A Thom Monahan-produced fourth studio album, Ventriloquizzing, was released on 17 Jan 2011 (Full Time Hobby, UK/EU & Yep Roc, USA). Previous LPs include: Electro Karaoke in the Negative Style (2002), Remixes (2003, remixers inc: Two Lone Swordsmen & Cristian Vogel), Transparent Things (2006, self-produced on Tirk) & Lightbulbs (2008, self-produced on Full Time Hobby).
They claim to be influenced by 70s krautrock bands (e.g. Can & Neu!) & early-90s electronic artists like Aphex Twin.
Collaborations & V/A inclusions have resulted in some aka's, most notably: Fujiya and Miyagi (from the 2008 'Bomb The Bass' collaboration, "Future Chaos") & Fujiya Miyagi (via the inclusion of Collar Bone, aka Collarbone, on the Lovebox Weekender: London, 2007 compilation).
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Uh
Fujiya & Miyagi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh
Ah ah
Uh chi uh o taka taka
Uh chi uh o taka taka
Uh uh
I guess I wasn't feeling okay
I'm putting out fires all over the place
I guess it knocked me sideways
Oh
She made me go uh
Uh
Uh, uh uh
Uppercase and underlined
We are as prickly as a couple of porcupines
I'm putting out fires all over the place
Pick a letter right out of the alphabet
Uh
She made me go uh uh
Oh sock it to me
Oh sock it to me
Oh sock it to me
I'm putting out fires all over the place
I guess it knocked me sideways
She made me go uh
Uh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
I spy with my little eye
Something blinking in the sea
I arrange my records
Alphabetically
I'm putting out fires all over the place
Pick a letter right out of the alphabet
Oh she make me go Uh
Uh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
The lyrics of Fujiya & Miyagi's "Uh" seem to describe a state of confusion and disorientation. The singer has been knocked sideways by some unspecified event, and is now trying to put out fires all over the place. The repetition of the word "uh" suggests a kind of verbal tic or stammer, as if the singer is struggling to articulate what they are feeling. They are hypersensitive to the world around them, noticing everything from the way space and time seem to warp and distort, to the way letters of the alphabet stand out like bristles on a porcupine.
Amidst this flurry of sensory input, the singer is haunted by a woman who made them go "uh". It is unclear whether this "uh" is a positive or negative thing, but it seems to have a powerful impact on the singer, who repeats the word over and over. The woman is a kind of anchor in the midst of the chaos, a fixed point amidst the swirling sea and alphabetically arranged records.
Overall, the lyrics of "Uh" are a playful and intriguing exploration of the limits of language and perception. The song seems to suggest that words can only go so far in capturing the fullness of human experience, and that sometimes all we are left with is a stuttering, "uh".
Line by Line Meaning
uh
Expressing a sound of hesitation or uncertainty
Uh
Emphasizing the previous line
Ah ah
Repeating a quick exhale sound
Uh chi uh o taka taka
Nonsensical word play
I guess I wasn't feeling okay
Admitting to being in a negative emotional state
I felt that space and time went back and forth and sideways
Describing a disorienting feeling or experience
I'm putting out fires all over the place
Dealing with multiple problems or crises
I guess it knocked me sideways
Expressing being caught off guard or overwhelmed
Oh
She made me go uh
Referring to being sexually aroused by a woman
Uppercase and underlined
Describing something that stands out or is emphasized
We are as prickly as a couple of porcupines
Describing a negative interpersonal dynamic
Pick a letter right out of the alphabet
Suggesting randomness or unpredictability
Oh sock it to me
Asking for more excitement or stimulation
I spy with my little eye
Something blinking in the sea
Describing a game of observation
I arrange my records
Alphabetically
Engaging in an activity of organization and categorization
Oh she make me go Uh
Uh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh
Repeating the previous sexual arousal reference
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.