In the fall of 1994, very impressed by the debut single set, kranky got in touch with the band. The debut, self-titled album was recorded with Mike Deming at Studio .45 in Hartford, CT in January 1995. Bowery Electric was released on compact disc and vinyl in mid-1995. As The Wire described it, Bowery Electric "weave chilled downbeat dirges via hazy sheets of distorted guitar (that sound as though they were recorded underwater), stumbling sluggish percussion and benumbed male/female vocals... the album works as a sustained moodpiece...". Or, as Chris Wodskou put it in the Sept. 1995 issue of Exclaim!, "Bowery Electric shimmer in the way a 20 foot sheet of metal shimmers and resonates when vibrated. A sharp pop confection with the blunt force of a three-alarm headache."
Simon Reynolds' seminal post-Rock article in the November 1995 issue of The Wire placed Bowery Electric in the forefront of "a distinctively American post-rock." The band returned to Studio .45 to work on the second full length release with engineer Rich Costley. With the acquisition of samplers, the band's song writing process (which had always started with the bass track and drum beats) expanded. The resulting album, Beat, featured a drummer on four out of ten tracks, with plenty of subtly sampled beats and bass tones anchoring the bottom end. Lawrence Chandler told Alternative Press that "technologically [Beat] is the beginning of us learning our way around a proper sampler and software which allows us to work with samples on the computer. We can sample ourselves, manipulate sounds, create our own beats and basically work with fewer restrictions." Beggar's Banquet licensed Beat for release in the U.K. and Europe and with drummer Wayne Magruder added to the group, Bowery Electric began tours of the U.K. and North America.
Melody Maker reviewed a show in July 1997 and noted that "for two people to be able to create such a huge, rolling epic sound is surprising; what really hits hard is just how huge it can be, how the inarguable and pulverising beauty of BE's sound simply forces a slacked out crowd into its swell."
Beggar's Banquet released Vertigo, a collection of remixes of Beat tracks by Main, Third Eye Foundation, Chasm, Witchman, Immersion and others. Beat was the last album Bowery Electric made for kranky, they went on to release an EP (Blow Up/Electro Sleep) and album (Lushlife) for Beggar's Banquet and ultimately broke up in 2000.
Eventually, Lawrence formed a solo project called Metrotech, while Martha formed a project called Echostar. So far Martha released one album, Sola, as Echostar, but Lawrence only appeared with a remix on Calla's Custom.
Black Light
Bowery Electric Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to take your breath away
I'm stealing the air away now from you
I'll tell you when there's no other
Every day he breaks his promise
Turns to dusk and fades away
Looked for another gin and tonic
The lyrics of Bowery Electric's song "Black Light" are about holding onto someone you love, wanting to be near them always and taking their breath away. The singer says that they're taking the air away from the person they love, which could be interpreted as either a metaphor for taking away their worries and stress, or the idea that the singer is so close to the person they love that they're literally taking their breath away. The singer promises that there's no one else but them for the person they love, and they declare their desire to be with them forever.
However, the second verse reveals a darker side to the lyrics. The singer notes that every day, the person they love breaks their promise and fades away. They turn to alcohol to numb themselves from the situation, but it's not enough. This could be interpreted as the person they love distancing themselves emotionally or physically, and no matter how hard the singer tries, they can't keep them close. The contrast between the first and second verse highlights the complexities of relationships, how one moment can feel like complete connection and love, while the next can feel like distance and loss.
Overall, the song "Black Light" is a poignant reflection on the complexities of love and relationships, and the pain that comes from trying to hold onto something that may slip away.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to hold you close forever
I yearn for a bond with you that stands the test of time - unbreakable, inseparable, eternal.
I want to take your breath away
I am utterly swept away by your beauty, and the thought of being with you fills me with awe-inspiring wonder.
I'm stealing the air away now from you
I am suffocating your freedom and independence, as I impose my will on you and drag you into my toxic embrace.
I'll tell you when there's no other
I promise to be your only guide in life, and to provide for all your emotional, spiritual and material needs - you can always count on me.
Every day he breaks his promise
He disappoints me constantly by not living up to his end of the deal and leaving me alone and broken-hearted.
Turns to dusk and fades away
My dreams and hopes keep evaporating into the harsh reality of life, as I struggle to find meaning in a world of confusion and chaos.
Looked for another gin and tonic
I repeatedly seek solace in alcohol and other vices, as a way of numbing my pain, forgetting my troubles and escaping reality.
Realized it's not there
I finally come to terms with the fact that there is no easy way out of my predicament, and I must face my fears and regrets head-on, without any crutches or distractions.
Contributed by Owen E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.