To date, they have released four studio albums and four EPs.
History
Early Years and The Approach (2002-2004)
I:Scintilla was conceptualized in Champaign, IL in Jim Cookas' bedroom in October 2002. In January 2003, Chad Mines joined the group as bassist followed shortly by Jason Allen on guitar and programming in March. Upon formation, they immediately began writing their debut album, The Approach while still searching for a vocalist. Many singers were auditioned before finding Brittany Bindrim, who they found to be a perfect fit. The album was finished and self-released on July 29, 2004. The album contained early versions of many songs that would appear on later albums.
Alfa-Matrix and Havestar (2005-2006)
After a previously full year of nonstop live performances, I:Scintilla was discovered and signed by Belgian electro label Alfa-Matrix. In March 2005, Jason Allen left the band and Chad Mines moved to guitar. Bethany Whisenhunt was brought on to play bass.The band continued to work on the release of its first EP, Havestar, while providing material for a future full-length album.
The Havestar EP was released by Alfa-Matrix in the summer of 2006. In addition to a few re-mastered songs from The Approach, remixes by Combichrist, Diskonnekted, Neikka RPM, Implant, and Klutae are included.
The Havestar EP also highlights the first collaboration with producer and artist Wade Alin, who is known for music works Christ Analogue, The Atomica Project, and Scanalyzer. This collaborative process adds a consistent working sound quality that carries forward to I:Scintilla's following full-length album Optics.
After its release, Havestar peaked at #13 on the Deutsche Alternative Charts Top 20 Singles list.
Optics and The Immortal Tour (2007-2008)
I:Scintilla released their second full-length album Optics in June 2007. The album consisted of many older, reworked songs as well as multiple new releases. Optics was released in single-CD format as well as a two-disc edition, containing a second disc entirely of remixes by bands such as Combichrist, Clan of Xymox, and Ego Likeness.
While this album was being made, Mines and Whisenhunt departed the band. Instead of replacing the members, Jim Cookas began programming the bass parts and played all of the guitar parts.
Optics peaked at #6 on the Deutsche Alternative Charts Top 10 Albums list, and was featured in multiple alternative magazines. Preceding the album release, I:Scintilla performed at Wave-Gotik-Treffen in May 2007.
I:Scintilla joined with the then-Tallahassee-based darkwave band The Crüxshadows and Canadian electro act Ayria for the U.S. stretch of The Crüxshadows' Immortal Tour in 2008. At this point, the band incorporated two new members, Justin Pogue (keytarist) and Vincent Grech (drums). Up until then, the drums had all been done through a drum machine.
Dying & Falling (2009-2011)
In 2009, keytarist Justin Pogue left the band and moved to Florida, where he was a DJ under the name DJ Halon at the now-closed Club Rayn's popular Industrial music and Alternative Rock night, Blue Monday. In the band he was replaced by Brent Leitner (guitar/programming).
On December 4, 2009, I:Scintilla released an EP titled Prey On You. The EP contained three new songs and five remixes of these songs. Two songs, Prey On You and Ammunition, were later released on I:Scintilla's third full-length album Dying & Falling (formerly called Redshift), which was released on November 26, 2010. Like Optics, this album was released with a single disc version and a limited edition containing a second disc. This second disc contained the third song from the Prey On You, another previously unreleased track, and nine remixes.
Over the next year I:Scintilla toured lightly, with most of their shows being in their hometown of Chicago. Around December 2012, Brandon Chase was brought in to fill the long empty bass position, making the band a quintet. However, he left I:Scintilla the following August to focus on his own bands.
The Marrow EPs (2012-Current)
In 2012, I:Scintilla announced they would be releasing a series of EPs entitled "Marrow". The first of these EPs, Marrow 1, was released on October 15, 2012. This album was a dramatic change in musical styles. Abandoning their signature metal-electronica style, this album had a more acoustic sound to it. With five tracks, Marrow 1 contained one new song, Drag Along, two reworked versions from songs previously on Dying & Falling, as well as two covers.
Shortly after the December 12, 2012 release of Marrow 1, a new single was digitally released containing a new song, Skin Tight, and two remixes of Skin Tight. A month later, I:Scintilla announced a remix contest for Skin Tight as well as a new album, Marrow 2. The winning remix artist would have their song featured on the upcoming album. The band received 64 submissions and allowed their fan base to vote on which song should be included on the album. The votes were cast in a unique fashion counting cash donations as votes. All proceeds from the votes were donated to the Amnesty International charity.
Marrow 2 was released on May 2, 2013 and marked a return to their signature style. The album contains four new studio recordings as well as four remixes.
In January 2013, Brittany Bindrim launched her own company, Black Dove Design Company. The company focuses on graphic design, programming, and fine arts. The Marrow series album covers are all illustrated by Brittany and are part of her illustration portfolio for Black Dove.
On September 21, 2018, i:Scintilla released Swayed, their first full-length studio album in nine years.
Capsella Bursa Pastoris
I:Scintilla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will finally take its toll
Burn away lost hours
Burn another hole
[Burn another hole, burn another hole...]
Follow trails of fingertips
Live through your breath
The burden of death
CHORUS
Do we turn to logic or
Follow love blindly
Release all we instilled or
Let it guide us to the end
It's coming back to haunt us
All the things we fought
Words fall from your lips
But never from my thoughts
Let the numbered days lead
Live through your breath
Leaving you will be like
The burden of death
CHORUS
We'll live in this moment
These days will fade through
As we're forced to watch the time
Fade away, fade away on you
In this hole we taste the scars
We waste the end like dying stars
In this hole we taste the scars
We waste--
CHORUS
In "Capsella Bursa Pastoris" by I:Scintilla, the lyrics talk about the consequences of impatience and the ultimate burden of love. The first few lines mention how patience that has been pushed for too long will eventually take its toll, causing one to "burn away lost hours" and "burn another hole." The repetition of the latter line emphasizes the cyclical nature of this impatience, indicating the self-destructive patterns that occur when someone is unable to wait for something.
Next, the lyrics describe following trails of fingertips and living through breath, perhaps highlighting the importance of being present in the moment and paying attention to physical touch and sensations. However, leaving someone will be like the burden of death, showing that the potential pain of separation can overshadow the moments of joy and love.
The chorus then poses a question about whether to turn to logic or blindly follow love, ultimately asking whether to release all we have instilled or let it guide us to the end. These lyrics suggest a struggle between practicality and emotion, indicating that there is no clear answer when it comes to making decisions about love.
The bridge delves into darker themes, as the lyrics state that all the things we have fought are now coming back to haunt us, and that words may fall from our lips but never from our thoughts. These lines point to the long-lasting effects of emotional turmoil and the difficulty of moving on from past hurts.
Line by Line Meaning
A pushed patience
The feeling of having to wait or bear with something for too long can be agonizing
Will finally take its toll
Eventually, this feeling will have negative consequences
Burn away lost hours
It can feel like time is being wasted when we're waiting for something to happen
Burn another hole
The feeling of waiting can create a sense of emptiness or longing
[Burn another hole, burn another hole...]
This feeling can be difficult to shake and can persist for a long time
Follow trails of fingertips
We can be guided by our tactile sense to feel our way through things
Live through your breath
Being mindful of one's breath can help us focus and live in the present moment
Leaving you will be like
The experience of being apart from someone can be painful, almost like a form of death
The burden of death
Death is often associated with feelings of heaviness, sadness, and finality
Do we turn to logic or
When faced with difficult choices, we can choose to approach them rationally or emotionally
Follow love blindly
Love can be a powerful motivator that guides us, even when we're not sure where we're going
Release all we instilled or
Sometimes, we need to let go of what we thought we knew in order to move forward
Let it guide us to the end
By following our intuition, we can find our way through uncertain situations
It's coming back to haunt us
Our past actions and decisions can have consequences that we didn't anticipate
All the things we fought
Even the things we thought we were doing for the right reasons can have unintended consequences
Words fall from your lips
The things we say can have a powerful impact on others
But never from my thoughts
Even if someone doesn't say something to us directly, their words can stick with us and affect us deeply
Let the numbered days lead
Instead of trying to control everything, we can let go and just go with the flow
We'll live in this moment
By living in the present, we can appreciate the beauty and joy in every moment
These days will fade through
Time passes quickly, and we need to make the most of every moment
As we're forced to watch the time
Sometimes, we feel like we're just watching the clock, waiting for something to happen
Fade away, fade away on you
In the end, time can feel like it's slipping away from us, and there's nothing we can do to stop it
In this hole we taste the scars
Sometimes, it can feel like we're stuck in a rut or a difficult situation that's leaving us wounded and scarred
We waste the end like dying stars
Even when things are coming to an end, we can find beauty and meaning in the way they pass away
CHORUS
The chorus asks us to consider how we want to approach life's challenges, by following reason or love, and whether we want to release our preconceptions and trust our intuition
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind