Since 1999 they have worked as a trio:
Yann Nguema (bass guitar, visuals)
Joan Guillon (samples, effects, keyboard)
Matthieu Fays (percussion)
They released in 1999 the mini album 'Equalize-it'. In 2000 they released the album ‘Handle with care’ (Jarring Effects/Pias), which featured many collaborations with big names of the French independent music scene (such as Yann Tiersen, Sylvestre from Dit Terzi and Sir Jean from Meï teï Sho). That album intrigued the audience and confirmed the band's eclectic style. During their live performances, they are known for creating a poetic universe with beautiful visuals and graphics, which are made by bass guitarist Yann N'Guema. He uses samples of various photographs, which in combination with the music creates a special audio-visual experience. Other French electro bands use visuals on their live performance, but EZ3kiel are really something special compared to them, their visuals are synchronized with the sound. In 2003 they released another album 'Barb4Ry' (Jarring Effects/Pias) which showed that the band's mature period came. With it they confirmed their identity as a group which expresses itself in different music genres (electronica, dub, hiphop etc.) and does lots of experimentation. In their music beauty and melancholic mood quickly change to aggression and cruelty. The efficiency of EZ3kiel lies in their ability to surprise the audience. The profanity of their sound and visuals delivered them to become one of the most exciting and interesting French electro dub bands.
Their concert ambience can be seen on their live dvd, ‘Versus Tour 2004’. They took the name EZ3kiel from a biblical person which is often mentioned in Quentin Tarantino's movie called Pulp Fiction (the character played by Samuel Jackson often reads his quotes).
Discography:
1999 - Equalize it
2000 - Handle with care
2004 - Barb4Ry
2004 - Versus Tour (live CD and DVD)
2007 - Naphtaline
2008 - Battlefield
http://www.ez3kiel.com
Thought
EZ3kiel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fishbone soldier number one
Dr. Madd Vibe
You'll comprehend a legal ageist
He recommended that you arm yourself
With a protective prophelactic calling of consciousness
The chapter in a book presents Dr. Mass Vibe's
Comprehension of legal ageist
The land of the mighty whitey of Moor
This is called "Fall of the Riviera"
The world spins so slow but the sun is here at last,
The sun rises slow but its path is so vast,
It stays in the middle while the other planets go around,
And a few hours later, later I'm in another town
Yesterday I was in Nice, France on the beach
With the Mediterranean sea in front of me at my feet
People walking naked
Women and men
But not like back at home in the USA, the jail that I live in
Where you can't drink a beer or smoke a joint on the corner
Or to be naked on the beach is indecent exposure
Its triple hard, try to talk about something happy
(?) turn crappy
I guess that because I'm a part of the American dream
A prehistoric experiment by the damn mighty whitey European
Screaming, scaming
Got me screaming to the top of my lungs
Because what I saw made me jealous, but also with disgust
Look at all the happy white people in their paradise state
Even some people with a color get a piece of the cake
They're not guinea pigs for justice and peace in the USA
Gimme gimme justice, gimme gimme peace !
They squeal in their land and slap on glory,
The land of the free
Some Black men, some Red men, some Yellow and some White matter
The land of the free
Free to make money
If you make enough money you can buy yourself some justice, honey
So if you're Black like me and you wanna get rich quick
Go under cover and make your hair slicked
Get rid of those naps and be a tom for a minute
Be like the mighty whitey and you're in it to win it
Fuck all that I say with deep angst,
I am what I am, no bacon for me thanks
Three snaps and a circle,
A pow wow with Bloods and Crips
Let's all get together and bunch 'em in the lip
Then brake their hips and take away their mind
Rebel, rebel, rebel
Rebel away from your blind mind
Rebel from the spell that has been intertwined
Into your great grandma and great grandpa's genes
Now is the time, the time to rhyme
About how we must unfold and (?)
The curse of the snow storm has been
Wupped on all lonely men
From the men of the land of the mighty whitey men
The mighty whitey, the mighty whitey
What was I talking about at first?
Oh yeah, some nice like the sun rising up and the earth spinning round and the stars in the sky and the flowers on the ground
And this spaghetti tastes good in the Rome, Italy and they told me Africa's right across the street
This is a donation from Dr. Madd Vibe on the charity tip
Peace now
The song "Thought" by EZ3kiel featuring Angelo Moore is a commentary on racism in America, particularly the juxtaposition between the freedom enjoyed by white Americans and the oppression faced by people of color. The lyrics start off with Angelo Moore introducing himself as a "Fishbone soldier number one" and "Dr. Madd Vibe," a reference to the American funk band Fishbone and their lead singer Angelo Moore. He talks about a legal ageist who recommends people arm themselves with "protective prophylactic calling of consciousness" to combat discrimination.
The song then moves into a personal anecdote of Angelo Moore's experience in Nice, France, where he witnessed the contrast between the freedom enjoyed by people on the beach and the restrictions in America. He talks about how it is illegal to drink beer or smoke a joint on the street and how being naked on the beach is considered indecent exposure. This leads him to talk about his experiences as a Black man in America, where he feels like he is living in a jail. He talks about how justice and peace can be bought with money, and how people of color do not have the same opportunities as white Americans.
The song then takes a more rebellious tone, with Angelo Moore calling for unity among people of different races and to rebel against the conditioning that has been passed down through generations. He urges people to "rebel from the spell that has been intertwined into your great grandma and great grandpa's genes." The song ends with a message of peace.
Line by Line Meaning
This is Angelo Moore
Introducing Angelo Moore as the singer or protagonist of the song
Fishbone soldier number one
Identifying Angelo Moore as a member of the band Fishbone
Dr. Madd Vibe
Mentioning Dr. Madd Vibe, who is a character in the album and who represents the singer's alter ego
You'll comprehend a legal ageist
Referring to Dr. Madd Vibe's ability to understand the concept of legal discrimination based on age
He recommended that you arm yourself
Dr. Madd Vibe advises the listener to protect their consciousness and mentality
With a protective prophelactic calling of consciousness
Metaphorically speaking, Dr. Madd Vibe suggests to use a prophylactic to armor one's mind against societal prejudices
The chapter in a book presents Dr. Mass Vibe's
Announcing that the song is based on a chapter in a book that contains Dr. Madd Vibe's views on legal ageism
Comprehension of legal ageist
Referring once again to Dr. Madd Vibe's ability to understand and fight against ageism
Chapter seven I believe
Informing the listener that the chapter in the book where Dr. Madd Vibe's views on ageism are discussed is most likely chapter 7
The land of the mighty whitey of Moor
Referring to Europe as the land of the mighty white people
This is called "Fall of the Riviera"
Mentioning the name of the song, which is "Fall of the Riviera"
The world spins so slow but the sun is here at last,
Metaphorically describing how slow the world is changing, but change is still happening
The sun rises slow but its path is so vast,
Metaphorically depicting how gradual the progress of society is despite its potential to create significant change
It stays in the middle while the other planets go around,
The sun is the center of the solar system, representing how the capitalist and white-centered system is the focal point
And a few hours later, later I'm in another town
Referring to the singer's restlessness and constant travel
Yesterday I was in Nice, France on the beach
Describing the artist's previous location, which was Nice, France
With the Mediterranean sea in front of me at my feet
Depicting the artist standing in front of the Mediterranean Sea
People walking naked
Noticing individuals walking around the beach while being naked
Women and men
Clarifying that both men and women were walking naked
But not like back at home in the USA, the jail that I live in
Contrasting the freedom of being naked in Nice to how the artist feels restricted in their home country of the USA
Where you can't drink a beer or smoke a joint on the corner
Pointing out the limitations of societal norms and laws in America
Or to be naked on the beach is indecent exposure
Further emphasizing how societal standards in America limit basic liberties like nudism
Its triple hard, try to talk about something happy
Acknowledging how discussing happy things is difficult in a society that has many deep-rooted problems
(?) turn crappy
The meaning of this line is unclear
I guess that because I'm a part of the American dream
The singer identifies as part of the American dream despite the challenges they face
A prehistoric experiment by the damn mighty whitey European
Calling the American Dream a prehistoric experiment by white Europeans
Screaming, scaming
Not entirely clear, but possibly referring to the ways white people have harmed and oppressed minority groups in America
Got me screaming to the top of my lungs
The artist wants to raise their voice and make a difference in society
Because what I saw made me jealous, but also with disgust
The artist feels a sense of envy for people who live in a more accepting society, but also disgust with the injustices of America
Look at all the happy white people in their paradise state
Observing how white people in America seem to live in a state of privilege and happiness
Even some people with a color get a piece of the cake
Noticing that some people of color are also able to benefit from the capitalist and white-centric system
They're not guinea pigs for justice and peace in the USA
People who benefit from the American system are not oppressed and do not need to fight for basic rights and equality
Gimme gimme justice, gimme gimme peace !
The artist is urging for justice and peace in America
They squeal in their land and slap on glory,
Not entirely clear, but possibly critiquing white Americans who pride themselves on their wealth and success
The land of the free
Sarcastically commenting on America being referred to as the land of the free
Some Black men, some Red men, some Yellow and some White matter
All races and ethnicities matter and should have equal rights
The land of the free
Again, sarcastically commenting on America being referred to as the land of the free
Free to make money
Americans are free to make money but not necessarily free in other aspects of their lives
If you make enough money you can buy yourself some justice, honey
Implying that justice in America can sometimes be bought by those who have enough money or power
So if you're Black like me and you wanna get rich quick
Commenting on the idea that wealth can come more easily for white people than for people of color
Go under cover and make your hair slicked
Suggesting that people of color may need to change their appearance to succeed in a white-centered society
Get rid of those naps and be a tom for a minute
Further emphasizing the idea that people of color may need to conform to white standards in order to achieve success
Be like the mighty whitey and you're in it to win it
Urging people of color to adopt the ways of white Americans to succeed in a capitalist society
Fuck all that I say with deep angst,
Rejecting the notion that people of color need to conform to white standards and expressing frustration with that idea
I am what I am, no bacon for me thanks
Affirming that the artist will live their life on their own terms, regardless of societal expectations
Three snaps and a circle,
Referring to a hand gesture popularized in African American and LGBT communities
A pow wow with Bloods and Crips
Describing a meeting between two notorious street gangs in Los Angeles
Let's all get together and bunch 'em in the lip
Proposing that the two gangs should stop fighting and band together against societal oppression
Then brake their hips and take away their mind
Arguably promoting violence against oppressors in order to achieve justice
Rebel, rebel, rebel
Encouraging rebellion against societal norms and expectations
Rebel away from your blind mind
Advising people to reject narrow-minded thinking and expand their consciousness
Rebel from the spell that has been intertwined
Urging people to reject the false narratives and beliefs that have been perpetuated by society
Into your great grandma and great grandpa's genes
Highlighting how societal views and norms can be passed down through generations
Now is the time, the time to rhyme
Suggesting that now is the time to speak out and take action for social justice
About how we must unfold and (?)
Not entirely clear, but possibly suggesting that people must learn to be more accepting and empathetic towards one another
The curse of the snow storm has been
Possibly referring to the suppression of marginalized groups and how their oppression is like a blizzard that covers them completely
Wupped on all lonely men
Not entirely clear, but possibly referring to how loneliness can be pervasive and affect everyone
From the men of the land of the mighty whitey men
Commenting on how the white-centered society perpetuates loneliness and isolation
The mighty whitey, the mighty whitey
Continuing to point out the power and privilege of white people in society
What was I talking about at first?
Returning to the opening idea and questioning the coherence of the song's message
Oh yeah, some nice like the sun rising up and the earth spinning round and the stars in the sky and the flowers on the ground
Returning to the idea of the beauty and majesty of nature
And this spaghetti tastes good in the Rome, Italy and they told me Africa's right across the street
Noting that good food and diverse cultures exist outside of America
This is a donation from Dr. Madd Vibe on the charity tip
Announcing that the song and its message are a gift from Dr. Madd Vibe
Peace now
Ending the song with a call for peace and unity
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@treizerotrei
great work guys !