1) Canadian-based undergro… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name:
1) Canadian-based underground hip-hop duo.
2) Hard core/metal band from Long Beach, New York.
3) Ambient duo of Theo Travis and Dave Sturt.
4) New Wave / Postpunk band from L.A. (1977-83)
1) Canadian-based hip hop duo whose album 360 Degrees came to prominance on the Canadian scene in the mid-90s.
Cipher is producer Clean, providing an atmospheric blend of smokey jams, late-night jazz and ambient synths whilst rapper G2, brings true microphone talent to the mix.
Vancouver-based Cipher breathes new life into a hip-hop world run-down by repetitive styles, and played-out gimmicks. The duo, consisting of Clean (producer/engineer) and G² (lyricist/DJ), have been cutting tracks together since 1991. Clean and G² first hooked up during some late night studio sessions in Boston, where the two we attending college to study music. After obtaining his degree from Boston's world-renowned Berklee College of Music, Clean established his own production company and fully equipped 24-track studio in Vancouver and the two continued to work on their material. Cipher's independent debut single & video 'Peeps' released in 1995 proved that the combination of G²'s fierce lyrics and Clean's manipulation behind the boards would be successful. The video for 'Peeps' landed the #2 position on MuchMusic's RAP CITY and the record received plenty of airplay on Canada's Radio Hip-Hop Shows. The group has never taken shortcuts in creating it's music, and the full length album 360° is proof of this. Containing a total of 16 tracks the album features guest appearances by several members of the Cipher family including; Sleep, Natural Skills, Pele Stoane, Precise and XL
2) Cipher was formed in 1996 by long time friends who wanted to bring something
new to underground music. As the group developed artistically and politically
they reasoned that art can and should have a serious social mission. That
mission, coupled with the band's unique blend of diverse musical conventions,
create Cipher's signature sound. Elements of hardcore and metal are intercut
with melodcism and politically radical lyrics to form a provocative, probing
treatment of race, gender, and class.
Cipher embraced a DIY work ethic that has led them to self-release many of
their earlier recordings and embark on numerous tours of the US. Cipher's
last offering, "Antidote" (2001) gained critical acclaim as an unrelenting,
neo-revolutionary musical statement.
After a series of both regional and national tours Cipher went into a two
year hiatus in order to focus much of its energies on writing new material
for its first full-length release on Uprising Records, the much anticipated
concept album, "Children of God's Fire".
With the album complete, the band is committed to opening critical spaces in
underground music and reawakening the legacy of dissent embedded in every
hardcore, punk , or rock riff.
http://www.myspace.com/cipher
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cipher/13755097115
http://www.cipheronline.com
http://www.uprisingrecords.com
http://www.twitter.com/cipher_online
http://www.youtube.com/cipheronline
3) Cipher was formed in 1996 and since then they have released two albums, performed live at chill-out events and written and performed new scores to silent films by Alfred Hitchcock, F Murnau, GW Pabst and Karl Valentin. They have toured the UK several times performing live with their new scores for classic silent films. Cipher, comprising Dave Sturt and Theo Travis use sound samples from a wide range of sources, create new soundscapes incorporating Daves warm fretless bass playing with his unique harmonic textures and Theos haunting soprano saxophone and flute. The result is structured layers of sound with strong melodies and developing themes that recur throughout pieces. The music is imaginative and compulsive and yet can work on the level of background atmospheres and mood music. It is intense, relaxing, emotional, lyrical, often dark and spontaneous - there is a considerable element of improvisation in all performances.
They have cooperated with such artists as Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Daevid Allen.
So far, they have released three albums, "No Ordinary Man", "One Who Whispers", and "Elemental Forces".
4) See blog for more info
Chance
Cipher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to find the words to say
When every prayer he ever prayed was gone
And the dreams he′s never owned
Are still safely tucked away
Until tomorrow he just carries on
Carries on
Carries on
See the devil on the streets at night
See him running in the pouring rain
See him grinning 'neath a twisted light
I′ll be back again
See the people standing in a row
See them nodding like a field of grain
No one sees the sickle though
Coming 'cross the plain
And this he knows, if nothing more
That waiting in the dark like destiny
Are those who kiss the dogs of war
And there is no tomorrow, no tomorrow
Take a chance
Take a, take a chance, yeah
See the devil he is so intense
See the devil go and change his name
What's the going price of innocence
It can′t be the same
Is it dark when the moon is down
Is it dark with a single flame
If there′s glass falling all around
I am not to blame
And this he knows, if nothing more
That waiting in the dark like destiny
Are those who kiss the dogs of war
And there is no tomorrow, no tomorrow
Take a chance
Take a, take a chance, sim
Take a chance
Take a, take a chance, oh, sim
Burn the night away
Burn the night away
Burn the night
Pictures at an exhibition
Played as he stood
In his trance
Staring at his inhibitions
All the time believing
That it now came down to nothing but this chance
Chance
Chance
Chance
I fear you
Your silence
Your blindness
See what you want to see
In darkness
One kindness
One moment
Tell me what you believe
I believe in nothing
Never really had to
In regards to your life
Rumors that are not true
Who's defending evil
Surely never I
Who would be the witness
Should you chance to die
Father can you hear me
This is not how it was meant to be
I am safe and so are you
As for the other′s destiny
Father can you hear me
This is not how it was meant to be
I am safe and so are you
As for the other's destiny
I believe that situations
All depend on circumstance
Look away
Look away
Pictures at an exhibition
Played as he stood
In his trace
Staring at his inhabitions
All the time believing
That it now came down to
Nothing but this chance
The song "Chance" by Cipher talks about a man who is facing difficult circumstances, and he is trying not to give up. He has a sense of determination and resilience that keeps him going, even in the face of adversity. He is standing alone, trying to find the words to express himself, but he feels like he has run out of things to say. Despite this, he keeps going, knowing that he has dreams that are still tucked away and waiting for him. He is not willing to give up on them.
The song goes on to describe the devil on the streets at night and how he sees people nodding like a field of grain. However, nobody sees the sickle coming across the plain. This is symbolic of how people can be caught off guard by negative circumstances. The song emphasizes that there is no tomorrow and encourages people to take a chance. The man in the song knows that waiting in the dark like destiny are those who kiss the dogs of war. He is aware of the consequences of his choices, but he is not willing to give up. He believes in nothing and has never really had to. He does not believe in rumors that are not true and is not defending evil.
Overall, "Chance" is a song that emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. The man in the song is facing difficult circumstances, but he is still willing to take a chance and fight for his dreams. He is not willing to give up on his dreams and is determined to keep going, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
He was standing all alone
The singer is alone and trying to find the words to say
Trying to find the words to say
The singer is searching for the words he needs to express himself
When every prayer he ever prayed was gone
He feels like all of his prayers have gone unanswered
And the dreams he′s never owned
He still has dreams that he has never achieved
Are still safely tucked away
Despite everything, he still holds his dreams close
Until tomorrow he just carries on
He has no choice but to carry on day by day
See the devil on the streets at night
The devilishly negative influences loom large in society
See him running in the pouring rain
The devil seems to be moving fast even in the hardest circumstances
See him grinning 'neath a twisted light
The devil appears content in a twisted and unwholesome way
I′ll be back again
The devilish negativity will continue to return
See the people standing in a row
Most people in society stick to the status quo
See them nodding like a field of grain
People are afraid to speak out or rock the boat
No one sees the sickle though
The grim reaper's sickle is looming in the background to take everyone eventually
Coming 'cross the plain
Death is slowly but surely on the way for everyone
And this he knows, if nothing more
The singer knows for a fact
That waiting in the dark like destiny
There are unseen forces at work that are always waiting for their chance to cause chaos
Are those who kiss the dogs of war
Those who indulge in war-mongering and violence invite aggression into their lives
And there is no tomorrow, no tomorrow
The future may not even exist and the end may come earlier than people think
Take a chance
Even in the face of uncertainty, the singer urges the listener to take risks
See the devil he is so intense
The devil is particularly intimidating
See the devil go and change his name
The negativity in society won't go away even if it changes its outward appearance
What's the going price of innocence
What does it cost to remain pure?
It can′t be the same
Nothing ever remains the same
Is it dark when the moon is down
There is always a risk even in periods of relative safety and stability
Is it dark with a single flame
With one small spark, things can quickly turn dark
If there′s glass falling all around
There is always the risk of danger or injury even in ordinary situations
I am not to blame
The singer is not responsible for the negative forces around him
Burn the night away
Do anything to shake things up, even if it means destroying what exists
Pictures at an exhibition
The artist is experiencing a vivid mental journey
Played as he stood
The music is playing in his head as he stands still
In his trance
The singer is lost in thought
Staring at his inhibitions
He is considering his limitations and how they hold him back
All the time believing
Despite the difficulties, the artist never loses his faith
That it now came down to nothing but this chance
Everything comes down to taking risks at the right moment
Chance
The whole song is about taking a chance in life
I fear you
The artist is afraid of the negative forces around him, including the listener
Your silence
Silence can be just as damaging and negative as other forces
Your blindness
Not realizing the danger and keeping your eyes closed can be even worse than complete blindness
See what you want to see
People often only see what they want to see, especially when the truth is hard to face
In darkness
Negative forces and adversity can lead to a lack of hope and light
One kindness
Even one small act of kindness can be powerful in the face of negativity
One moment
Opportunities can arise at any time, even in the midst of chaos
Tell me what you believe
The singer wants to know what the listener values and whether they believe in something positive
I believe in nothing
Negative forces have caused the artist to lose faith entirely
Never really had to
He has never had a chance to believe in anything positive, even if he wanted to
In regards to your life
The listener's personal beliefs are irrelevant to the larger problems and negative experiences of life
Rumors that are not true
False information can spread quickly and cause harm to innocent people
Who's defending evil
No one seems to be protecting or standing up for good in society
Surely never I
The singer refuses to be complicit in or support negativity
Who would be the witness
There may be no one left to speak out about or challenge existing problems in society
Should you chance to die
There may not even be a chance to make things right before the end of life
Father can you hear me
The artist is praying to a higher power for help
This is not how it was meant to be
Negativity and harm were never meant to be the standard experience
I am safe and so are you
The singer is affirming that although the situation is difficult, they will survive
As for the other′s destiny
The future and fate of others is uncertain
I believe that situations
The artist still believes there is some chance to influence events
All depend on circumstance
The future and outcomes depend on a variety of factors, some of which may be beyond anyone's control
Look away
Sometimes it's best not to dwell on the negative
Writer(s): P. O'neill, J. Oliva
Contributed by Vivian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sarc
Kevin’s voice married the beat, then his words murdered it
Nathan
O.j.
r4z3rblade
@Nathan 💀
Alex Burgos
@Nathan underrated ass reply
DaDropout
It’s a old song
shanice bell
Kevin is a living legend, this man carries the weight and deliver. Most of his songs is underrated
QTooReal
Damn I don’t see anybody talking about Isaiah Rashad’s verse dude is so underrated
Kj Guidry
Isaiah music is the best too
Orin Patterson
he's a monster
nickx
fax that what I was thinkin