Founded by Arnold and Donikian in 2000, Hypnogaja originated as an electronic studio project with early collaborator, keyboardist Sean "Dr." Brooks. As a live show began to develop, members and collaborators were added to the fold, including Grammy award nominated guitarist/producer Jean-Yves "Jeeve" Ducornet. Hypnogaja's sound evolved into new dimensions with the incorporation of rock influences into the group's initial electronic foundation. The band tours consistently and has performed shows to audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has opened for bands such as Shinedown, Saliva, 311, Cold and many others.
Grammy nominated songwriter Wendy Waldman helmed production duties for Hypnogaja's live acoustic album, Acoustic Sunset: Live At The Longhouse. The band previously collaborated with Waldman on two songs - "Killing Time" and "Outside, Looking In" - from the album "Post-Hypnotic Stress Disorder". The latter song was featured as the end title of the NBC Movie "Carrie" a remake of the Brian DePalma film based on the classic Stephen King novel.
Hypnogaja's latest studio recording, Truth Decay, was released by Union State Records in June 2009. The fourteen-track, science fiction-tinged concept album includes the song "Welcome To The Future," featuring Richard Dodd of The Section Quartet on cello. The album was released to strong reviews, including a 9 out of 10 star rating from Outburn Magazine, which noted it as an "expertly crafted album." The LP's first single, "The March," spawned a music video directed by ASC Award-winning cinematographer Nelson Craggand and writer/producer Marius Markevicius
Various television shows, motion pictures and soundtracks have featured Hypnogaja’s music, including America’s Next Top Model, Carrie, Cold Creek Manor, Dirt , Las Vegas, One Life To Live, Roswell, Sex And The City, Tru Calling, Valentine and many others.
Author Frank Beddor featured Hypnogaja's Alice in Wonderland-themed song, "Looking Glass" (from the Below Sunset album) on the soundtrack for the audio book version of his 2006 NY Times Best Seller, The Looking Glass Wars. In 2007, the Warner Bros. Interactive game, FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage, used the band's song "They Don't Care" (another track from Below Sunset), which was also placed - that same year - as the theme song for the Versus network's Red, White, Black and Blue Summer promo trailer. In 2008, Hypnogaja frontman, ShyBoy, co-wrote and performed two songs ("The Time Has Come" and "Shall Never Surrender") featured in the Capcom video game, The Devil May Cry 4 (the latter track appearing as the game's end title and both songs appearing on the accompanying, official Sony Music soundtrack). In 2009, Tapulous featured the Hypnogaja song "Things Will Never Be The Same" (from the Truth Decay LP) in the iPhone and iPod touch game, Tap Tap Revenge 3.
Several technology companies have featured Hypnogaja's music in noteworthy articles and promotional materials, and have invited the band to participate in events. Apple computers posted an in-depth interview and story on the band's experience in using Macs in the realms of recording, touring and promotion. AOL Music's Noisecreep property featured an interview with Hypnogaja about the concept behind Truth Decay, and offered an exclusive, free download of the song, "Worship Me (I'm On TV)." Microsoft Windows featured free downloads of two songs from Truth Decay - "Rusty Moon" and "Cellar Door" - on promotions tied to its Windows 7 release, including a slot in the January 2010 Windows Media Guide.
Hypnogaja performed at the first annual 140tc (Twitter Conference), held in Los Angeles in September 2009. In consideration of the band's success in utilizing social networking to grow its fan base (Hypnogaja has reached over one million followers on the site), keyboardist Donikian was invited to serve as one of the speakers during the conference's music panel, which also included Chamillionaire, Curt Smith of Tears for Fears and several notable music industry executives. The band rounded out 2009 with a Best Alternative Artist win at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, performing "Welcome To The Future" at the November awards ceremony. In November 2010, Arnold won the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Male Vocal for his performance of the Donna Summer classic hit, "On the Radio," (released in January 2010 by Union State Records as the bonus track on the Hypnogaja digital 45, Welcome to the Future / On the Radio).
Hypnogaja's current lineup of Arnold, Donikian, Barnardo (member since 2004), Farrar (member since 2008) and Parker (member since 2009) performed an official showcase at SXSW '10 in Austin, TX and the group continues to tour and perform webcasts consistently. In July 2010, the band appeared on the debut episode of the web series, Stripped Down Live with Curt Smith (of Tears for Fears). On February 15, 2011, Union State Records is scheduled to release a new Hypnogaja digital EP entitled Dark Star which will contain a remix of the song "Dark Star" (featuring Slimkid3 of The Pharcyde). Later in 2011, there are plans to release Arnold's debut solo album (under the name ShyBoy) as well as plans to start recording a new Hypnogaja studio album.
Outside
Hypnogaja Lyrics
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I remember all the good times of yesterday
And as I wait there to be found
I reflect upon the bad times of yesterday
As I’m on the outside
Looking in at my reflection
Where’s my life’s direction
Looking in to where I’ve been
And now I stare into the eyes
Of a faceless man that I once knew
No one hears my cries
I’m crying for the truth
So now say the truth, from crawling to falling
I’ve seen the proof from the outside looking in
Now the time has come at last
Time to learn from all the memories of the past
Time moves on, and way too fast
Time is now and I won’t let it become the past
The lyrics to Hypnogaja's song "Outside" are reflective and introspective, exploring the way we look at ourselves and our past experiences. The opening verse sets the stage for the rest of the song, with the singer lying on the ground and remembering both the good and bad times from the past. The chorus repeats the phrase "As I'm on the outside/Looking in," underscoring the sense of distance and detachment the singer feels from their own life and experiences. They question their life's direction and contemplate where they've been.
The second verse introduces a new element, as the singer describes staring into the eyes of a "faceless man" they once knew. This line could be interpreted in a number of ways - it could represent the singer confronting their own identity or confronting a version of themselves they no longer recognize. They cry out for the truth, suggesting that they feel lost or confused about who they are or where they're headed. The bridge, which repeats the phrase "From crawling to falling/I've seen the proof," echoes the motif of looking back at past experiences and learning from them.
The final chorus is hopeful, with the singer acknowledging that time moves on quickly but resolving not to let it become the past. The song as a whole is a meditation on how we reconcile the person we used to be with the person we are now, and how we move forward without losing sight of where we've been.
Line by Line Meaning
As I lie there on the ground
While I am lying down, I am reminding myself of the past enjoyable moments.
I remember all the good times of yesterday
At this moment, I am recalling all the positive experiences from the past.
And as I wait there to be found
In this time of waiting to be found, I am pondering over negative events from the past.
I reflect upon the bad times of yesterday
At this particular moment, I am contemplating over the unpleasant occurrences from the past.
As I’m on the outside
I'm in a state of alienation.
Looking in at my reflection
I'm viewing my inner self in a mirror or in a metaphorical manner.
Where’s my life’s direction
I am pondering about the path my life should take.
Looking in to where I’ve been
At this moment, I'm analyzing the places I had previously been to, people I've been with, and the memories I made.
And now I stare into the eyes
At present, I'm looking directly into someone' gaze.
Of a faceless man that I once knew
I am currently looking at an individual I used to know without identifying his face or features.
No one hears my cries
I'm grappling with challenges and trials of life alone, with nobody to offer support or guidance.
I’m crying for the truth
I'm upset and emotionally affected, hoping to make sense of a complex and confusing situation that requires clarity.
So now say the truth, from crawling to falling
Please, tell me the honest and straightforward facts, regardless of how straight, steep, or twisted the path that led me here might have been.
I’ve seen the proof from the outside looking in
I have observed first-hand evidence of the impact of the situation from the perspective of an outsider.
Now the time has come at last
The long-awaited moment has arrived and is here with me.
Time to learn from all the memories of the past
Now, it is appropriate for me to take lessons from my experiences in the past.
Time moves on, and way too fast
As I get older and time elapses, it goes very fast.
Time is now and I won’t let it become the past
The present moment is crucial to what had occurred previously; I won't ignore it but will use it to create a better future.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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