1. An alterna… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists that have used the name Electric Six
1. An alternative rock band from the United States
2. A musical group from South Africa
1. Electric Six is a six-piece Detroit-based rock band consisting of Dick Valentine (vocals), Tait Nucleus? (synthesizers), Johhny Na$hinal (guitar), Da Ve (guitar), Percussion World (drums), and Smorgasboard (bass) who play a mix of rock, funk and disco.
The band's first notorious formation comprised Valentine, Rock and Roll Indian (guitar), Surge Joebot (guitar), Disco (bass, former member of Detroit Cobras), and M (drums). Dick Valentine (real name Tyler Spencer) has always been the primary songwriter (both music and lyrics) of Electric Six, currently and under their former incarnation, when they were known as the Wildbunch. During the band's temporary split at the end of the 1990s, Spencer formed his own band called The Dirty Shame and released one CD entitled Smog Cutter Love Story which featured, among other tracks, a first version of Fire track "Vengeance and Fashion". The band reformed by 2001 to record and release the first release of 'Danger! High Voltage' and record the track 'Dealin' With Death N' Stealin' In The Name Of The Lord' with Troy Gregory for his Sybil album.
Electric Six fuses rock and punk with the laid-back funky rhythms and falsetto vocals of disco, and a distinctly comic touch. However, they tend to reject such genre classifications as disco-metal and disco punk. They formed the band in 1996 and were initially known as The Wildbunch, eventually dropping that name due to pressure from the Bristol trip-hop collection of the same name. Throughout the latter half of the '90s, they played about once a month at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Magic Stick, and the now-defunct Gold Dollar in Detroit, the center of a scene that produced breakout acts like the White Stripes.
Electric Six's 2002 breakout single "Danger! High Voltage" was an infectious dance-rock number, and Jack White from The White Stripes helped sing back up vocals to this track. White has denied this, though Spencer has confirmed it in several interviews. The single reached number 2 on the UK singles chart, and they enjoy icon status in that nation.
Their second single, "Gay Bar", released in 2003, became a hit as well in the UK, reaching #5 in the charts and further aided the group's growth. Curiously, in the American Radio Edit of this track, The words "Nuclear War" are censored with whip-crack sound effects. After fulfilling their recording duties (namely their debut album) three members left in June, leaving Dick Valentine, Tait Nucleus? (synthesizer), and M.
The Colonel (Zach Shipps, guitar, ex-member of Brendan Benson and Mood Elevator), John R Dequindre (guitar and whose stage name is a combination of two Detroit streets) and Frank Lloyd Bonaventure (bass) subsequently joined the group, though they had all been credited on the album and most had been associated with the group for some time. At that time, they were touring in the UK, and they managed to seamlessly replace the members without interrupting the gigs. In time, Johnny Na$hinal joined the group on guitar, Dequindre switched to bass, and Bonaventure switched to law school.
The band's sophomore album, Señor Smoke, was released in the UK on February 14, 2005. Percussion World replaced M on drums around the same time.
The first single from the album put the band at the center of controversy, especially with Queen fans following a cover of the Queen hit song "Radio Ga Ga". The controversial music video shows lead singer Dick Valentine as the ghost of Queen's flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury and a backing band of poodles. Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who wrote the song, said that he was "unimpressed" with the video; however, Queen guitarist Brian May reportedly liked it. Electric Six claims they were contractually obligated to commit the song to the album. Issues with Warner Brothers caused a switch to Metropolis Records, who released Señor Smoke in the US.
Switzerland was released in September 2006. A plethora of videos have also been released, and a fan contribution contest led to the video for the single "I Buy the Drugs."
I Shall Exterminate Everything Around Me That Restricts Me From Being the Master was released in October 2007. Their next album, titled Flashy, was released in October 2008. In October 2009, their sixth album, KILL, was released. The 7th album, Zodiac was released on September 28, 2010, with one tour-exclusive single ("Jam it in the Hole") and the 8th, Heartbeats and Brainwaves, on October 11th 2011.
A double live album is set for release in 2012.
2. Electric Six was a Soweto-based South African combo active in the 1960s and 1970s
Heartbeats and Brainwaves
Electric Six Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never have the strength to put up a good fight
And I surrender, I surrender every night
As my libido, she misbehaves
I become one of your carbon-based love slaves
To your heart beats and your brain waves
The by-product of a flawed design
And I go down, I go down every time
And every time I always fail to see
What love between two people is supposed to be
'Cause the machine, the machine does everything for me
Love's a rocky road that magically paves
When joining the collection of submissive natives
To your heartbeats and your brain waves
And now we see our union's torn asunder
Our night clubs yearn for one more punter
And my heart, yeah my heart is a lonely hunter
And as we dance into our graves
We remember all those trippy, trippy raves
Hosted by your heartbeats and your brainwaves
And yes I've dabbled in overreaction
When confronted with the sciences of attraction
And I go down, I go down every time
Heart beats slowly, slowly pound
Brain waves transmit underground
And I'm tired, so tired of going down
(All night long)
(It's like a loop machine)
(Cue the music, music)
The lyrics of Electric Six's "Heartbeats and Brainwaves" describe the singer's surrender to their lover and the power they hold over them. The opening lines, "Whenever I see your distant love light / I never have the strength to put up a good fight / And I surrender, I surrender every night," suggest that the singer is overcome by their attraction to their lover and is unable to resist them.
The second verse describes the singer's submission to their lover, likening themselves to a "carbon-based love slave" whose libido is controlled by their lover's heartbeats and brainwaves. The chorus continues to explore the theme of submission to love, with the singer calling themselves "the victim of a victimless crime" and "the by-product of a flawed design." They express frustration with their inability to understand the nature of true love, as "the machine, the machine does everything for me."
The later verses describe the dissolution of the relationship and the singer's loneliness, with lines like "And now we see our union's torn asunder / Our night clubs yearn for one more punter / And my heart, yeah my heart is a lonely hunter." Overall, the lyrics of "Heartbeats and Brainwaves" explore the idea of surrendering to love, even when it might not always be healthy or reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever I see your distant love light
Whenever I catch a glimpse of your love from afar
I never have the strength to put up a good fight
I always end up submitting and giving in to my desire for you
And I surrender, I surrender every night
I give in to my desire for you every night
As my libido, she misbehaves
As I am consumed by sexual desire
I become one of your carbon-based love slaves
I become enslaved to my desire for you
To your heart beats and your brain waves
To the rhythm of your heart and mind
Call me the victim of a victimless crime
Consider me a victim of my own desires
The by-product of a flawed design
I am a result of a flawed human design
And I go down, I go down every time
I give in to my desire for you every time
And every time I always fail to see
I always fail to understand
What love between two people is supposed to be
What true love between two people really means
'Cause the machine, the machine does everything for me
Because technology and convenience do everything for me
Love's a rocky road that magically paves
Love is a difficult journey that becomes easier with mutual submission
When joining the collection of submissive natives
When submitting to the one you love
To your heartbeats and your brain waves
To the rhythm of your heart and mind
And now we see our union's torn asunder
Now we see our relationship coming apart
Our night clubs yearn for one more punter
Our nightclubs are desperate for more customers
And my heart, yeah my heart is a lonely hunter
And I feel lonely and lost
And as we dance into our graves
And as we continue to live and die
We remember all those trippy, trippy raves
We remember all the crazy parties we went to
Hosted by your heartbeats and your brainwaves
Facilitated by your passion and intellect
And yes I've dabbled in overreaction
And yes, I have overreacted to my attraction to you
When confronted with the sciences of attraction
When faced with the scientific explanations of desire
And I go down, I go down every time
I give in to my desire for you every time
Heart beats slowly, slowly pound
Heart beats with a slow and steady rhythm
Brain waves transmit underground
Thoughts and emotions are transmitted subconsciously
And I'm tired, so tired of going down
And I am tired of submitting to my desire for you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arkendi
So you made this video yourself? How the hell did you synch it with the music so brilliantly? I'm having a really hard time believing this isn't an official video.
Eric Gronkiewicz
Awesome video, but I would've liked to see some old Doctor Who clips in there. I also find it difficult to believe this is fan made. You did a fantastic job.
bribrihate
Not a fan of this song, but this video is fuckin' beautiful.
bribrihate
Fantastic job!
TR0Nx1982
This is one of my favorite songs by E6...just wanna dance. ;D
Paulo Saraiva
very very nice!!
Arkendi
The guy who disliked this thought Dick Valentine was a kind of greeting card.
Will Doolin
best fan video on youtube!
Tharpopolis
Perfect.
Chris Hiatt
Brilliant