Filastine is the handle of Barcelona-based composer and video artist Grey Filastine. A former taxi driver from the United States, Filastine studied percussion with the coke-fueled carnival batucadas of Brazil and mystical brotherhoods in Morocco. In 1999 he founded the Infernal Noise Brigade marching band, putting these rhythms to use in a live soundtrack for the Seattle WTO revolt and the globalization protests that followed. DJ/Rupture discovered and released Filastine’s premiere album, Burn It! (2006), launching a decade of critically-acclaimed albums and world tours. One of those tours brought him to Jakarta where he met vocalist Nova Ruth, rhyming in Indonesia’s seminal rap group Twin Sista. Nova’s deep musical roots add much to Filastine’s sound; she was raised singing pentecostal spirituals with her priest grandfather, reciting Quran, and playing Javanese gamelan percussion. Beyond music, Nova’s continues her “day job” building networks among Southeast Asia’s video activists and hackers.
Together they create unique and fearless interventions: an official mixtape for The Act of Killing documentary, a sound swarm at the Paris Climate Summit, a performance in the Calais Jungle migrant camp. Their latest effort, Abandon, is a video series profiling dances of emancipation from work, filmed in locations from coal mines in Borneo to office cubicles in America. The songs of Abandon and a grip of other new tracks will come out this year on the duo’s first full album together, Drapetomania, colliding psychedelic trap, tropical post-folk and a punk ethos into a compelling audio thesis.
Filastine & Nova are foremost performing artists, their live show is where sound, image, and ideas are embodied. They’ve toured the five continents, appearing at festivals such as Sonar (ES), Downtown Cairo Arts (EG), Decibel (US), Les Vieilles Charrues (FR), Foreign Affairs (DE), Mona Foma (AU). For the new Drapetomania performance the duo are working with a guest dancer and cinematic multi-screen visuals to conjure an emergency exit from the anthropocene. Expect to find them anywhere, turning friction into beauty.
Colony Collapse
Filastine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
beneath the sun
what is made by humans
now must be undone
landscape of confusion
leaving one and all
vying against the other
(this section sung in very old javanese poetic style, not many lyrics, but what few are saying essentially says not respect for nature, not to turn our backs on our origins, or there will be consequences)
Capos of financial scams
discount offer flat-rate plan
stuck again in traffic jams
with double meaning i say damn
damn Lapindo* damn the oil
damn the gas that's burned the soil
water, air, and land are damned
now behold the works of man
allah o akbar what they say
from loudspeakers every day
i get down on knees to pray
or the sons of god might go away
(verse in bahasa)
rapping politics is uncool
but just a sec it's almost through
it's downer than the oldest school
cheap boombox more broke than rules
Gamelan and on and on
while complaining about what's wrong
the time has passed & now it's gone
it's about time to end this song
All that you can see
beneath the sun
what is made by humans
now must be undone
landscape of confusion
leaving one and all
vying against the other
welcome to our fall
The song "Colony Collapse" by Filastine is a poetic critique of human-driven environmental destruction and the repercussions it has on our societies. The first stanza of the song speaks of the need for undoing of everything humans have made as it has caused chaos and confusion leading to our fall. The lyrics are a criticism of the human nature of continuous exploitation and destruction of surrounding nature for the sake of industrial and economic growth.
The song picks upon several examples of human destruction, including the environmental consequences of oil and gas burning and the damning of air, water, and land. The lyrics also criticize the irresponsibility of corporate giants leading to financial scandals leading to confusion and chaos in society. The usage of various languages in the song, including Bahasa and old Javanese, adds to the diversity of the song's message, highlighting that environmental problems are impacting people worldwide, regardless of location or language.
The song ends with a repetition of the opening stanza: All that you can see beneath the sun, what is made by humans now must be undone, landscape of confusion, leaving one and all vying against the other, welcome to our fall. The message is clear, and the lyrics call for an awareness of the issues causing the environmental collapse that will have dire consequences for humanity's future.
Overall, the message of "Colony Collapse" is that environmental destruction is leading our societies to a fall that will have disastrous consequences unless we take corrective action soon.
Line by Line Meaning
All that you can see
Every visible object or scene
beneath the sun
On or under the sun
what is made by humans
Everything created by man-made actions
now must be undone
It is time to reverse and cancel human actions
landscape of confusion
A disorganized and complex environment
leaving one and all
No one is exempt from the chaos
vying against the other
Competing and fighting with each other
welcome to our fall
We are experiencing a time of decline and failure
Capos of financial scams
Leaders of corrupt financial schemes
discount offer flat-rate plan
A deceptive offer for a flat payment
stuck again in traffic jams
Being trapped in heavy vehicular traffic
with double meaning i say damn
Using a curse word with multiple implications
damn Lapindo* damn the oil
Condemning Lapindo and oil drilling
damn the gas that's burned the soil
Condemning gas emissions that harm the earth
water, air, and land are damned
All aspects of the environment are suffering
now behold the works of man
Witness the negative consequences of human actions
allah o akbar what they say
A common phrase used in Islam
from loudspeakers every day
Repetitive broadcasted messages
i get down on knees to pray
Kneeling in prayer
or the sons of god might go away
To prevent the loss of divine intervention
rapping politics is uncool
Making socially conscious music is unpopular
but just a sec it's almost through
The song is nearly finished
it's downer than the oldest school
The song has a depressing tone
cheap boombox more broke than rules
The boombox playing the song is cheap and faulty
Gamelan and on and on
The musical instrument gamelan is used continuously
while complaining about what's wrong
Critiquing what is problematic
the time has passed & now it's gone
Time has moved on and the moment has ended
it's about time to end this song
The song is coming to an end
Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@anggahamdani88
Lyrics :
{Chorus}
All that you can see
Beneath the sun
What is made by human
Now must be undone
Landscape of confusion
Leaving one and all
Vying against one other
Welcome to our fall
Ojo dadi menungso gak duwe ati (don't be heartless human)
Bendino iso gak iso turu (with no good sleep each day)
Mangkene ayo kabeh podo tangi (therefore, open your eyes)
Wes gak usum dadi wong keliru (this is not the age of wrongness anymore)
Capos of financial scam
Discount offer, flat rate plan
Stuck again in traffic jams
With double meaning I say
Damn Lapindo, damn the oil
Damn the gas that burn the soil
Water, air and land are damned
Now behold the works of man
Allahuakbar terlagu (the singing of Allahuakbar)
Dari segala penjuru (from every direction)
I got up my knees and pray
Or the sons of God might go away
Lek wani ngomong jujur (if we want to be honest)
Bumi wes kate ajur (the earth is coming to an end)
Wong gak kenek diatur (no one can control human)
Sego wes dadi bubur (the rice is now becoming porridge = it's too late now)
Rapping politics uncool
But just a sec it's almost through
It's downer than the older school
Cheap boom box more broke than rules
Gamelan and on and on
While complaining about what's wrong
Time was passing now it's gone
And about time to end this song
@monicaburgess1579
I was reading up on an upcoming event that has turned out to be the largest in southern Arizona in the article it shared a link to yr page and when I viewed it I was amazed of what I heard. Your music is nothing that I have ever heard before so I was so excited to actually see you preform in my home town and might I say... that was the best one yet! You two are truly amazing artists and I hope you decide to come back to Tucson again. Thank you. yr new fan, Moni
@exovoxrock
I shared this with all of my friends. It is so refreshing to hear music that is so different and unique from what we hear in the U.S.
@saykojitube
To D.I.E for. Deep. Inspiring. Excellent.
@dekamadness
this also emerges spiritual realization, you know. at least for me. incredible. the video, the music, everything. just incredible.
@irulrossi7432
"Lek wani ngomong jujur
Bumi wes podo ajur
wong gak genah diatur
sego wes dadi bubur"
amazing. . . I like this lyric
@seguefischlin
how does it translate to english?
@bintangpermata2518
if you brave enough to tell the truth
the earth is already broken
peoples can't be controlled again
the rices is already become porridge (this one is like a proverb from in Javanese, means something which is already broken and can't be fixed again)
@anggahamdani88
Lyrics :
{Chorus}
All that you can see
Beneath the sun
What is made by human
Now must be undone
Landscape of confusion
Leaving one and all
Vying against one other
Welcome to our fall
Ojo dadi menungso gak duwe ati (don't be heartless human)
Bendino iso gak iso turu (with no good sleep each day)
Mangkene ayo kabeh podo tangi (therefore, open your eyes)
Wes gak usum dadi wong keliru (this is not the age of wrongness anymore)
Capos of financial scam
Discount offer, flat rate plan
Stuck again in traffic jams
With double meaning I say
Damn Lapindo, damn the oil
Damn the gas that burn the soil
Water, air and land are damned
Now behold the works of man
Allahuakbar terlagu (the singing of Allahuakbar)
Dari segala penjuru (from every direction)
I got up my knees and pray
Or the sons of God might go away
Lek wani ngomong jujur (if we want to be honest)
Bumi wes kate ajur (the earth is coming to an end)
Wong gak kenek diatur (no one can control human)
Sego wes dadi bubur (the rice is now becoming porridge = it's too late now)
Rapping politics uncool
But just a sec it's almost through
It's downer than the older school
Cheap boom box more broke than rules
Gamelan and on and on
While complaining about what's wrong
Time was passing now it's gone
And about time to end this song
@johnkayoss5422
Thank you
@zeodark2761
Thank you for the lyrics