The band were marked by quiet vocals and sheets of feedback with similarities to many of the so called "shoegaze" bands that pre-dated them such as Ride, My Bloody Valentine or the indie noise-pop group The Jesus and Mary Chain. FSA were able to create a small but enthusiastic fanbase as one of the more remarkable experimental rock bands of the day. The band was notable for its lo-fi approach to production, recording most of its output at home via a normal home stereo system and eschewing the traditional studio environment. This gave the music a DIY feel and allowed the band freedom to experiment as it wanted.
Other allied bands, often sharing musicians, were Crescent, Matt Elliott (a.k.a The Third Eye Foundation), Light and Amp. Many of the principal musicians involved, including Pearce, attended Farnham Art College in the late 1980s. Pearce collaborated in a variety of bands with Matt Elliott, Richard Walker (Amp) and Rachel Brook and Kate Wright (future partners in Movietone), before forming FSA with Brook (his girlfriend at the time) in 1992. Brook continued to play with Movietone throughout the history of Flying Saucer Attack, and is still a member of that group.
Early releases were limited edition vinyl 7" singles, often in handmade packaging. The first album (self-titled, but sometimes called Rural Psychedelia as those words appear on the cover) included a noisy cover of Suede's contemporary single "The Drowners", which provoked press interest in the record. The Third Eye Foundation (Matt Elliott) programmed beats, played bongos, drums, clarinet, & guitar on some tracks. Like the early singles, the album was released on FSA's own Heartbeat label, and was deliberately only made available on vinyl. Also like the singles it sold out very quickly despite minimal publicity, due to the band's cult reputation.
The album was released in the USA by VHF Records in early 1994, on CD and vinyl. The CD bore the phrase "Compact discs are a major cause of the breakdown of society" and other releases would carry messages such as "Keep vinyl alive", "Home taping is reinventing music" and "Less is more".
By 1994, the band had signed to Domino Records (which became home to many of the bands from Bristol's experimental music scene), and although records continued to be released on vinyl, CDs usually accompanied Pearce's preferred format. The first release for the new label was Distance, which collected the early singles and some unreleased material. Over the next three years the band released two albums and further singles including a cover of Wire's "Outdoor Miner", and a version of the folk song "Sally Free and Easy" which was initially only released on CD - the sleevenote explained that the pressing plant had been unable to cut it to vinyl (a US plant later achieved the feat by using a monaural master and it was issued on 12" by Drag City).
Another singles compilation followed alongside an album consisting of live tracks (mainly unstructured noise, released by Bruce Russell's Corpus Hermeticum imprint) and an LP with two long tracks constructed by fellow Domino act Tele:Funken from samples of the band. In 1995 Brook left the band to concentrate on Movietone. Chorus had a sleeve note "This album marks the end of FSA phase one", but subsequent releases (New Lands was described as "phase two") did not depart from the usual mixture of aggressive feedback and noise, and gentle folk-influenced melody.
After New Lands and a final vinyl-only 7" single, Pearce left Domino Records - one further album was released in 2000 on Pearce's own Heartbeat records, and this effectively marked the end of the group. Pearce subsequently collaborated with Jessica Bailiff under the name Clear Horizon, a self-titled album being released on Kranky Records in 2003.
The Drowners
Flying Saucer Attack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh well it's for my brother
Well he writes the line wrote down my spine
It says "Oh do you believe in love there?"
So slow down slow down you're taking me over
And so we drown Sir we drown stop taking me over
Won't someone give me some fun?
(and the skin flies all around us)
Oh real drowners
Slow down slow down you're taking me over
And so we drown, Sir we drown,
stop taking me over!
The lyrics of the song "The Drowners" by Flying Saucer Attack touch on themes such as love, drowning, and wanting to escape. The song starts with the singer asking for a gun, which he clarifies is for his brother, who has written a line that runs down his spine and asks if he believes in love. The singer wants to have some fun and kisses in his brother's room to a popular tune, but he feels like he's drowning and begs for someone to slow down and stop taking him over.
The metaphor of drowning is used throughout the song to describe a sense of helplessness and being overwhelmed by emotions or external forces. The singer seems to be in a state of emotional turmoil, seeking escape and holding onto a vague hope of finding love. The repetition of the lines "Slow down, slow down, you're taking me over" and "And so we drown, Sir we drown, stop taking me over" reinforces the sense of being trapped and powerless.
Overall, "The Drowners" offers a raw and honest portrayal of the struggles of youth, the quest for love, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by forces beyond one's control. The lyrics capture the angst and vulnerability of the singer, while the instrumentation and vocal delivery of Flying Saucer Attack create a dreamlike atmosphere that adds to the haunting and melancholic tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't someone give me a gun?
I want to end my misery in some way.
Oh well it's for my brother
There's someone I care about who needs protection.
Well he writes the line wrote down my spine
Something someone said had a profound effect on me.
It says "Oh do you believe in love there?"
I'm questioning the existence of love in a particular place or situation.
So slow down slow down you're taking me over
I'm feeling overwhelmed and need a break.
And so we drown Sir we drown stop taking me over
If things don't change, we will be consumed by this situation.
Won't someone give me some fun?
I need something uplifting to distract me from my problems.
(and the skin flies all around us)
There's chaos and destruction all around us.
We kiss in his room to a popular tune
Even in the midst of turmoil, there are moments of connection and joy.
Oh real drowners
We are like people struggling to stay afloat in water.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT ANDERSON, BERNARD BUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind