Dominick Martin aka Calibre is the 1st exclusively Irish Drum and Bass arti… Read Full Bio ↴Dominick Martin aka Calibre is the 1st exclusively Irish Drum and Bass artist.

Classically trained in violin, he dropped this for drums and began playing in various bands, before finding early Detroit techno and house. His inspiration around that time is said to wander around the likes of Kenny Larkin, Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, the Orb.

His brother introduced Calibre to drum and bass and jungle, which at first he couldn’t follow the pattern as he felt it was too relentless and 'beaty', and so at that point he preferred four to the floor drumbeats from the US house style.

From there he's developed on slowly but surely to become an accomplished producer.

Since his early work for Dublin label Quadrophonic in 1998, Calibre has always delivered a sound that delves below the all too often unsatisfying drum and bass surface.

His ability to bring a warm, natural feel to the digital landscape of drum and bass raised interest from Radio 1's Fabio, leading to a critically acclaimed double album in 2001, entitled 'Musique Concrete' released on Fabio's Creative Source imprint.

Since then Calibre has released for labels such as Soul:R, including collaboration work under the Mist:i:Cal moniker with the Manchester duo Marcus Intalex and ST Files (together MIST). Other label contributions have included CIA, 31, Defunked, V and Critical.

Remixes have also been a heavy outlet for Calibre, with commissions from the likes of High Contrast, Badmarsh & Shri and american R&B-singer Jaheim, to name but a few.

In 2003 Calibre's own vision, Signature records, has come to light. This imprint is the home for his own prolific studio output, offering an unprecedented freedom to experiment and release music on his own terms. Calibre's project with ST Files under the St.Cal moniker saw its first release on Soul:R in September 2004 with 'Red Light/Little Man'.

2005 has truly been the year of Calibre. Spending less time djing and more time in the studio he was able to finalise his second album, entitled 'Second Sun', the first for his label Signature.

2005 also marked the return of the St.Cal production partnership with their 12" 'Losing Ground/Henshaw Dub' on Soul:R. This was a first taste of the forthcoming Mist:i:cal LP project which is being worked on at the moment. The LP will feature tracks from Marcus Intalex, ST Files and Calibre in their various combinations and is due for release on Soul:R.

Dialogue
Calibre Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I pushed you forward, the artificial place,
cause i need people with a nameless face,
I pushed you backward,
the natural disgrace,
now we're seekers with a blinded gaze
She points i stare, but i can hardly see it through,
she points i stare, she needs me unaware,
I point you stare, but you may never see me through,

I point you stare, I love you unaware
Hey rebel how long would you think it takes a running man,
to kill off every kind and every f**king president,
to light up all the golden steppingstones that come along,
in your icon-wonderland,
hey rebel how long would you think it takes a common rise,
to get a million people up and out and organized,
to overthrow the ever common party line,
while we're paralyzed.
She points I stare, but I can hardly see it through,
she points I stare, she needs me unaware,
I point you stare, but you may never see me through,
I point you stare, I love you unaware

Hey rebel how long would you think it takes a common friend,
to make this world of silence really, really deafening,
I'm bewildered by the menace of your energy, reaching for my medicine,
you really take away the power of my healing,
reaching for my medicine,
running and running from all the serial enterprise,
nothing is like shedding rulers decay and demise,
gushing and gushing from all the wounds of our camouflage, trip over the government the monarch the entourage,
I stare the monarch and the entourage,
I stare at all the hungry hands awaiting me to take the stand,
I stare at every flooding cage awaiting me to take the stage,
awaiting me to take the stage and so I will
She points I stare, but I can hardly see it through,
she points I stare, she needs me unaware,
I point you stare, but you may never see me through,
I point you stare, I love you unaware

I stare the monarch and the entourage,
I stare the monarch and the entourage

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Calibre's "Dialogue" depict the struggles of individuals caught up in systems of power and corruption. The first verse suggests the singer's willingness to use other people for their own gain, pushing them forward or backward as needed, without regard for the consequences. The repeated refrain of "she points I stare, she needs me unaware" speaks to the way people can be manipulated and controlled through subtle gestures or cues, despite their own desires or intentions. The second verse introduces the character of the "rebel," who seeks to challenge the status quo and bring about change, but struggles against the overwhelming forces of political and social institutions. The final verse speaks to the transformative power of individual action and resistance, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

The song's haunting melody and sparse instrumentation serve to highlight the intensely personal nature of the lyrics, which suggest a sense of alienation and despair in the face of unchecked power and authority. The repetition of phrases and imagery throughout the song create a hypnotic and mesmerizing effect, drawing the listener into a world of paranoia and resistance.

Line by Line Meaning

I pushed you forward, the artificial place, cause i need people with a nameless face,
I moved you towards a superficial environment because I prefer individuals whose identity remains ambiguous.

I pushed you backward, the natural disgrace, now we're seekers with a blinded gaze
I distanced you from your organic roots, causing us to become lost in our pursuit with impaired perception.

She points i stare, but i can hardly see it through, she points i stare, she needs me unaware,
When she directs me, I struggle to comprehend what she means. Her intentions require me to remain oblivious to them.

I point you stare, but you may never see me through, I point you stare, I love you unaware
When I indicate something to you, you observe, but you may never truly understand me. My love for you goes unnoticed.

Hey rebel how long would you think it takes a running man, to kill off every kind and every f**king president, to light up all the golden steppingstones that come along, in your icon-wonderland,
Rebel, how long do you believe it would take for a relentless individual to exterminate all government officials and pave a path towards a utopian society?

hey rebel how long would you think it takes a common rise, to get a million people up and out and organized, to overthrow the ever common party line, while we're paralyzed.
Rebel, how long do you believe it would take for an ordinary revolution to mobilize a million people and overthrow the pervasive political stance while we're stagnant?

Hey rebel how long would you think it takes a common friend, to make this world of silence really, really deafening, I'm bewildered by the menace of your energy, reaching for my medicine, you really take away the power of my healing, reaching for my medicine,
Rebel, how long do you believe it would take for a regular acquaintance to contribute to intensifying the hushed world around us? Your aggressive energy overwhelms me and diminishes my ability to recover.

running and running from all the serial enterprise, nothing is like shedding rulers decay and demise, gushing and gushing from all the wounds of our camouflage, trip over the government the monarch the entourage,
I continually flee from the corrupt business world, knowing that it's not comparable to the fall of political power. We're bleeding from our false personas, stumbling over those in command.

I stare the monarch and the entourage, I stare at all the hungry hands awaiting me to take the stand, I stare at every flooding cage awaiting me to take the stage, awaiting me to take the stage and so I will
I confront the royal leaders and their followers. I observe the oppressed masses eager for someone to lead them towards freedom, and I sense the pressure for me to take control. And so I will.

She points I stare, but I can hardly see it through, she points I stare, she needs me unaware, I point you stare, but you may never see me through, I point you stare, I love you unaware
Both of us struggle to communicate effectively, with unclear objectives. Despite this distance, my love for you persists, even though it's not reciprocated.

Contributed by Maria N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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