Cause & Effect is an electronic fusion of cleverly crafted pop arrangements against a backdrop of layered synth textures and acoustic rhythmic flourishes. Intelligent, thought provoking lyrics and pleading melodies embedded in lush sonic soundscapes that are sure to captivate the senses of even the most discriminating listener. Cause & Effect’s Rob Rowe (co-founder) and Keith Milo return with their fifth studio album, “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT.”
After developing and perfecting their own brand of electronic pop for nearly two decades, “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT” marks a new level of maturity songwriting, and new way of thinking about how music is released and sold. Breaking with tradition, “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT” has been designed as a three-part series to be released as individual EP’s over the course of 2010 and 2011, rather than a conventional ten to twelve-song album release.
“We wanted to try a new way of putting out our music this time around,” says Milo. “There are no rules anymore. The digital age has turned the entire industry on its head and it’s made us all rethink things. Are we artificially constructing an album by releasing it in “parts,” or is the 12 song album as we’ve come to know it just an ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT?
Led off by the deeply contagious first single “HAPPY?” where Milo’s sleek electronic bed of synth driven melodies lay the foundation for Rowe’s silky smooth vocals and sardonic lyrical content. “Everybody’s happy dreaming of the future,” Rowe croons seductively in a tale about finding a sense of purpose and meaning in the mundane mediocrity of corporate life. And while “HAPPY” bridges the gap sonically between previous C+E albums, it also sets the tone for the rest of the EP’s emotionally charged tracks which range in style from the electro-acoustic lover’s ballad “View of the Sea,” to the nostalgic teenage New Romantic anthem “This Is who I Am,” to the dark and brooding closer “Sleep,” which tells a deeply honest and emotional tale of love lost.
. . . . . (HAPPY?- DIRTY 8VA Remix can be downloaded for FREE at Cause and Effect’s Official Website.)
“There’s a bit of everything we love in there,” says Rowe. “We’ve never easily fit into a specific genre and that gives us the freedom to always blur the lines while being true to our roots. We can put a song like ‘HAPPY?’ right next to a song like ‘View of the Sea’ and it still feels cohesive. It still sounds like C+E.”
Cause & Effect was originally formed in Sacramento, California in 1988 by Robert Rowe and Sean Rowley. Their debut album, Another Minute, stormed onto the music scene in the early 1990’s scoring two top ten dance-pop singles and a Billboard top 20 singles hit with “You Think You Know Her.” After the tragic loss of friend, writing partner and co-founding member Sean Rowley in late 1992, singer Rowe took a step back to re-evaluate the band’s direction and the hopes he had for the future.
“Performing the tribute to Sean at the KROQ Acoustic Christmas Show in LA was a turning point,” explains Rowe, “The overwhelming support from the fans and audience made me realize that giving up just wasn’t an option.”
Determined to pick up the pieces and move forward, Rowe called upon Keith Milo, an Orange County-based electronic musician and friend to finish the remaining leg of the tour with himself and drummer Rich Shepherd (the Adored).
Although that initial tour was plagued with equipment malfunctions, thefts and travel mishaps, it was to become the start of a new beginning for C+E. Upon returning home, Rowe and Milo quickly went to work writing new material and redefining the sound of Cause and Effect.
“Coming in to Cause and Effect after Sean’s death was a scary thing to do,” says Milo, “there was so much uncertainty. Sean was a genius with melody, he was irreplaceable. I think there was solace in the fact that we became a very different band at that point and we all felt that we were doing the right thing by continuing on.”
Six months later, the three found themselves in London recording the band’s critically acclaimed sophomore album “Trip” with producer Martyn Phillips (best known for his work with Beloved, Erasure, and Jesus Jones).
A seamless integration of Rowe’s evocative vocals and economical guitar, Milo’s melodic soundscapes and Shepherd’s inventive percussion, “Trip” was an “affirmation of life and hope.” The aptly named album documents the band’s journey towards self-discovery that they made in the London flat they shared, in the studio, and in underground dance clubs they frequented between recording sessions. In addition to receiving overwhelming critical praise, the album spawned the thundering cross-over club hit, “It’s Over Now,” which respectively climbed to the #7 spot on Billboard’s modern rock charts and was C+E’s fourth release to make it onto the Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
Despite the success of the “Trip” album, Cause and Effect’s label Zoo Entertainment was in severe financial turmoil as a result of growing too quickly. After parent company BMG MUSIC pulled funding and distribution, the indie-run label soon folded. Rather than look for another major label contract, the band built their first Web site, formed the label, Liquefaction Records, and decided to embrace the digital DIY world brought about by the explosion of the Internet.
A year later saw the release of “INNERMOST STATION," the band’s third album. Nine extraordinary, introspective tracks including the epic single “World is Ours,” which instantly became a favorite amongst many of their adoring fans and college radio programmers alike. Soon after the recording of “INNERMOST STATION” was completed, drummer Richard Shepherd amicably left the band to pursue personal interests.
Meeting up at Milo’s LA studio for “THE SUNRISE EP” sessions marked the second major musical turning point for C+E. Sonically inspired by the laid back loungy grooves of the underground, “THE SUNRISE EP’s” lead single “Into the Light” went on to become the band’s fifth single to chart in the Billboard Club charts reaching the #20 spot in Summer 2004. The EP also featured the acoustic-driven “Stay,” which has become a fan favorite. C+E toured throughout 2004 in support of “THE SUNRISE EP” playing in 23 cities across the US and South America.
2010, today’s Cause and Effect are brimming with a renewed vigor and a surging confidence. In addition to the newly released “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT PART ONE,” the duo is hard at work on the follow-up releases, “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT PART TWO” is slated for release 26 July, 2011; and “ARTIFICIAL CONSTRUCT PART THREE” is to be released at a later date, with shows beginning soon after. The first track from AC2, Happiness Is Alien from was released on July 8th, 2011.
Cause and Effect is: ROB ROWE and KEITH MILO
DISCOGRAPHY: )
• Cause & Effect - CD Album (1990; Nastymix Records / Liquefaction Records)
• What Do You See - CD Single (1990, Re-Release 1992; Nastymix Records / Exile Records / Sedona Recording Company / Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• You Think You Know Her - CD Single (1990, Re-Release 1991; Nastymix Records / Exile Records / Sedona Recording Company / Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• Another Minute - Album (1991; Sedona Recording Company / Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• Another Minute (Single) - CD Single (1992; Sedona Recording Company / Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• South Paw: Zoo's Left Wing '93 - Compilation [C+E’s “hollow”] (1993; Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music)
• It's Over Now - CD Single (1994; Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• Alone - Label Promo Only (1994; Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• Inside Out - Label Promo Only (1994; Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• TRIP - Album (1994; Zoo Entertainment / BMG Music / Liquefaction Records)
• Innermost Station - Album (1997, Re-Release 1999; Liquefaction Records / Jarrett Records)
• World Is Ours - Digital Single (1999; Liquefaction Records)
• World Is Ours V2 - Digital Single (1999; Liquefaction Records)
• The Sunrise EP (2003; Liquefaction Records)
• Into The Light Remixes - EP (2004; Liquefaction Records)
• Cause & Effect - Album Digital (Re-Release 2010; Liquefaction Records)
• Happy? (Dirty 8VA Mix) FREE Single - Digital Single (2010; Liquefaction Records)
• Artificial Construct Part One - EP (April 2010; Liquefaction Records)
• Artificial Construct Part Two - EP (July 2011; Liquefaction Records)
• Artificial Construct Part Three - EP (tbd 2011; Liquefaction Records)
• Artificial Construct - Album (tbd 2011; Liquefaction Records)
Digital Albums are available for purchase at Cause and Effect’s Official Website.
OFFICIAL WEBSITES:
http://www.causeandeffect.com
http://causeandeffect.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/CauseAndEffectMusic
http://www.twitter.com/_causeandeffect
http://www.youtube.com/causeandeffectmusic
http://www.myspace.com/causeandeffectmusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/causeandeffectmusic
http://soundcloud.com/causeandeffectmusic
http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Cause+and+Effect
http://www.last.fm/music/Cause%2B%2526%2BEffect
Overdose
Cause & Effect Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like superstars denied another try
Only you can seem to tell me why
Don't cry
Tonight I'd like to drink myself to sleep
Or lay beneath Kenievel's final leap
Sometimes the hole I'm in just seems so deep
Don't cry you say
Won't you stay
I feel cerebral meltdowns on the way
God may come
But God don't stay
Take away these walls around me
Take away my head
Cause it's crashing in on me, Oh no
I know the high precedes the awful low
I know the yes sometimes becomes a no
I know you need the blue before the gold
Don't cry you say
I could overdose on you tonight
We'll walk the streets until it's light
I could overdose on you tonight
You could be my fix for tonight
The lyrics of Cause & Effect's song "Overdose" reflect on the feelings of despair and hopelessness of a person who is struggling with their inner demons. The opening line "Tonight the moon is falling from the sky" paints a picture of an impossibly dark and hopeless situation. The line "Like superstars denied another try" alludes to the idea that even those who seem to have everything can feel lost and hopeless at times. The singer then speaks to a person who gives them comfort by telling them not to cry and to stay with them.
The lyrics then move towards a sense of desperation, with the singer wishing to "drink myself to sleep" or "lay beneath Kenievel's final leap," both of which are allusions to dangerous behavior. The line "God may come, but God don't stay" reflects upon faith being an unreliable source of comfort, while the repeated line "Take away my head" speaks to the overwhelming feeling of being trapped inside one's own thoughts. The ending lines express a desire to find comfort in another person, to "overdose on you tonight" and to walk the streets until the light.
Overall, the lyrics of "Overdose" reflect the struggle with mental health and the search for comfort and hope in the midst of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight the moon is falling from the sky
The singer feels as though everything is out of place and unstable; even the moon, something normally constant and reliable, is falling.
Like superstars denied another try
The singer and others feel they are not given another chance when they least deserve it.
Only you can seem to tell me why
The singer trusts and relies on someone else to help them make sense of things.
Don't cry
The artist is reassuring someone else that things will be okay.
Tonight I'd like to drink myself to sleep
The artist feels overwhelmed and wants to numb their emotions.
Or lay beneath Kenievel's final leap
The singer is considering extreme and dangerous options as a way to escape their current situation.
Sometimes the hole I'm in just seems so deep
The singer feels trapped in their situation and unable to escape.
Don't you go
The artist is pleading with someone not to leave them alone.
Won't you stay
The artist is asking someone to stay with them for comfort and support.
I feel cerebral meltdowns on the way
The artist is experiencing intense mental distress and fears it may get worse.
God may come
The singer holds hope that a higher power may provide relief or guidance.
But God don't stay
The artist feels abandoned by any higher power that could offer help.
Take away these walls around me
The singer feels trapped and wants to break free.
Take away my head
The singer wants to escape their problems by no longer thinking about them.
Cause it's crashing in on me, Oh no
The singer feels overwhelmed and like their problems are collapsing on them.
I know the high precedes the awful low
The artist recognizes that the good feelings will be followed by bad ones.
I know the yes sometimes becomes a no
The artist knows that what they want may not always come to fruition.
I know you need the blue before the gold
The singer recognizes that struggles must be overcome before success can be achieved.
Don't cry you say
The singer is attempting to comfort someone else who is upset.
I could overdose on you tonight
The artist is expressing their love and strong emotional connection to someone.
We'll walk the streets until it's light
The artist wants to spend quality time with their loved one and shows hope for a brighter future.
You could be my fix for tonight
The artist views their loved one as an escape from their problems and a source of comfort.
Contributed by Annabelle P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.