The band achieved international recognition through the inclusion of the track 2Wicky (from A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular) on the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1996 film Stealing Beauty (Io Ballo da Sola).
The original members of the group were vocalist Liesje Sadonius, keyboardist Frank Duchêne, bass guitarist and programmer Alex Callier, and guitarist Raymond Geerts. Sadonius left Hooverphonic on amicable terms shortly after the release of A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular and was replaced by Geike Arnaert in early 1998. Duchêne left the band after Blue Wonder Power Milk. Arnaert left the band in 2008 and was succeeded by Noémie Wolfs. On March 26, 2015 the band announced that that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band "in mutual agreement."
Hooverphonic released their fifth studio album No More Sweet Music in November 2005, featuring four singles: Wake Up, You Hurt Me, Dirty Lenses and We All Float. One year later they released a Best Of album called Singles 96-06. This was their last release under the Sony label.
Hooverphonic released their sixth studio album The President of the LSD Golf Club on 8th October 2007 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and Holland, which includes the single Expedition Impossible. European Release January 2008 (although available via mail-order). This was an independent release, recorded at the Willie Nelson studios in the USA.
On October 10, 2008 the management announced that Geike Arnaert would be leaving the band.
After Geike Arnaert and the band parted ways, it took them two years to find a worthy successor to Arnaert. In November 2010 Noémie Wolfs was announced as the new leading lady. A brand new album called The Night Before followed soon after. The new singer was introduced on Belgian television in State Broadcaster VRT's late night show "De Laatste Show" on Thursday November 4th. The title track of the album is their biggest singles' chart success to date. Also, the album soon equaled the success of A Magnificent Tree.
On March 26, 2015 it was announced that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band.
Hooverphonic released In Wonderland on March 18, 2016. This release features a number of vocalists including: Emilie Satt, Janie Price (AKA Bird), Felix Howard, Litlo Tinz, Christa Jérôme, and Tjeerd Bomhof.
They were supposed to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam with their song "Release Me". The event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hooverphonic was the only Eurovision entrant for 2020 who refused to take part in the "Love Shine a Light" performance, where entrants each contributed sections of the song, although a photograph of Luka Cruysberghs was included with the other participants making a hand heart at the end.
On 9th November 2020, Luka Cruysberghs left the band and, on the same day, Geike Arnaert announced her return. Also on the same day, they released a new version of Mad About You for the song's 20th anniversary.
Discography
• A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular (1996)
• Blue Wonder Power Milk (1998)
• The Magnificent Tree (2000)
• Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane (2002)
• Sit Down And Listen To... (2003)
• No More Sweet Music (2005/6)
• Singles 96/06 (2006)
• The President of the LSD Golf Club (2007/2008)
• The Night Before (2010)
• With Orchestra (2012)
• Reflection (2013)
• In Wonderland (2016)
Strictly Out Of Phase
Hooverphonic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eyes without a trace
But that face is strange
It's playing games
With the ones I mostly love
Strictly out of phase
Phasing through the space
We are blind
We are colorful
Blossoms open up
No you can not fool
My detection tool
For the ones I mostly love
Strictly out of phase
Phasing through the space
Using the wrong phrase
Strictly out of phase
Phasing through the space
Using the wrong phrase
The wrong phrase
The opening lines of "Strictly Out Of Phase" are open to interpretation, but it seems that the singer is struggling with something that seems to be out of their control. They make reference to "sequential circuits" which might indicate some kind of technology or machinery which are unreliable and fail to work as expected. They then mention "eyes without a trace," which could refer to the idea of someone watching them unseen or perhaps surveillance cameras that track their movements. However, it's the line "But that face is strange" that suggests a more personal context. Someone they thought they knew has become unfamiliar, and they suspect they are playing games with the people they care about.
The next part of the song contains a repeated refrain of "Strictly out of phase, phasing through the space, using the wrong phrase." The sense is that there's something going wrong, something that doesn't fit together. When things are "out of phase," they mean they aren't synchronized or harmonized. When they're "phasing through the space," it implies that something is moving through them, taking them over or disrupting them. And "using the wrong phrase" suggests that there's miscommunication or misunderstanding at the heart of things.
As the song develops, the singer describes how they feel blind and colorful. It's an interesting contrast because blindness is often associated with a lack of color, but here it's like they're feeling too much. They describe "blossoms open up," which could suggest a sense of beauty or wonder opening up before them, but they remain suspicious: "No you can not fool / My detection tool." The sense is that they're struggling to trust anyone, that everyone is a potential threat. The final repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that something is wrong, that they are tracking something that is broken and needs fixing.
Line by Line Meaning
My sequential circuits never last
My patterns of behavior never hold up over time.
Eyes without a trace
I can't see any signs or indications of what's happening.
But that face is strange
Despite the lack of evidence, I sense that something is off.
It's playing games
The situation is deliberately confusing me.
With the ones I mostly love
This is happening in my closest relationships.
Strictly out of phase
The situation is out of sync or not in alignment.
Phasing through the space
The situation is unclear and constantly changing.
Using the wrong phrase
I am not communicating effectively to deal with the situation.
We are blind
We are unable to see the truth of what's happening.
We are colorful
Despite our lack of understanding, we are still complex and multifaceted beings.
Blossoms open up
There is still potential for beauty and growth in this situation.
No you can not fool
Despite my confusion, I am not easily deceived or manipulated.
My detection tool
My intuition and perception are still capable of guiding me.
For the ones I mostly love
I am motivated to figure this out because of my deep connection to those involved.
The wrong phrase
The way I'm communicating is just making things worse.
Contributed by Madison S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.