Clikatat Ikatowi was one of San Diego's most celebrated band… Read Full Bio ↴1994 - 1997
Clikatat Ikatowi was one of San Diego's most celebrated bands. They helped maintain the city as the art punk capital of world. They created twisted yet naturally flowing works in a broad range of styles. Ranging from lightning fast and huge, to stripped down, spacey, and lethargic, Clikatat's songs were always engaging and mesmerizing. It wasn't just their excellent compositions which made them everyone's favorite band but also their superior musicianship. Mario Rubalcaba, who has gone on to play with Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Black Heart Procession, Thingy and Earthless, is simply one of the best drummers around. He plays unbelievably fast and complex parts with taste and style. Guitarist Scott, who previously played for another Gravity band, Heroin, often conducted meandering, noise-filled experiments without compromising structure. He also always knew when to keep it simple, and to compliment the other members. Cutting-edge yet organic, they were one of the best.
Transmission
Clikatat Ikatowi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's heard with ears
All converge into my eternal inferno
Where my reception of both sides exist
Tuned to the frequency of sound
Without a shut, offswitch
I hear something from the ground
In a dream I lie open, medium
For the helping hand
That left an open door of wonder
Of wonder, of wonder
Redefine alive, redefine alive
'Til there are no sides
Redefine alive, redefine alive
'Til there are no sides
'Til there are no sides
As the opening widens
As the deafness of greed will subseed
To haunt our motivation
And a new communication with everything is behind our fear
Whether man's wants find their reflection
Did they… did they listen?
Whether man's wants find their reflection
Did they… did they listen?…
The song "Transmission" by Clikatat Ikatowi is a puzzling, abstract song that discusses hearing voices from beyond and receiving transmissions from the afterlife. The opening line states, "Voices, voices, voices from beyond," suggesting that the song is about hearing voices that are not of this world. The singer then goes on to say that these voices converge into their "eternal inferno," possibly referring to the mind as an inner inferno. The singer hears things that are tuned to a specific frequency of sound and absorbed in education, which could mean that the messages they receive are educating them about something greater than human understanding. The singer is a medium with an open door to wonder, indicating that they are providing a conduit for these messages to reach others.
The chorus, "Redefine alive, redefine alive, 'til there are no sides," suggests that the song is about changing our current understanding of being alive, blurring boundaries that separate our existence from the afterlife. As the "deafness of greed" lessens, our ability to communicate with everything is behind our fear. The final lines, "Whether man's wants find their reflection, Did they… did they listen?" is an invitation to the listener to think about whether our desires are fulfilled by our actions and if we are listening to the greater messages being presented to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Voices, voices, voices from beyond
Various sounds and utterances perceived outside of human existence
What's heard with ears
Auditory information that the human ear can process
All converge into my eternal inferno
All sounds, whether human or non-human, are processed within oneself
Where my reception of both sides exist
My ability to receive and process both positive and negative sounds
Tuned to the frequency of sound
Adjusting oneself to a state conducive to receiving audible information
Without a shut off-switch
Without the ability to completely disengage from receiving audible information
I hear something from the ground
Sounds coming from the environment around oneself
Absorbed in education
Immersed in learning and experiencing new things
In a dream I lie open, medium
An individual's imagination and creativity has no boundaries and is thus open to receiving information without restriction
For the helping hand
The hope for assistance from others or a higher power
That left an open door of wonder
The opportunity for the unknown and unexplored to be discovered and experienced
Of wonder, of wonder
Repetition affirming the overarching theme of wonder and exploration
Redefine alive, redefine alive
Challenging the traditional view of what it means to be alive
'Til there are no sides
Until there are no restrictions or boundaries set in place
As the opening widens
As one's mind and perception expands
As the deafness of greed will subseed
As the negative effects of greed become less prominent in society
To haunt our motivation
To negatively impact our drive and ambition
And a new communication with everything is behind our fear
There is a new method of communication and understanding with the world beyond our fears
Whether man's wants find their reflection
Whether or not humanity's desires and wants are reflected back to them
Did they...did they listen?
Questioning if humanity is truly hearing and understanding the messages being imparted on them
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.