Their first, eponymously-titled mini album was the first release ever of Berlin-based label Machinery, its title track becoming one of the most frequently played titles in Northern Europe. They continued their collaboration with Jor Rosen's label, in time releasing 6 singles and 3 albums until the label was acquired and later dissolved by new management.
In 1997 they signed with Polydor, but after one album (Dehumanizer) that partnership ended - clearly the dark electronic sound didn't fit in with Polydor's dance-label What's Up ?!. On Dehumanizer the band was briefly joined by Norbert Drescher (aka Norri) as drummer.
2001 saw the release of their latest album, Schlafende Energie, on Synthetic Symphony. According to their homepage (2008), they have a new album finished. They are just shopping around for a new label to master, press and distribute it.
Dance Or Die are a popular (at least in Central and Northern Europe) band that span many musical genres. Cold techno sound meets deep goth voice (vocalist Gary Wagner even sings as guest on other artist's records, as on "Take Some More" by And One) form a perfect ground for the cyber-themed lyrics about life in the machine age.
Their albums were thus appropriately named:
-3001 for the future.
-Psychoburbia for the psychotic nature of modern suburbia.
-Everspring for the spring of a watch and life being bound within the artificial boundaries of mankind's inventions (time).
-Dehumanizer for what modern society does to individuals. (Though it may have been named after the album of Black Sabbath, whose song "Black Sabbath" Dance Or Die did cover on Psychoburbia.)
-Schlafende Energie (literally: sleeping energy) is a term coined by German television series Raumpatrouille and means an energy reserve, but it was used for its potency.
Dance Or Die are members of a media collective called Clan of Nihil. For some American versions of their records, they were renamed Do Or Die by their label Machinery.
Helios
Dance or Die Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the midwinter night
He will be reborn
The son of the god
The son of the light
The cross in the circle
They will guide us to wisdom
To inlight our mind
When Janus dies
In the dark winter night
Within the change of the year
Reborn in his light
He will arise in the eastside
Gets down in the west
As every raincloud
Disappears for the day
Oh get us to your world
We are setting the sails
We follow your brightness
We will follow your way
Follow the sun
Into the light of Helios come follow the sun
The lyrics of Dance or Die's song Helios speak of the rebirth of a divine being, the sun, in the midst of winter darkness. The song draws largely from pagan mythology, specifically referencing the god Janus with his symbolic cross in the circle and the spiral of time that guides the path to enlightenment. The lyrics suggest that the sun is the divine offspring of this god, representing its radiating light and ardent warmth. The sun is described as the guiding light that appears in the east and disappears in the west, shining bright enough to dispel the surrounding rainclouds. Through these vivid descriptions, the song encourages its listeners to follow the path of the sun, to seek enlightenment and to find their own brightness.
Overall, the song's lyrics emphasize the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. They reflect the idea of the solstice, where the death of winter transforms into the birth of spring, as well as the symbolic image of the sun dying and being reborn every day. The song invokes the power and beauty of nature and the divine, inviting listeners to connect with their own spirituality and seek a path to either enlightenment or renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
In the midwinter night
During the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year
He will be reborn
Representing the rebirth of the sun as days become longer after the winter solstice
The son of the god
Referring to Helios, the Greek god of the sun
The son of the light
Describing Helios as the offspring of the light
The cross in the circle
Symbolizes the union of the elements of earth and spirit as well as the stages of the solar journey
And the spiral of time
Also representing the cyclical nature of time and the seasons
They will guide us to wisdom
The symbols help guide us to greater knowledge
To enlight our mind
The understanding and mastery of the cycles of existence bring illumination
When Janus dies
Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, is associated with endings as well
In the dark winter night
Janus passes away during the winter solstice
Within the change of the year
Janus' death marks the end of one year and the beginning of another
Reborn in his light
Janus' passing is accompanied by the dawning of a new era
He will arise in the eastside
Helios rises in the east every day
Gets down in the west
And sets in the west
As every raincloud
Just as the clouds disperse
Disappears for the day
Helios' light shines bright and strong during the day
Oh get us to your world
Asking Helios to lead us into the world of light
We are setting the sails
We are embarking on a journey
We follow your brightness
Trusting that Helios' light will guide us
We will follow your way
We will adhere to the path set before us
Follow the sun
Echoing the themes of the song and urging us to embrace the rising sun
Into the light of Helios come follow the sun
Finally, an explicit call to follow Helios' light toward enlightenment
Contributed by Caroline M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.