Bigod 20 was a German electro-industrial band which was formed in 1988 by music producers Andreas Tomalla (aka Talla 2XLC and formerly of the band Moskwa TV) and Markus Nikolai (aka Jallokin).
History
In the late 1980s, Talla and Jallokin formed the band Pluuto under Talla's own Technodrome Records (TDI Records) label. At the time, Talla was also involved in the production of several other projects such as Robotiko Rejekto, Tribantura, and Microchip League.
In 1988, the duo released the single Body to Body under the name "Bigod 20" as part of Talla's newly founded Music Research label, which eventually evolved into Zoth Ommog Records.
In 1990, Bigod 20 was signed to Sire Records and released the hit single The Bog, which became a dancefloor favorite around the world. The single featured a strong Front 242 influence. "The Bog" title track even featured the guest vocal work of Front 242 lead man Jean-Luc De Meyer.
In 1991 Talla and Jallokin joined up with musician Thomas Franzmann (aka Zip Campisi) and released their first full-length album Steel Works!. The album spawned the single On the Run, which contained the EBM-influenced cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer". The single It's Up To You followed soon afterward.
In 1992, Bigod 20's first album Steel Works! was released by Sire Records. In 1994, their second full-length, Supercute, was released along with the single "One".
Side Projects:
20
Axodry
Brigade Werther
Der Bose Mann
Lovestern Galaktika Project
Men's Fencing
Microchip League
Moskwa TV
No More Ugly Germans
Nostromo Dept.
Pile
Pluuto
Project One
Richard Cube
Robotiko Rejekto
Scarecrow
Second Voice
Seven
T2
Talla 2XLC
Tribantura
Two of China
Umo Detic
Zong
One of the group's founding members, Talla 2XLC, began recording music in the mid 1980's in a German synthpop band known as "Moskwa TV." He soon joined forces with another electronic musician by the name of Jallokin, and the two began releasing material under the name "Pluuto." At about the same time, Talla 2XLC started Technodrome (TDI) Records, where he was also involved in the production of a number of other electronic projects, including "Robotiko Rejekto", "Tribantura" and "Microchip League." It was also at that time that the two recorded a new song, "Body to Body." This would become the first Bigod 20 single, on Talla's own label in 1988. He also started yet another new record label called Music Research (the mothership of the ever impressive Zoth Ommog Records).
In 1990, the group was contacted by Sire Records (a division of Warner Bros.) and shortly after the infamous single The Bog was released in the United States. This song, with vocals by Jean Luc-DeMeyer (of Front 242 fame) has become a dance club staple across the world. This was followed by the equally successful Carpe Diem single (originally written for Jallokin's solo project "Umo Detic"), which also featured a new Dance Mix of the club hit "The Bog." Joined by vocalist/musican Zip Campisi a year later, their full-length release Steel Works was available in stores all across the United States. Containing the same robotic rythms and harder-than-new-wave beats, this release featured a collection of both new and old, persuading even those who had bought the imported 12" singles two years before to now buy the same club hits in CD quality sound. A CD single of "On The Run" was also made available, and with six remixes, an unreleased track, and a cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer", this CD proved to be another must-have for EBM fans.
Zoth Ommog released a single titled It's Up To You a short time later, but it wasn't until Bigod's new full-length Supercute that their music once again began to make waves in the electro-industrial community. This release featured a "more-personal less-political" edge than before, and was backed by a remix single of the song "One." Talla also began working on his techno-based solo project.
The group has appeared on more than two dozen compilations, and hit songs like "The Bog" continue to pop up on classic EBM-themed CD's throughout the industry. Talla continues to contribute time and positive energy to the electronic dance scene, and can often be found at some of the night clubs and raves in Frankfurt, including his very own "TechnoClub" which resides beneath the runway of an airport. Jallokin and Zip continue to produce electronic music together, and they recently formed their own label "Perlon."
While they may not have the immense following that groups like NIN and Skinny Puppy have acquired, there are very few people in this world who can honestly say that they have never danced to "The Bog." This site is long overdue, and I only hope that it helps in getting Bigod 20 the attention they deserve as masters of the european agreppo/ebm movement.
On the Run
Bigod 20 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know I'm on the run
Face to face we sit here now
This isn't all the fun
Take your eyes away from me
You know I'm apathetic
Put me wise on desperation
Take the blame from me
Sometimes I don't believe in my victory
Over tyranny, oh no
And now I'm leaving
Gimme commandos
You are immortal
I am the one who's on hire
Too many reasons,
Thousand reasons for demanding termination soon
Burning desire, burning like fire
Towing me out of disaster
But this is the realm of tormenters
Sometimes I don't believe in my victory
Over tyranny, oh no
And now I'm leaving
Run away
Release the body
Sometimes I don't believe in my victory
Over tyranny
On the run
The lyrics of Bigod 20's "On The Run" speak to a sense of desperation and a desire to escape. The opening lines, "Trust me or deliver me / You know I'm on the run," set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer feeling trapped and hunted. This feeling is reinforced in lines like "Take your eyes away from me / You know I'm apathetic," which suggests a desire for someone to stop watching or monitoring them constantly.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "Sometimes I don't believe in my victory / Over tyranny, oh no / And now I'm leaving," which could be interpreted in a few different ways. On one hand, the singer may be talking about a situation in which they feel oppressed or powerless against some larger force ("tyranny"), and they're not sure they can overcome it. On the other hand, the repeated phrases "on the run" and "now I'm leaving" suggest a literal desire to escape - perhaps from a dangerous situation or person.
The use of military language and imagery - "Gimme commandos / You are immortal / I am the one who's on hire" - adds to the sense of urgency and danger in the song. The line "Too many reasons / Thousand reasons for demanding termination soon" suggests that the singer feels they're in imminent danger and need to get out quickly. Overall, "On The Run" is a song that speaks to a sense of vulnerability and the desire to escape from that vulnerability, whether it's through physical means or by overcoming some larger force that's oppressing you.
Line by Line Meaning
Trust me or deliver me
You have the option to either trust me or turn me over to the authorities.
You know I'm on the run
I am currently evading capture.
Face to face we sit here now
We are currently in a face-to-face conversation.
This isn't all the fun
This situation is not enjoyable for me.
Take your eyes away from me
Stop looking at me.
You know I'm apathetic
I don't really care about this situation.
Put me wise on desperation
Educate me on the seriousness of the situation.
Take the blame from me
Do not blame me for this situation.
Sometimes I don't believe in my victory
I sometimes doubt that I will be able to succeed.
Over tyranny, oh no
I fear that I will not be able to overcome the oppressive forces against me.
And now I'm leaving
I am departing from this place.
Gimme commandos
I need a group of trained soldiers to assist me in my mission.
You are immortal
You are invincible and cannot be defeated.
I am the one who's on hire
I am being paid to complete this job.
Too many reasons,
There are numerous factors contributing to the urgency of the situation.
Thousand reasons for demanding termination soon
There are countless reasons why this situation needs to be resolved quickly.
Burning desire, burning like fire
I have an intense passion and urgency to complete this mission.
Towing me out of disaster
I am being pulled away from a catastrophic event.
But this is the realm of tormenters
This world is filled with people who want to cause me harm.
Run away
Flee from this situation.
Release the body
Let go of the physical form and escape.
Sometimes I don't believe in my victory
Once again, I doubt my ability to succeed.
Over tyranny
Against a force that seeks to oppress me.
On the run
Escaping capture and avoiding detection.
Contributed by Mila I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mnmlstellar
🖤
@maggot1917
Wow no clue they had videos! So pumped to see them after listening to B20 for years lol 💚
@bornslippy123
Great tune! I'd never seen the video, but this was one of my fav of the EBM tracks from the scene back in the day. Steel Works was in my top 10 albums of the decade. Thanks for posting! - And the legendary Talla 2xlc is still hardcore producing kickass music at TechnoClub in Germany today.
@arandomanvil5989
Why do I feel old suddenly?
@Hexxedtone
Till death does us part with this one
@raychelnixxx.1035
✊🏼💜🎯
@zombodeadmanfreakinweather3579
best industrial band period
@thereverendepi_gee565
no... but they did produce some great stuff.
@fidelbootlegs
perfect
@thereverendepi_gee565
I think they are very underrated...