Adrian Hates was originally a classically trained guitarist and pianist, and subsequently bassist of Garden of Delight. He initiated the Diary of Dreams project in the late 1980s, taking the name from one of his early classical guitar compositions, 'Tagebuch der Träume'. The first album, 'Cholymelan', appeared in 1994 on the Dion Fortune label.
Encouraged by this success, Adrian formed his own label Accession and released a string of albums over the following years, building a loyal fanbase each step of the way. The second album 'End of Flowers' was released in 1996, expanding on the darkwave sound of the debut. 'Bird Without Wings' followed a year later, whilst the more experimental work 'Psychoma?' arrived in 1998.
The first sign of consolidation came in 1999, when a compilation album 'Moments of Bloom' appeared, containing two reworked tracks from each album. The next two albums 'One of 18 Angels' and 'Freak Perfume' (plus its companion EP 'PaniK Manifesto') made greater use of electronic rhythms, resulting in greater club play and wider recognition for the band.
Their 2004 'Nigredo' (a concept album inspired by a mythology the band designed themselves) saw a move back towards the more subtle, sparse concepts of old, but still featuring bursts of their more recent, dance-oriented sound. Songs from the Nigredo tour were later released on the live CD 'aLive' and the companion DVD 'Nine In Numbers'. The next Diary of Dreams album 'Nekrolog 43' was released in 2007, offering a greater variety of moods and concepts than previous works. Adrian Hates claims to be influenced, both lyric wise and artwork wise, by the German 1909-1935 expressionism and the "beauty of ugliness" in the course of his work.
The ninth album entitled "(if)" was released on March 13, 2009.
Discography
Albums
* Cholymelan (1994) – re-released in 1999 with four bonus tracks
* End of Flowers (1996)
* Bird Without Wings (1997)
* Psychoma (1998)
* Moments of Bloom (1999)
* One of 18 Angels (2000)
* Freak perfume (2002)
* Dream Collector (2003) (originally a limited South African compilation - later given wider release)
* Nigredo (2004)
* Alive (2005) – live album
* Nekrolog 43 (2007)
* (if) (2009)
* Ego:X (2011)
* Dream Collector II (2012)
* the Anatomy of Silence (2012) - acoustic album
* Elegies in Darkness (2014)
* Grau im Licht (2015)
* reLive (2016)
* hell in Eden (2017)
Singles and EPs
* O' Brother Sleep (2001)
* AmoK (2002)
* PaniK Manifesto (2002) – EP/mini-album
* Giftraum (2004)
* Menschfeind (2005) – EP/mini-album
* The Plague (2007)
* King of Nowhere (2009)
DVDs
* Nine in Numbers (2006)
Choir Hotel
Diary of Dreams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fountain of truth as a stranger reveals
A sarcastic smile proves his true disrespect
His hands so tranquil and his eyes a deep well
To fall for your words - as profound as they are -
seems somehow absurd. How foolish to fall for
but sympathy is not what I feel for you I know that your talk is as wise as untrue
The words of a wise man are not worth a dime
His conscience is burdened. His wisdom a crime
I forgive what I can, but my will is too strong
I won't let you go. You were trapped all along
Your temper is curbed and your fire put out
I try to form words, but your mind is too loud
I fear all this talk and I'm scared of my senses
I take a step back and just run for the door.
The song "Choir Hotel" by Diary of Dreams is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of trust, wisdom, and self-preservation. The opening lines introduce the listener to a mysterious and enigmatic figure, a man who can see through others' hearts and reveal their truths. Despite this gift, the man is sarcastic and disrespectful, offering a facade of calm even as his eyes betray a deep well of emotion.
As the song unfolds, the singer grapples with their feelings towards this wise stranger. On the one hand, they are drawn to his words and perhaps even find them profound. On the other hand, they sense a lack of sincerity and see sympathy as a worthless emotion in the face of the man's false wisdom. In the end, the singer decides to turn away from this inscrutable figure, recognizing that their own will is stronger than any fleeting attraction.
Through its eerie melody and poetic lyrics, "Choir Hotel" touches on universal themes of trust, vulnerability, and self-preservation. It asks questions about the nature of wisdom and the dangers of blindly accepting someone else's ideas, even if they seem wise on the surface. Ultimately, the song suggests that we must trust our own instincts and be willing to walk away from those who would obscure the truth or manipulate our emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard of a man who can see through the heart
I know of a person capable of understanding a person's intentions without them stating it.
A fountain of truth as a stranger reveals
When a stranger opens up, they surprisingly speak the truth.
A sarcastic smile proves his true disrespect
The man in question clearly shows he has no respect through his sarcastic smile.
His hands so tranquil and his eyes a deep well
Despite his disrespect, this man appears calm and has a depth in his eyes that suggest he knows more.
To fall for your words - as profound as they are -
It seems foolish to take the words of this man - no matter how groundbreaking they may seem- seriously.
seems somehow absurd. How foolish to fall for
Believing in his words makes no sense and appears lacking in rationality.
but sympathy is not what I feel for you
I do not pity you, nor do I feel any genuine empathy towards you.
I know that your talk is as wise as untrue
Despite being wise, his words are not true.
The words of a wise man are not worth a dime
Words spoken by someone who is intelligent and informed are worthless in this context.
His conscience is burdened. His wisdom a crime
His conscience troubles him and his intelligence is viewed as an offence.
I forgive what I can, but my will is too strong
I have the strength to forgive, but cannot bring myself to do so completely.
I won't let you go. You were trapped all along
I refuse to let you avoid the situation as you have been stuck in it for some time.
Your temper is curbed and your fire put out
You seem to have lost your passion and your emotions are restrained.
I try to form words, but your mind is too loud
I try to express myself, but you are too focused on your own thoughts and opinions to listen.
I fear all this talk and I'm scared of my senses
The conversation worries me and I am unsure of what to make of it.
I take a step back and just run for the door.
I retreat from the situation as I cannot handle it anymore.
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.