarlett D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Neon Lights
Just missed it! I’ll have to catch the next one!
HTH
So happy 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Rob Adams
It's amazing how AFV can show 60 minutes of video (minus commercials) and they only have to bleep the language in a few of them, if any. On YouTube it's almost impossible to watch a video without any bleeps in it.
America's Funniest Home Videos
We want the entire family to be able to watch us together!
Mandy Adkins
Watching tomorrow on Hulu