Chemlab broke up in 1997, and reformed in 2004 with Jared as the only original member. Working with the members of Acumen Nation, old touring guitarist Greg Lucas and Julian Beeston (Nitzer Ebb, etc), he recorded and released an album entitled "Oxidizer". Recently, after a massive seven year hiatus from the stage, Jared and a backing band comprised of the members of Electro-Industrial group Mindless Faith has taken Chemlab back on the road again. They have performed around the country at a number of festivals and are planning tours for 2007. The album "Rock Whore vs Dance Floor", a varied collection of remixes from "Oxidizer" by Die Warzau, 16Volt, Cubanate and many others, was released in late spring, 2006.
Jared Louche announced on stage during a performance on September 7th 2012 in Chicago, that it would be the band's final show
In the spring of 2018, it was announced that Chemlab would return for Cold Waves VII in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles to perform Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar in its entirety to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the album's release. The band also performed at Cold Waves VIII, along with a number of other standalone shows. The band later released the compilation Tape Decay in 2019. This release includes unreleased tracks from the East Side Militia, Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar and 10 Ton Pressure cassette demos as well as new songs. The band performed at the Oriental Theater in Denver with Pop Will Eat Itself and Scifidelic from September 21 to 22, 2019. '
For more in-depth information go to: www.hydrogenbar.com as well as: www.myspace.com/chemlab
Atomic Automatic
Chemlab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The damage shows the circuitry beneath the skin
Yesterday’s a dream
Tomorrow’s never coming through
Blank stare, your screen turns blue
The lie’s the only thing that’s true
Another jagged shard, a shovel full of dirt
No neutral ground, no safety lock, no DMZ
No place to wash your hands, get clean
Reach out your hand, your back was turned
Grab a spark and then it burned
Mono-electrolytic stomach churn
Let it in
Let it out
Empty head feeds you an Exit Bomb
Empty head wants you to sing along
Shooting V2’s at the blackened stain
Into the heart of the bruised fruit plain
Nothing so deep it can’t be dug up
Nothing so clean it can’t be fucked up
Duck low you might avoid detection
Total lobotomy is your best copy protection
Keep it out, keep it out, keep it out
The lyrics to Chemlab's song "Atomic Automatic" convey a sense of disorientation and detachment from reality. The singer invites "the strangeness" back in, acknowledging that damage has been done and the inner workings of the mind are on display like circuitry beneath the skin. The past is gone and the future is uncertain, leaving a feeling of limbo. The reference to a blank stare and a blue screen suggests a tech-oriented society where screens dominate our lives, creating a kind of artificial reality that is both mesmerizing and disconnecting.
The chorus, "The lie’s the only thing that’s true / Another jagged shard, a shovel full of dirt / Another cheek turned towards the hurt," speaks to the idea that in an age of information overload, truth is elusive and often painful, and we must constantly confront difficult realities. The absence of neutral ground, safety locks, or DMZ (demilitarized zone) conveys a sense of vulnerability and instability, as there is no safe haven from the onslaught of media and cultural influences. The metaphor of reaching out your hand to grab a spark, only to have it burn, suggests that even moments of inspiration or enlightenment can have painful consequences.
The second verse introduces the idea of an "Exit Bomb," which the empty head desires to sing along with. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for suicidal or self-destructive tendencies, or a desire to escape the overwhelming stress and pressure of modern life. The lines about shooting V2's at a blackened stain and digging up the deep and fucked-up points to the idea that we cannot escape our past, no matter how hard we try. The final line urges us to "keep it out," suggesting a desire to avoid confrontation with difficult truths.
Line by Line Meaning
Let the strangeness in again
Allow the unexpected or unfamiliar to enter your life once more
The damage shows the circuitry beneath the skin
The effects of pain reveal the inner workings of one's emotions
Yesterday’s a dream
The past is an illusion that cannot be revisited
Tomorrow’s never coming through
The future is uncertain and cannot be depended on
Blank stare, your screen turns blue
A vacant expression conveys a loss of connection or meaning
The lie’s the only thing that’s true
Deception is the norm in a world where truth is hard to come by
Another jagged shard, a shovel full of dirt
More pain and hurt piled on top of what's already there
Another cheek turned towards the hurt
Enduring further suffering instead of fighting back or seeking help
No neutral ground, no safety lock, no DMZ
No place of refuge or peace, and no way to protect oneself from harm
No place to wash your hands, get clean
No way to cleanse oneself of guilt, shame, or wrongdoing
Reach out your hand, your back was turned
Asking for help but feeling betrayed or ignored by others
Grab a spark and then it burned
Attempting to kindle a spark of hope, only to have it turn to ash
Mono-electrolytic stomach churn
Anxiety and fear that feels like a chemical reaction in one's body
Let it in
Let it out
Allow your emotions to flow freely, both in and out of your body
Empty head feeds you an Exit Bomb
A sense of hopelessness that makes death seem like the only way out
Empty head wants you to sing along
A pervasive cultural message that reinforces despair and misery
Shooting V2’s at the blackened stain
Using destructive force to attack a damaged or contaminated part of oneself
Into the heart of the bruised fruit plain
Attempting to heal a wound that runs deep and through the core of one's being
Nothing so deep it can’t be dug up
There is no trauma or pain that cannot be unearthed with time and effort
Nothing so clean it can’t be fucked up
Even the purest, most innocent things can be corrupted or tarnished by the world around us
Duck low you might avoid detection
Attempting to avoid notice or scrutiny in order to protect oneself
Total lobotomy is your best copy protection
The only way to preserve one's sanity and sense of self is to shut off from the world entirely
Keep it out, keep it out, keep it out
A desperate plea to avoid further pain or harm
Contributed by Ava P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.