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
White Room Black Eye
Chemlab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your silverscreen headset
Stop movin’ in on my crowd
You’re bringin’ me down
Think you’re so cinematotastic
Your brain reloaded automatik
Your soul re-molded Barbie-plastic
Where will you be when all the make-up smears off?
Where will you be when all the drugs wear off?
Where will you go? what will you do?
When you discover you’re the anti-cool?!
You’re so hysterical and asymmetrical
It’d be so sad if it weren’t so fucking comical
Get your picture on the cover of the noise-paper
Oh baby, you’re going to be so god-damned famous
Here comes the shockwave to wake you up, take you down
Coming back to flip your switch and turn you ‘round
The lyrics to Chemlab’s song “White Room Black Eye” are a scathing critique of the superficiality and shallowness of popular culture. The opening lines refer to someone being an annoying insect, intruding on the singer’s space and bringing them down. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for how mass media and pop culture can feel oppressive and overwhelming, invading our lives and dictating our tastes and opinions. The reference to a silverscreen headset highlights the idea that we are often passive consumers of media, plugged in and tuned out to the world around us.
The next verse is an attack on those who try to embody the idealized versions of themselves that they see in movies and on TV. The singer accuses them of being robotic, devoid of any real personality or individuality. They are “Barbie-plastic,” with no soul or substance. The chorus questions the eventual fate of these people when they realize that their pursuit of coolness and relevance has left them empty and hollow. The singer seems to be suggesting that true authenticity and self-discovery are the key to avoiding this fate.
The final verse is a mockery of those who crave fame and attention, regardless of the cost. The singer derides their attempts to stand out by being “hysterical and asymmetrical,” suggesting that this is just another form of conformity. The line about the “noise-paper” refers to the fleeting and disposable nature of much of modern media, with countless cover stars rising and falling in rapid succession. The final lines suggest that there may be hope for these lost souls, as a shockwave is coming to “wake them up” and turn them around.
Overall, “White Room Black Eye” is a biting commentary on the state of contemporary culture, calling out its excesses and superficiality while urging listeners to embrace their own unique identities.
Line by Line Meaning
Creepy crawl annoying insect
Addressing someone who is annoying with a metaphor suggesting that they are like a creepy crawly insect
In your silverscreen headset
Referring to the person's self-absorption and obsession with projecting an image of themselves rather than engaging with reality
Stop movin’ in on my crowd
Asking said person to stop stealing attention and trying to join a group they don't belong in
You’re bringin’ me down
Expressing that the person's behavior is negatively affecting the mood and vibe of the situation
Think you’re so cinematotastic
Mocking the person's delusional belief that they are a fabulous, movie-star-like figure
Your brain reloaded automatik
Sarcastically implying that the person's thoughts and behaviors are robotic and unoriginal
Your soul re-molded Barbie-plastic
Illustrating the idea that the person lacks any genuine personality or character, as if they were molded by a mass-produced toy company
When you talk, all I hear is static
Comparing the person's words to meaningless noise or interference
Where will you be when all the make-up smears off?
Posing the question about where the person will be when their facade is stripped away and their true self is exposed
Where will you be when all the drugs wear off?
Asking where the person will be once the artificial high and chemical escape they rely on fades away
Where will you go? what will you do?
Questioning what the person's identity, goals, and future look like beyond their shallow, temporary existence
When you discover you’re the anti-cool?!
Revealing the realization that the person is actually far from cool or unique, being more of an imitator or attention-seeker
You’re so hysterical and asymmetrical
Starting off a new segment by characterizing the person as both overly emotional and physically uneven
It’d be so sad if it weren’t so fucking comical
Observing that the person's behavior is actually more laughable than pitiable, bordering on parody or farce
Get your picture on the cover of the noise-paper
Proposing that the person's biggest aspiration is to make a spectacle of themselves for fleeting attention
Oh baby, you’re going to be so god-damned famous
Mock-lauding the person's vain hope that their behavior will lead to widespread notoriety and adoration
Here comes the shockwave to wake you up, take you down
Announcing the arrival of a figurative shockwave or sudden realization that will expose the person's true nature and bring them back to reality
Coming back to flip your switch and turn you ‘round
Finishing with the idea that the shockwave or revelation will fundamentally change the person's perspective and force them to reassess their identity and behavior
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.