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.
Coming Down
Bowery Electric Lyrics
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Close your eyes, we're coming down
Close yourself, you'll fall away fast
Hold on tight, we're coming down
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Lose yourself, you'll fall away fast
The lyrics in Bowery Electric's "Coming Down" convey the theme of falling. The first line, "Close your eyes, we're coming down," implies a sense of movement downwards. The phrase is repeated twice, emphasizing the notion that we are descending into a physical or emotional abyss. The line that follows, "Close yourself, you'll fall away fast," suggests that we are on the brink of losing control, at risk of slipping away into a state of vulnerability or helplessness. The repetition of "Close your eyes" reaffirms that the only way to navigate this existential descent is to let go, and allow oneself to surrender to it. The final line, "Hold on tight, we're coming down," seems to acknowledge that within this process of falling, there is still the possibility of holding onto something or someone to help guide us through this shift, despite its inevitability.
At its core, the song can be interpreted as a metaphor for uncertainty or change. The lyrics offer a sense of resignation, an acceptance that we cannot escape the pull of gravity, but that there may be some solace in navigating the descent in the company of others. Perhaps the message is that we can find some sense of security and support as we navigate the challenges that life throws our way, even if it feels like we are coming apart at the seams.
Line by Line Meaning
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Prepare yourself, we're descending into a lower state or reality
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Mentally and emotionally prepare yourself as we enter a state of decline
Close yourself, you'll fall away fast
If you don't guard yourself, you'll rapidly deteriorate
Hold on tight, we're coming down
Stay grounded during this descent, don't let go or get lost in the decline
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Again, be prepared for the descent
Close your eyes, we're coming down
Repeated warning to brace yourself for what's to come
Lose yourself, you'll fall away fast
If you lose your sense of self, you'll quickly spiral out of control
Hold on tight, we're coming down
Emphasizing the urgency to hold on and stay grounded during the decline
Contributed by David V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.