A singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jennifer Parkin has beco… Read Full Bio ↴A singer/songwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jennifer Parkin has become a true icon on the electronic music scene with her unique writing and performing style. In 2003, she began her project Ayria and shook the foundation of the electro-industrial scene by mixing striking feminine visuals, straight old-school industrial music with harsher, aggressive electro while still maintaining elements of electro-clash and 80’s new wave.

Ayria has been intensively and successfully touring across the globe over the past 3 years gaining a very solid reputation for putting on energetic live performances. Ayria toured the U.S.A as the chosen supporting act for legendary electronic-goth band The Crüxshadows (over 80 shows) and supported Combichrist. Ayria has also toured U.K., Europe, Russia, Mexico and Japan. Not fitting into any one musical category has allowed Ayria to gain a very broad fan base of underground goth, various underground club scenes as well as more mainstream audiences who are all addicted to Ayria’s infectious hooks.

Ayria has released three full length albums on the Belgian label [labelAlfa Matrix, including the highly acclaimed Hearts For Bullets released in September 2008. This release brings 12 hard hitting, tightly written and produced tracks each track uniquely evolving the Ayria sound. Hearts For Bullets was produced in Canada by none other than Sebastian R. Komor. Ayria hits straight and hard with Jennifer’s in-your-face sonic approach hanging between minimal electro, gritty bass synth lines and forceful stomping beats while never straying from the extremely feminine side of the project. Extravagant, provocative, bitchy and edgy yet all gut wrenchingly emotional and lyrically insightful; she hits a target somewhere between influences of Nitzer Ebb, M.I.A., Miss Kittin and Ladytron.

Before Ayria:
Jennifer Parkin is also known for her earlier work in Epsilon Minus, having released two albums as the lead vocalist, before leaving to form Ayria. Jennifer was also featured as a guest vocalist on many other projects, including Implant, Glis, Parallel Project, Aiboforcen and the Mexican project Isis Signum. Ayria has completed remixes and added vocals for bands such as Angelspit and Celldweller.

Official website: https://ayria.com/

Substance
Ayria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sitting in a daze
It's my favorite place
I'm happy all the time
But that's a substance controlled state
The numbness of my mind
The comfort deep inside
Waiting all the time
For something else to take its place

What did you say?
It's all a haze
It's just a state but don't take this all away

I don't feel right
I don't like this
I should take something to subside this

I'm happy once again
The chemicals kick in
Happy all the time
But it's all because of them
The numbness of my mind
The comfort they provide

Waiting all the time
For something real to take their place

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ayria's song "Substance" speak to the idea of relying on substance abuse to feel happy and comfortable in one's own skin. The repeated assertion that the singer is "happy all the time" indicates that they have become reliant on this particular substance to maintain their emotions. The lyrics suggest that this is a form of control, and that without the substance, the singer would be unable to manage their emotions.

The chorus of the song serves as a warning against taking away the substance that is providing comfort: "It's just a state but don't take this all away." The singer recognizes that they are not in control of their emotions, and that without the substance, they would not be able to maintain their state of mind. However, there is also an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with this way of life, as represented by the lines "I don't feel right / I don't like this."

Taken as a whole, the lyrics suggest that the singer is trapped in a cycle of addiction that they are not sure how to break out of. They have become reliant on the substance to the point that they cannot imagine a way to be happy and comfortable without it, but at the same time, they recognize that something is not right. The final line, "For something real to take their place," perhaps speaks to a desire for a deeper and more meaningful form of happiness that cannot be achieved through addiction.

Line by Line Meaning

Sitting in a daze
I feel detached and unfocused

It's my favorite place
This is where I feel most comfortable

I'm happy all the time
This state of mind brings me happiness

But that's a substance controlled state
However, it is dependent on a substance

The numbness of my mind
My mind feels dull and insensitive

The comfort deep inside
But there is a sense of security and safety

Waiting all the time
I am constantly waiting

For something else to take its place
For an alternative to this substance-controlled state

What did you say?
I am struggling to hear or understand you

It's all a haze
Everything feels unclear and foggy

It's just a state but don't take this all away
I recognize it's just a state of mind, but I am afraid to lose it