Since 1985, Abstinence has created experimental industrial music that follows in the traditions of the Beats, the Dada movement, the Futurists, the raw vision of punk rock, the origins of industrial music, the freedom of the experimental art movement and the eternal global human rights art movement.
The most recent line up features Darryl Hell, John Bechdel (False Icons, Killing Joke, Ministry, Prong, Murder inc., Fear Factory, Pigface) and Deftly-D (Nau-Zee-auN, Zero Times Infinity, Hawaiian Shirt Mafia, Orgy Of Noise, Terrorfakt, Abuse By Consent).
http://www.s6k.com/abstinence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstinence_(band)
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Abstinence
Also another band (depressive black metal) by this name from Russia, with a 2010 demo album; Self-Purification
Interface
Abstinence Lyrics
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My heart beats to a digital frequency
Now I'm free, no judgment - no mercy
Fractal dissidence worldwide energy
Today I'm lonely, tomorrow I'm deadly
Networking with millions just like me
No connection to the supposed real world
So pleading voices have no sound
Reject the flesh to reject the torture
In the world I'm nothing, on the screen
I'm as powerful as my intellect
Software conscious data error,
Incomplete file on why I am me
Fictional death scenes plague forming
Images of the world with me deleted
Flowerchild daydreams transform to cyberpunk nightmares
Yet I try to believe in my dreams
All the while hiding the maniacal within the meek
Day to night to nightmare, I've tried to talk but no one listens
Except my digital penpal/imaginary
- Another nail extracted from the coffin
One day a hand will extract the last nail
'Til then my search continues
Through the sickness childhood inserted
Hardware destroyed by the virus
The song "Interface" by Abstinence talks about the concept of a digital world where the singer's heart beats to a "digital frequency." The singer talks about being lonely one day and deadly the next, but being able to connect with others who are similar to themselves online. They reject the idea of the flesh and the "supposed real world" and instead find power in their intellect and their ability to network with others through their keyboards. They seek to reject the torture of the tangible world in favor of the freedom of the virtual world.
Throughout the song, the lyrics describe a world where the singer is both powerful and meaningless. They are a incomplete file in a software conscious world, plagued by fictional death scenes and cyberpunk nightmares. They try to hold onto their flowerchild daydreams while hiding the maniacal thoughts that linger within them. They reach out to others through their digital pen pal, their only imaginary friend who listens to them in a world where no one else seems to care.
Overall, the song delves into the themes of isolation, power, and the allure of a digital world where there is no judgment and no real consequences. The lyrics paint a picture of a society where people are searching for something and are using the digital world to fill that void.
Line by Line Meaning
In the solitude of the future
Amidst the future's loneliness
My heart beats to a digital frequency
My heart beats to technological rhythms
Now I'm free, no judgment - no mercy
Untethered by societal scrutiny
Fractal dissidence worldwide energy
Divergent energy permeates the world
Today I'm lonely, tomorrow I'm deadly
Today, solitude; tomorrow, power
Networking with millions just like me
Connecting with the like-minded
No connection to the supposed real world
Disconnection from reality
So pleading voices have no sound
Cries for help are unheard
Keyboard love affair Virtual Valery
Love propagated through screens
Reject the flesh to reject the torture
Rejecting pain through denial of the physical
In the world I'm nothing, on the screen
Invisible in reality, visible online
I'm as powerful as my intellect
My intelligence equals my strength
Software conscious data error,
Errors in technological consciousness
Incomplete file on why I am me
Uncertainty about identity
Fictional death scenes plague forming
Imagined death haunts me
Images of the world with me deleted
Imagery of a world without me
Flowerchild daydreams transform to cyberpunk nightmares
Dreams warped by technology
Yet I try to believe in my dreams
Holding on to hope despite fear
All the while hiding the maniacal within the meek
Concealing the madness lurking beneath
Day to night to nightmare, I've tried to talk but no one listens
My attempts at communication are futile
Except my digital penpal/imaginary
Except for my online friend or imaginary confidant
- Another nail extracted from the coffin
- Another reminder of my isolation
One day a hand will extract the last nail
Hope for release from solitude
'Til then my search continues
Until then, the search for connection persists
Through the sickness childhood inserted
Through the trauma of childhood
Hardware destroyed by the virus
My technological self sabotaged
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.