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)
Odyssey Asylum
Diary of Dreams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
lost now in memories
The truth of this beauty
in vague saturation
Embarrassed in silence
Incantation implied
A true liberation that no-one can fight
Please let the rain fall down on me
Please let me feel the miracles of life
Stranded in peace
The joy of a weakness
No fear of seclusion
A life of its own
You love your illusions
Without them, you're lost
Please let the rain fall down on me
Please let me feel the miracles of life
Please let the rain wash away all my tears
Please let me learn the spell of confusion
With endless compulsion
confess your defeat
The obvious reason
No need for a trial
Put an end to this fight
Take a rest from your odyssey
Let go of your world
Find peace here tonight
The lyrics of Diary of Dream’s song “Odyssey Asylum” are poetic in their simplicity. The opening lines describe a fleeting moment of pride, which is now relegated to memories that lack the clarity of their past beauty. The singer then alludes to the power of incantation, which holds the key to true liberation that cannot be taken away. This could refer to the power of the mind in overcoming obstacles or the potential of spiritual practices to transcend mundane constraints. The chorus of the song pleads for a chance to feel the miracles of life, to wash away the tears, and to learn the spell of confusion. It is a call to embrace the unknown, the unpredictable, and the chaotic aspects of our existence in order to find true peace.
The second half of the song moves between describing a state of peaceful surrender and a sense of self-sabotage. The singer declares that being stranded in peace is a joy, and that there should be no fear of seclusion because it allows us to have a life of our own. But, simultaneously, the lyrics also suggest that we are prone to loving our illusions and losing ourselves without them - this implies a potential source of self-destructiveness. The final lines of “Odyssey Asylum” seem to signal a resolution or a way out of this paradox, with the singer’s plea to put an end to the fight and find peace tonight.
Line by Line Meaning
The pride of the moment
The feeling of pride at a previous moment in time
lost now in memories
Has faded away with the passage of time and is now only an event in memory
The truth of this beauty
The nature of this beauty
in vague saturation
Is present in a subdued and unclear manner
Embarrassed in silence
Feeling ashamed and unable to speak of it
Incantation implied
The power of words being used, even if only implied
A true liberation
A genuine sense of freedom
that no-one can fight
Which cannot be disputed or opposed by anyone else
Please let the rain fall down on me
A desire to experience the cleansing and rejuvenating effects of rain
Please let me feel the miracles of life
A request to experience the wonder and beauty of life
Stranded in peace
Feeling isolated and alone, but at peace with oneself
The joy of a weakness
Finding joy and contentment in one's vulnerability or shortcomings
No fear of seclusion
Not being afraid of being alone or isolated
A life of its own
Having its own unique existence and purpose
You love your illusions
You enjoy and find comfort in your own fantasies
Without them, you're lost
Feeling aimless and confused without one's illusions
Please let the rain wash away all my tears
A desire to be freed from emotional pain and suffering
Please let me learn the spell of confusion
A request to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and uncertainties of life
With endless compulsion
Being driven by an intense need or urge
confess your defeat
Admitting to one's failures or shortcomings
The obvious reason
The clear and evident explanation
No need for a trial
It is unnecessary to debate or question the situation
Put an end to this fight
Stop struggling or contesting the current circumstances
Take a rest from your odyssey
Take a break from the journey or struggles one is experiencing
Let go of your world
Release oneself from the burdens or worries of the world
Find peace here tonight
Discover a sense of tranquility and contentment in this moment
Contributed by Caleb M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.