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
VERSUS
EZ3kiel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cataclysm, Samsary, BSE, Barbary, Bombs, Torpedos, Nuclear, Traffic jams, Schizophrenic, Concentration camps, Heartless, Prestige, Zyklon B, Napalm, Vicious, Debris.
Lullaby, Fairy Tales, Spiritual, Harmonies, Maternal, Honey, Poetry, Feathers, Meditation, Avalokiteshvara, Peace, Caress, Honesty, Muse, Martin Luther King, Relief,
Gardian Angel / Cain and Abel, Birth / Death, Essence / Camouflage, Natural / Clonage, Aphrodite / Attila, Gandhi / Generals, Tenderness /
Versus.
Combat, Paramilitary, Clonee, Refugee Camps, Chains and Guns, Whips and pain, Identifies, Immolation, Attacks, Carpet Bombs, Biological, Chemical, Genocide, Amputees, Catastrophes, Crualty, Dictator, Insane, Victims, Poverty, Heartbreak, Factories, OGM, Handcuffs, Horrid traps, Massacres, Lapidation, Four Quarters, Hell on Earth, Homeless, Fire Blaze, Jezabel.
Barbary, Destroy, Futile, Despair, Cataclysm, NRA, Uranium, BSE, Bombs, Tropedos, Nuclear, Traffic Jams, Schizophrenic, Concentration Camps, Heartless, Prestige, Zyklon B, Napalm, Vicious, White Hate.
The lyrics of the song "Versus" by EZ3kiel covers a wide range of controversial and socially relevant topics. The first verse comprises a list of historical and contemporary events and issues - from Barbary to Pandemonium - that have shaped the world in various ways. These are accompanied by more abstract concepts like globalization, Shoah, and Big Brother. The second verse continues the theme of destruction and violence, listing commonplace words like bombs, concentration camps, and genocide.
After this, the third verse provides a sharp contrast to the preceding darkness, evoking more peaceful and uplifting images. Here, the lyrics allude to lullabies, honey, and poetry, and reference individuals like Martin Luther King and Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. The final section brings the song to a head, recapitulating a few terms from the previous sections such as combat and cruelty, but also including new topics like Genetic modification, horrid traps, and white hate.
The song title "versus" alludes to an oppositional structure or struggle between these different themes and ideas, suggesting a vision of the world as a place of conflict and dichotomy.
Line by Line Meaning
Barbary
The barbarity of humanity's past and present actions.
Cartea Negra, Tsunami, Enola Gay
Reference to the devastation caused by historical natural disasters and wars.
Kamikaze, Valkiries, Fatwah
Mention of violent historical events and movements.
Globalization, Police brutality, Death row
Criticism of current societal issues such as the negative effects of globalization, police brutality, and capital punishment.
Guernica, Dolly clone, Snuff films, Cannibalism, Les Racines du Mal, Shoah
A reminder of some of the most heinous acts committed by humanity, ranging from genocide to immoral scientific experimentation.
Big Brother, BZ, Tchernobyl, Anthrax, Hooligans, Apartheid, Klu Klux Klan, Taliban, Mafia, Land mines, Pollution, Famine, Torture, Xenophobe, Pandemonium, Oil Spills, Electric chair, Alcatraz, Attila, Mercenaries, Radioactivity, Collateral loss
Mentions of various negative aspects of societies past and present, including oppressive regimes, pollution, violence, and societal divisions.
Universal
A call for unity and positive global change.
Cut throats, War, Murder
A condemnation of violence and war.
Jezabel, Bethlehem, Apocalypse, Madness, Rape
References to tragic historical events and societal issues, including violence towards women and religious conflicts.
Cataclysm, Samsary, BSE, Barbary, Bombs, Torpedos, Nuclear, Traffic jams, Schizophrenic, Concentration camps, Heartless, Prestige, Zyklon B, Napalm, Vicious, Debris
Further reference to societal and historical tragedy, including war, genocide, and environmental disasters.
Lullaby, Fairy Tales, Spiritual, Harmonies, Maternal, Honey, Poetry, Feathers, Meditation, Avalokiteshvara, Peace, Caress, Honesty, Muse, Martin Luther King, Relief, Gardian Angel / Cain and Abel, Birth / Death, Essence / Camouflage, Natural / Clonage, Aphrodite / Attila, Gandhi / Generals, Tenderness /
A brief respite from the doom and gloom, with mentions of positive, peaceful ideas and figures, and the duality of life.
Combat, Paramilitary, Clonee, Refugee Camps, Chains and Guns, Whips and pain, Identifies, Immolation, Attacks, Carpet Bombs, Biological, Chemical, Genocide, Amputees, Catastrophes, Crualty, Dictator, Insane, Victims, Poverty, Heartbreak, Factories, OGM, Handcuffs, Horrid traps, Massacres, Lapidation, Four Quarters, Hell on Earth, Homeless, Fire Blaze, Jezabel
More references to societal wrongs, including oppression, violence, and poverty.
Barbary, Destroy, Futile, Despair, Cataclysm, NRA, Uranium, BSE, Bombs, Tropedos, Nuclear, Traffic Jams, Schizophrenic, Concentration Camps, Heartless, Prestige, Zyklon B, Napalm, Vicious, White Hate
A final condemnation of the atrocities committed by humanity, with emphasis on the destructive nature of hatred and violence.
Contributed by Makayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@melancolielupine2023
Album culte s'il en est... toujours des frissons à l'écouter, et la nostalgie de mes 17 ans... un chef-oeuvre précurseur et inoubliable.
@aristoshlag3608
12 ans après, toujours aussi bon!
@estrellafugaz301
Et d actualité...clonage, tenderness, taliban, refugee camps, imigration, chemical, genocide, dictator...
@sylvainsissi6005
Même dans 12 ans .. 🤷🤣😉☺️🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️
@openyoureyes321
YES !!! Greeting from ALB🇦🇱⚜️🇮🇹IT
@openyoureyes321
I used to use the album picture as a fb photo profile more then 7-8 years ago !!!
EZ3kiel is Story !!! 💀😈💀
@DroHikari
Слухав в молодості) крутий музон
@sylvainsissi6005
Je l'ai dans les nerfs, dans le coeur ce magnifique album.. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ interminable... ☺️🥰🤗
@belial7783
Un versus qui est perdu d'avance je le crains, paix sur tous
@bertrandd.5611
Puissant ...