Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name "Man on a Stage", beginning in the early 1980s. Most of Shear's music at this point was instrumental, as he lacked the confidence to sing; the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music; at the same time, Shear was also playing bass in a punk band called the "Advocates".
Assemblage 23 got its start in 1988, when at a "Depeche Mode" concert, founder Tom Shear heard the opening DJ spinning industrial dance music. Prior to hearing this type of music, Shear had been creating primarily synthpop and post-punk type music.
Hearing industrial music for the first time proved to be something of an epiphany for Shear, as he had finally found a form of music that combined the electronic sounds he loved from his synth-pop background with the heavier, darker aggression punk represented. Even so, the project was more of a hobby for Shear at this point; it took until 1998 for Assemblage 23 to gather enough positive acclaim to attract the attention of record labels.
Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! for a full-length album, "Contempt" (released in November 1999). A second album, "Failure", followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed! in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from "Failure", "Disappoint", was released on Accession in October 2001. The song dealt with Shear's sense of loss after his father's suicide on October 28, 1999.
After falling out with Gashed Records following "Failure", Shear signed with US label Metropolis Records later in 2001; Metropolis re-released "Contempt" and "Failure" that November. A remix release, "Addendum", was also released in November only on Accession. By this point, Assemblage 23 had become fairly popular within the ebm genre.
The third studio album, "Defiance", was released in October 2002 on Metropolis and Accession, preceded by the single "Document" in September. October 2004 saw the release of a fourth album, "Storm"; two singles were taken from the album, "Let the Wind Erase Me" in August and "Ground" in November.
Almost three years later, in March 2007, Assemblage 23 returned with a new single, "Binary", which debuted at #21 on the Billboard US singles chart. This was followed by the album "Meta" in April.
In September of that year Shear released "Early, Rare, & Unreleased [1988-1998]", which is a limited edition collection of A23 tracks taken from the years 1988 - 1998, on his own label 23db records. This was followed in February of 2009 by a second collection "Early, Rare, & Unreleased: Volume Two", which was also limited to 1000 copies.
Late 2009 saw the release of "Compass". Both regular and deluxe limited 2CD editions were released in October 2009, preceeded in September by the single "Spark".
The latest album "Bruise" was released on June 12, 2012. It is also available in both regular and 2CD versions.
Shear also has a side-project, "nerve filter", which has been running alongside Assemblage 23 since 1995. However, no more albums will be released since the project is now open for remixes only.
Official website: www.assemblage23.com
Away
Assemblage 23 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forever closing in
Another travesty
That never should have been
The latest entry
On an ever-growing list
And yet you never change your ways
Run away, run away
Run away from the setting sun
Run away, run away
Run away from the things you've done
With accusing fingers
You jut into the air
To single out the ones
You blame for your despair
But the mirror's broken
No reflection can it afford
Only scattered glances
Of it's pieces on the floor
Run away, run away
Run away from the setting sun
Run away, run away
Run away from the things you've done
The ground beneath you
Will crumble into dust
The breath that forms your words
Will never fill your lungs
And as your senses dull
A thought enters your mind
"I'm that one who caused all this
There was no one else this time"
Run away, run away
Run away from the setting sun
Run away, run away
Run away from the things you've done
The lyrics to Assemblage 23's song "Away" touch on themes of denial and responsibility. The opening lines, "Concentric circles forever closing in / Another travesty that never should have been," create a sense of inevitability and a never-ending cycle of mistakes. The singer then confronts someone who is unwilling to change their ways, despite causing harm and adding to an "ever-growing list" of wrongs. The chorus, "Run away from the setting sun / Run away from the things you've done," encourages the person to take responsibility for their actions and confront the consequences.
The second verse brings in a sense of blame-shifting and the realization that the person may be projecting their own struggles onto others. "With accusing fingers you jut into the air / To single out the ones you blame for your despair" could refer to a person who is quick to point out the flaws of others but refuses to acknowledge their own. The mention of a broken mirror as a metaphor for a lack of self-reflection adds to this idea.
As a whole, the song is a call to action for those who have caused harm to take responsibility and to break out of the cycle of denial and blame-shifting. It also serves as a warning that without taking action, the consequences will catch up to them eventually.
Line by Line Meaning
Concentric circles
The same things keep happening over and over again, like a pattern that's closing in on itself.
Forever closing in
These patterns are never-ending and inevitably leading to a negative outcome.
Another travesty
A tragic event that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
That never should have been
A reminder that the situation could've been prevented.
The latest entry
Adding to the growing list of negative experiences.
On an ever-growing list
Listing all the bad things that have happened over time.
And yet you never change your ways
Despite these experiences, the person remains the same and makes no effort to improve.
Your denial still persists
The person refuses to accept their role in the negative events.
Run away, run away
Escaping from the consequences of one's actions and experiences.
Run away from the setting sun
Trying to avoid the inevitable outcome of their actions.
Run away from the things you've done
Avoiding responsibility for one's own actions.
With accusing fingers
Pointing blame onto others for the negative experiences.
You jut into the air
Making accusations without any real basis.
To single out the ones
Targeting specific individuals to blame for the situation.
You blame for your despair
Putting all the blame on others for their own negative emotions.
But the mirror's broken
The reflection of oneself is distorted and inaccurate.
No reflection can it afford
Unable to see oneself clearly and honestly.
Only scattered glances
Only getting brief glimpses of the true reflection through the fragmented pieces.
Of its pieces on the floor
The broken pieces of the mirror, implying it's shattered beyond repair.
The ground beneath you
A reminder of one's vulnerability and mortality in the face of consequences.
Will crumble into dust
Everything that was once solid and stable will eventually come to an end.
The breath that forms your words
The source of one's voice and power is fleeting and temporary.
Will never fill your lungs
One's attempts to control and manipulate the situation will ultimately lead to failure.
And as your senses dull
Becoming desensitized to the negative experiences and losing touch with reality.
A thought enters your mind
The realization of one's own responsibility and inability to escape the consequences.
"I'm that one who caused all this
Taking ownership and acknowledging one's role in the situation.
There was no one else this time"
The acknowledgement that no one else can be blamed for one's own actions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FERNANDO GARIBAY, SEAN GARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind