Their first major hit as Coldcut was the house-inflected People Hold On, featuring a then-unknown Lisa Stansfield. The single took the U.K. by a storm, and the subsequent album featured such luminaries as Junior Reid (on the single "Stop This Crazy Thing") and Queen Latifah.
In 1991 they started their own record label, Ninja Tune, which continues to release groundbreaking and extremely diverse music by a small army of like-minded artists. In 1997 the duo unveiled their own real time video manipulation software, VJamm. Coldcut's current live and DJ sets rely on video as much as records, taking the concept of multimedia performance into largely uncharted territory.
Conceptually, Coldcut owes as much to the ideas of beat writer and cut-up theorist William S. Burroughs, 1970s art / industrial group Throbbing Gristle, and the religious writings of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs as much as to hip-hop originators like Grandmaster Flash or later innovators Double D and Steinski.
Recognizing the power inherent in Burroughs' cut-up technique and its presence in hip hop music, More and Black have relentlessly pushed the D.I.Y. ethic and an understanding of play as a means of fostering greater interaction with and understanding of the world around you. The similarities between this ethos and that of hacking need hardly be stated. Ninja Tune uses a corporate facade to communicate via the marketplace itself, an idea first implemented by Throbbing Gristle via their own Industrial Records imprint.
One of the key aspects of the Ninja Tune ethos, Stealth, implies that their following of DJs and listeners are "agents" in a Burroughsian sense, propagating the D.I.Y. ethic of play as an essentially subversive act by replaying and manipulating media under the radar of mainstream culture. Nowadays Coldcut reach a worldwide audience through their syndicated radio show Solid Steel. Black has recently (2003) worked with Penny Rimbaud (ex Crass) on Crass Agenda's Savage Utopia project.
In 2006, Coldcut released their fifth album, Sound Mirrors. single True Skool featured rapper Roots Manuva and featured an Indian sample from a cult Bollywood era, making the track popular on the bhangra and desi scene and with most of the British Asian urban nation.
Mr Nichols (Feat. Saul William
Coldcut Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please Mr. Nichols come back inside the window
I can't promise you anything, but I trust that there is far greater reason to live
I know you've become disheartened and disillusioned by the current state of affairs
Your stocks are falling, your investments have failed you
The man from whom you took orders has been ordered to jail by his and your subordinates
You question what is this world coming to
Where's the glory you dreamt of as a child..
Dressed as a cowboy, your play gun pointed at real targets
Your mother, holding her tongue as your father consoles her with the words..
"it's just boy stuff"
Well
You joined his fraternity, you grew into his old suits
You acquired his beliefs, you embodied his dreams and with them his oversights.
How long did you think it would last?
It's just a matter of time.
The world is far from over.
Look...
Your mother outlives your father,
Your sister outlives your brother.
And if you jump from this window today..
She'll also outlive you.
Look at her, sitting in her midwestern home, tuned into Oprah once again
Today, she learns to meditate on a second-hand couch.
Meanwhile, you stand outside this window
Twelve stories above the ground
One story remaining untold...
You contemplate the setting sun,
Unaware of your disorientation.
Dis-orient: turned away from the east.
The shifting current seems to conspire against you.
Mr. Nichols, you fail to see that you've always stood outside of this window, perched on the threshold of oblivion.
Countless man made stories above the truth
For so long you've stood facing the setting sun
Mistaking the complimentary unified duality of nature as being right or wrong
Good or evil
God or devil
Mr. Nichols instead of stepping from this ledge into the downfall of your up rise
Why not just turn around
Lessen the intensity of your western glare and face the rising sun
Note the energy swirling from its center
How it illumines us all and only the birds fly first class...
There is your inheritance!
The warmth of a kiss
Invest your tongue into the mouth of mystery
Allow her breath to seep into your lungs and surrender to her touch and guidance
There's no other way
Your dreams of dominance will only help you forsake yourself
While your family continues its search for understanding
And your daughters outlive your sons...
The song Mr Nichols by Coldcut feat. Saul Williams is a reflection on life and the value of existence. The singer in the song, presumably Mr. Nichols, is standing outside a window contemplating jumping. He is disheartened and disillusioned by his failures and by the state of the world. He questions the profit margin of pandering to the marginalized and wonders where the glory he dreamed of as a child has gone.
Saul Williams, through his lyrics, urges Mr. Nichols to reconsider his decision and step away from the ledge. He asks him to turn around and face the rising sun, to invest his tongue into the mouth of mystery, and surrender to the touch and guidance of the unknown. Williams urges Nichols to let go of the dreams of dominance and instead focus on understanding and connection with those around him. He reminds him that if he jumps, his mother will outlive him, his sister will outlive his brother, and his daughters will outlive his sons.
The song is a call to appreciate life and to find meaning beyond the shallow goals of success and material wealth. It is a reminder to cherish the relationships we have and to seek understanding and connection with ourselves and others. The lyrics are poignant and insightful, urging the listener to reflect on their own lives and choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Please Mr. Nichols come back inside the window
Asking Mr. Nichols to come inside and not to jump from the window.
I can't promise you anything, but I trust that there is far greater reason to live
While no promises can be made, it's believed that there is still hope and purpose to life.
I know you've become disheartened and disillusioned by the current state of affairs
Recognizing that Mr. Nichols is feeling discouraged and losing faith in how things are going.
Your stocks are falling, your investments have failed you
His finances are not doing well and investments are not paying off.
The man from whom you took orders has been ordered to jail by his and your subordinates
The person in charge has been imprisoned by those who worked under him including Mr. Nichols.
You question what is this world coming to
Doubting what the world is becoming.
What is the profit margin when you're forced to pander to the marginalized
Questioning the value of profit when it comes from exploiting the disadvantaged.
Where's the glory you dreamt of as a child..
The excitement and inspiration Mr. Nichols once had as a child is now gone.
Dressed as a cowboy, your play gun pointed at real targets
Mr. Nichols once innocently played with toy guns pretending to be a cowboy, but now he's dealing with real problems and people's lives are at stake.
Your mother, holding her tongue as your father consoles her with the words.. "it's just boy stuff"
Mr. Nichols' mother is told by his father to ignore his behavior as it's just typical boy stuff.
You joined his fraternity, you grew into his old suits
Mr. Nichols followed in someone else's footsteps and adopted their ways and beliefs as he got older.
You acquired his beliefs, you embodied his dreams and with them his oversights.
Mr. Nichols took on the same beliefs and dreams as the person he followed, but also copied their flaws and mistakes.
How long did you think it would last?
Questioning how much longer the current way of life can continue.
It's just a matter of time.
Implying that things will eventually change and come to an end as time moves forward.
The world is far from over.
Despite the issues, the world is still alive and progressing.
Look... Your mother outlives your father, Your sister outlives your brother.
Pointing out that women tend to outlive men in his family.
And if you jump from this window today.. She'll also outlive you.
If Mr. Nichols jumps out the window, his mother will have to outlive yet another family member.
Look at her, sitting in her midwestern home, tuned into Oprah once again Today, she learns to meditate on a second-hand couch.
Describing the simple, routine life of his mother as she watches TV and meditates on a used couch.
Meanwhile, you stand outside this window Twelve stories above the ground One story remaining untold...
Mr. Nichols is standing outside the window with an unknown story left before he makes a decision.
You contemplate the setting sun, Unaware of your disorientation. Dis-orient: turned away from the east.
Looking at the sunset, Mr. Nichols is facing west and not realizing that he's lost his direction and purpose.
The shifting current seems to conspire against you.
The changes and challenges Mr. Nichols is facing feels like it's working against him.
Mr. Nichols, you fail to see that you've always stood outside of this window, perched on the threshold of oblivion. Countless man made stories above the truth
Mr. Nichols has always been on the edge of danger and ignoring reality, living in a world of man-made illusions and stories.
For so long you've stood facing the setting sun Mistaking the complimentary unified duality of nature as being right or wrong Good or evil God or devil
Mr. Nichols is confused by the dual nature of things, often mistaking things as good or evil, right or wrong, when in reality they are interconnected and complementary.
Mr. Nichols instead of stepping from this ledge into the downfall of your up rise Why not just turn around Lessen the intensity of your western glare and face the rising sun Note the energy swirling from its center How it illumines us all and only the birds fly first class...
Rather than jump from the window and fall from grace, Mr. Nichols should turn around, face the opposite direction, and see the beauty and energy of the rising sun, symbolizing a new beginning and only the best for everyone.
There is your inheritance! The warmth of a kiss Invest your tongue into the mouth of mystery Allow her breath to seep into your lungs and surrender to her touch and guidance There's no other way
Mr. Nichols' true inheritance is the warmth of love and intimacy with someone special, letting love guide him.
Your dreams of dominance will only help you forsake yourself While your family continues its search for understanding And your daughters outlive your sons...
Chasing after dominance and power will only lead to losing oneself, while family members will continue their search for meaning and daughters will continue to survive more than sons.
Contributed by Alyssa F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Powerful...
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unkleluc
legendary