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.
Lushlife
Bowery Electric Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're drowning in things you never see
This is evolution
Silent revolution
You're holding back everything inside you
You're holding on to everything around you
This is evolution
Silent revolution
You're rising up with things they never sold you
This is evolution
Silent revolution
At its core, Bowery Electric's "Lushlife" is a song about evolution and revolution. The first two lines of each verse suggest that the singer is overwhelmed by their surroundings - they're breathing in everything around them and drowning in things they never see. But with the following line - "This is evolution" - they acknowledge that perhaps they're not adapting quickly enough to their environment, and that something needs to change. This sentiment is reinforced with the repetition of "silent revolution" in each verse, implying that the change needs to be internal rather than external.
The chorus builds on this theme, with the first line suggesting the singer is holding back their true self, while the second line indicates they're clinging onto external factors in their life. But again, the idea of evolution and revolution comes into play - the singer knows they need to change something internally in order to move forward. The final two lines of the chorus suggest that this internal change involves becoming aware of things they were previously unaware of or actively kept from knowing.
Overall, "Lushlife" is a song about personal growth and change, and the need to challenge oneself to evolve and adapt.
Line by Line Meaning
You're breathing in everything around you
You are taking in everything in your surroundings, both good and bad.
You're drowning in things you never see
You are being overwhelmed by things that are not visible to the naked eye, such as emotions and thoughts.
This is evolution
This is a process of growth and change over time.
Silent revolution
A non-violent, subtle way of bringing about change.
You're holding back everything inside you
You are keeping all your inner thoughts and feelings to yourself.
You're holding on to everything around you
You are clinging on to everything around you, afraid to let anything go.
You're wising up to things they never told you
You are becoming aware of things that were never taught or communicated to you before.
You're rising up with things they never sold you
You are becoming empowered by things that were never marketed or advertised to you before.
This is evolution
This is a process of growth and change over time.
Silent revolution
A non-violent, subtle way of bringing about change.
Contributed by Peyton T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
astronomical13
You're breathing in everything around you
You're drowning in things you never see
This is evolution
Silent revolution
You're holding back everything inside you
You're holding on to everything around you
This is evolution
Silent revolution
You're wising up to things they never told you
You're rising up with things they never sold you
This is evolution
Silent revolution
William Doyle
An absolutely fantastic album. Their best in my opinion and I have all three on vinyl.
warnutztheloserTV
I need the vinyl
William Doyle
If you can find this on vinyl you are one of the world's greatest record collectors. I am but give me a run for my money!
xmal jelle
There is a fresh reiussue out now!
dreambather
checked discogs for the self titled album and saw it was like $400 so i just got a cd instead. haha. good job man
kolkart89
Good trip hop is rare, authentic trip hop is a date.
Dre
Any other recommendations?
royce da911
Amazing this song just evokes so many memories , I appreciate this album
Daniel Ramos
Such a beautiful song and album, one of my absolute favourites
William Doyle
If you are into American classical music this sounds like Samuel Barber was at the recording session. Brilliant.