Chromatics was an electronic band based in Portland, Oregon, United States.… Read Full Bio ↴Chromatics was an electronic band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The band consisted of Ruth Radelet (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Adam Miller (guitar), Johnny Jewel (synthesizer, production) and Nat Walker (drums, synthesizer). The band shifted from a post-punk sound to one inspired by 1980s synthpop and Italo disco around 2006. The band's most acclaimed albums are "Night Drive" (2007) and "Kill for Love" (2012).

The would-be next album, "Dear Tommy" (2016), was scrapped, and was meant to be re-worked for a subsequent release, however the fate of album is unclear, as on August 10, 2021, Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker announced the breaking up of Chromatics. Later that day the label, Italians Do It Better, and Johnny Jewel's representative, also confirmed the breakup. Their last album is "Closer to Grey" (2019), which has a companion album, "Faded Now" (2020).

The band originally hailed from Seattle and formed in 2002 as a quartet featuring vocalist Adam Miller, drummer Hannah Blilie, guitarist Devin Welch, and bassist Michelle Nolan. That lineup debuted in 2002 with a Calvin Johnson-produced 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories -- a split with Die Monitr Batss -- and followed with the similarly GSL-issued Chrome Rats vs Basement Ruts LP.

While Chrome Rats was critically hailed, Chromatics couldn't keep it together, and Miller was soon the only member in good standing (Blilie, Welch, and Nolan went on to form the similar-sounding Shoplifting). Unworried, Miller added guitar and drum programming to his vocal duties and tapped bassist Nat Sahlstrom for the 2003 GSL 7" Ice Hatchets. That was followed by the February 2004 full-length Plaster Hounds (which featured the percussion work of Get Hustle's Ron Avila), and a repositioning of the Chromatics axis to greater reflect its dub and no wave influences.

This lineup too dissolved and Adam Miller relocated Chromatics to Portland, teaming up with Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel, Ruth Radelet on lead vocals, and Nat Walker on percussion and saxophone. The new lineup of Chromatics had a more lo-fi electronic sound as opposed to the earlier dub and no-wave sounds.

White Light
Chromatics Lyrics

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White light
Run away from me
I want to hold you in my hand
White light,
Sing your love to me
I am a stranger in your world

White light,

Do you still dream of me
I am so lonely in this world
White light

Through tunnels I can see
I want to hold you in my hand

Overall Meaning

The song "White Light" by Chromatics is an emotional ballad about longing and loneliness. The theme of White Light is centered on the desire of the singer to hold onto something that is fleeting and temporary, which is symbolized by the white light. The white light represents hope and potential, but the singer is unable to grasp onto it fully. The song speaks to the transient nature of dreams and hopes, and the singer's loneliness in their pursuit.

The lyrics of "White Light" are among the most evocative in any Chromatics song, as they perfectly capture the feeling of of searching for something or someone that is out of reach. Lines such as "Run away from me, I want to hold you in my hand," and "Do you still dream of me? I am so lonely in this world," paint a vivid picture of the singer's emotional state. The use of the white light symbolizes a search for hope and fulfillment, while the melancholic undertones of the song suggest that the pursuit of such things might ultimately be hopeless.

Overall, "White Light" is a deeply introspective and moving song. It speaks to the universal human experience of longing and hoping for something better, while acknowledging the difficulty and loneliness that often accompanies such pursuits.

Line by Line Meaning

White light
The purity of light is referenced, which may indicate a desire for clarity and truth.

Run away from me
The singer feels rejected or abandoned by someone, possibly because of their own flaws or mistakes.

I want to hold you in my hand
The singer desires to possess or control the one who has run away, indicating a lack of respect for their autonomy.

Sing your love to me
The artist wants the one who has left to express their affection, but may be unsure if it still exists.

I am a stranger in your world
The artist is an outsider, perhaps unable to fully comprehend or belong in the world of the one they are addressing.

Do you still dream of me
The singer is unsure if they are still important or remembered by the one who has left.

I am so lonely in this world
The singer is isolated and unhappy, possibly due to their own choices or circumstances they cannot control.

Through tunnels I can see
The artist perceives a future or potential path, yet feels unable to reach their desired destination.

I want to hold you in my hand
The desire for control and possession is repeated, indicating a lack of understanding or respect for boundaries.

Contributed by Landon I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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