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.
Spirit
Dance or Die Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Space invaders calling
But don't you turn around
But the years of decay can not stop
Bringing me down
In these nights of mystery
They give you power
They've got the spirit
The spirit of the street
?????????????????? (calling?)
Give me the strength to enjoy
They've got the fire
They've got the heat
They've got the spirit
The spirit of the street
Jesus, I called You
And no one was helping
To bring back the times to ignore
I've done that a few times before
Eyes in that summer-rain
Just a kind of deja vu
Don't turn around
Can't you see that my mind is longing
For harmony
In these nights of mystery
And don't you ever dare
To punish me again
Get me out!
Why was I brought way out here?
Why wasn't I taken to a city?
In these nights of mystery
The lyrics to Dance or Die's song "Spirit" depict a sense of desperation and longing for escape from the decay and mundanity of everyday life. The opening lines, "Walking in the summer rain/ Space invaders calling/ But don't you turn around" convey a feeling of being pulled out of reality and into a vivid daydream. The singer then goes on to lament the years of decay bringing them down, but finds solace in the spirit of the street that gives them power and beat. They call out to something or someone for strength, and reflect on past experiences of feeling ignored or punished. The repetition of "the spirit of the street" throughout the song emphasizes its importance as a source of strength and inspiration in challenging times.
The chorus, "They've got the fire/ They've got the heat/ They've got the spirit/ The spirit of the street" reinforces the idea that this spirit of the street is something that exists outside of oneself, a force to be reckoned with. In the bridge, the singer looks back on memories of past summer rains, feeling a sense of deja vu and a longing for harmony. The final lines of the song, "And don't you ever dare/ To punish me again/ Get me out!" express a desire for escape from whatever oppressive forces are holding them down.
Overall, "Spirit" is a song that celebrates the power of creativity and imagination to lift us out of difficult situations. Even in the face of decay and boredom, the spirit of the street provides a source of energy and inspiration that can transform our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking in the summer rain
Strolling through the rain in the summer season
Space invaders calling
Unknown forces or entities are beckoning
But don't you turn around
Do not look back, keep moving forward
But the years of decay cannot stop
Despite the decay around, it's not able to suppress the spirit
Bringing me down
Making one feel disheartened or low
In these nights of mystery
During these enigmatic nights
They give you power
They grant you strength
They give you beat
They give you a rhythm or pace to follow
They've got the spirit
They possess a lively, energetic vibe
The spirit of the street
The vivaciousness of the environment around the streets
?????????????????? (calling?)
Unknown forces are calling out
Give me the strength to enjoy
Provide me with the power to savor life
They've got the fire
They contain an intense passion
They've got the heat
They possess a warmth or fervor
They've got the spirit
They possess an energetic vibe
The spirit of the street
The vigor present in the urban streets
Jesus, I called You
Addressing Jesus to aid them
And no one was helping
No one was lending assistance
To bring back the times to ignore
To conjure back the times that were easier to neglect
I've done that a few times before
They have already experienced these events a few times in the past
Eyes in that summer-rain
Observing through the summer shower
Just a kind of deja vu
Feels familiar or reminiscent of the past
Don't turn around
Ignoring what's behind, keeping focus in the present
Can't you see that my mind is longing
Can't you deduce that I am missing something
For harmony
In search of peace and concord
In these nights of mystery
During these nights that are unclear and uncertain
And don't you ever dare
Never try to
To punish me again
To penalize once more
Get me out!
Take me away from this situation
Why was I brought way out here?
Why was I taken to a faraway place?
Why wasn't I taken to a city?
Why wasn't I taken to a more urban setting?
In these nights of mystery
During these obscure and ambiguous nights
Contributed by Micah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.