Formed by Norwegian composer/producer Øystein Ramfjord, Amethystium started out independently with a demo release in late 1999. After quickly becoming something of an underground phenomenon through word of mouth, the project was signed to then EMI/Capitol subsidiary Neurodisc Records and released a string of three Top 10 Billboard charting albums in the US.
Amethystium is his solo mission. The name is not as memorable as Tangerine Dream or Deep Forest, yet musically, Amethystium shares common ground with both acts.
Ramfjord's mix of electronics, pop-dance rhythms, and some requisite sonic oddities (subdued Middle Eastern vocals, Gregorian chant, random dollops of native flutes) yields solid results, offering sufficient style and mystery to merit repeated play on an out-there, candlelit night.
Amethystium could be described as a subtler Delerium, a less self-conscious Enigma, or a second cousin to Mythos. Ramfjord favors a lighter, spacier vibe than most of the aforementioned acts, though. And at his best (on sparkling/pulsing tracks such as "Calantha," "Odyssey," and "Arcane Voices"), he sends an intriguing helix of melody lines on a slow swirl through inviting atmospheric fields. Pedestrian rhythms diminish some tracks, but Odonata remains a promising debut. --Terry Wood
Øystein Ramfjord's music career started when he let millions of people around the world download mp3s from the first Amethystium album for free on the huge www.mp3.com site. He was only 18 when the world heard his music. After a short time he was one of the most popular artists on mp3.com and got millions of fans in the world and many of them wanted to buy the music on CD albums.
Discography:
2008 - Isabliss
2006 - Emblem (Selected Pieces)
2004 - Evermind
2003 - Aphelion
2001 - Odonata
2000 - Demos
Homepage: www.amethystium.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/amethystium
Interviews:
2006 - http://www.ephemerid.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/html/interviewamethystium.htm
2005 - http://www.sonicimmersion.org/interview.php?letter=A&interview=90349 (tested march 2011)
2004 - http://www.zonemusic.biz/home/interview.asp?intrvw=11&intrvwpstn=4
and http://www.ephemerid.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/html/interviews3.htm#ameth
Treasure
Amethystium Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shadowed from the skies
Brilliantly in the twilight
Silver tears of life
Fathoms of hidden seas in
Pearl black oblivion
I see the treasured light
In silence she reaches out
To pull me
The darkness will cleanse my eyes
And hold me
From shattered silvery shells the dawn
Bursts upon my eyes
Take from me the gift of morning-
Paradisiac light
Swallowing fragments of a
Blinding lambent beauty
Gold sequined waters fall
From the skies high above me
In silence she reaches out
To pull me
The darkness will cleanse my eyes
And hold me
The darkness will cleanse my eyes
And hold me
The lyrics of "Treasure" by Amethystium describe a serene and otherworldly place composed of hidden lakes, deep seas, and silver tears. The singer seems to be entranced by the beauty of this place, as they witness the treasure and the treasured light that shines from the dark deep below them. The starlight seems to be casting a shimmering, lustrous effect upon the surroundings, while the silver tears represent life.
The singer then states that from shattered silvery shells, the dawn bursts upon their eyes, suggesting a renewal or awakening as they are given the gift of morning and paradisiac light. The beauty of the place continues to astound them, with gold sequined waters falling from the skies high above them. Finally, they are pulled into silence by an unknown force that both cleanses their eyes and holds them.
The lyrics are sublime and poetic, conjuring images of beauty, darkness, and mystery. The song speaks of a hidden, transformative place where the darkness can be both terrifying and cleansing. It suggests that beauty can be found even in the darkest corners and that there is light to be discovered in the most unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
She cast stars 'cross the hidden lake
The woman cast stars across the lake that was hidden from the skies
Shadowed from the skies
The lake was shadowed from the skies
Brilliantly in the twilight
The stars shone brilliantly during the twilight period
Silver tears of life
The tears that fell were silver, representing a symbol of life
Fathoms of hidden seas in
There were hidden seas of fathoms below
Pearl black oblivion
The oblivion was black as pearls
I see the treasured light
The light from deep below was treasured, and the singer could see it
From the dark deep below me
The light came from the deep, dark waters below the artist
In silence she reaches out
The woman reached out in silence
To pull me
She was attempting to pull the artist
The darkness will cleanse my eyes
The darkness would cleanse the singer's eyes
And hold me
The darkness would also hold the artist
From shattered silvery shells the dawn
The dawn came from silvery shells that were shattered
Bursts upon my eyes
The dawn burst onto the singer's eyes
Take from me the gift of morning-
The morning was a gift, and the singer wanted it to be taken from them
Paradisiac light
The light was paradisiac, or heavenly
Swallowing fragments of a
The water was swallowing fragments of something
Blinding lambent beauty
The beauty of the water was blinding
Gold sequined waters fall
The waters fell like sequins of gold
From the skies high above me
The water fell from the skies above the artist
The darkness will cleanse my eyes
The darkness would cleanse the artist's eyes, once again
And hold me
The darkness would also hold the artist, as before
Contributed by Josiah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Willett
on Ethereal
It's "Neil" Armstrong, not "Neill" - some very, very famous words!