In 2011, Simen Hestnæs began his solo project. He is also in a new band called Artisan, featuring Mustis (ex-Dimmu Borgir) on keyboards, Asgeir Michelson (Spiral Architect) on drums, Jens F. Ryland (Borknagar) on guitars and Vortex himself on vocals and bass.
When Shuffled Off
ICS Vortex Lyrics
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The echo of a presence near, hanging in the air
Lower your voice
Give up on choice
Follow the trail
Unfold your veil
Someone is here
Right out there behind the door
Mirror the void
like SB the Floyd
Utter insane
Is it a new game?
You search through the house
And you find that you are all alone in there
Can't shake the feeling someone is stealing
Pieces of solid ground from here
Wide awake, you are still dreaming
Split between places you compose
Footsteps closing on on you
Spinning round and round, halfway drowned
Living lead
From all directions
Panic is creeping up your spine
Turns your light out as you cry out
It hits you what its all about
The sound, he fear
Now crystal clear
Your mortal coil long since disappeared
In the sleep of death
The dreams to come
Repeats on and on
The song "When Shuffled Off" by ICS Vortex is a haunting exploration of the fear of the unknown and the inevitability of death. The opening lines evoke a sense of unease and a hint of a mysterious presence, like something sinister that is lurking just out of sight. The singer urges the listener to quiet their voice- to stop fighting and struggling against their own mortality- and instead follow the trail laid out before them, to find what they are looking for.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the search for meaning in life, and the terror that can come from confronting the void that lies at the heart of existence. The reference to Pink Floyd's "Echoes" in the line "Mirror the void like SB the Floyd" adds to the sense of the song being a meditation on the mysteries of life and death. The sense of disorientation in the middle of the song, with the singer feeling half-drowned and caught between worlds, underscores the theme of facing the unknown and trying to make sense of it.
Ultimately, the phrase "when shuffled off" is a poetic way of referring to death, and the final lines of the song suggest that death is not an end but a beginning- that the dreams will continue even after the mortal coil has long since disappeared. The song is a powerful exploration of the themes of life, death, and the search for meaning in a chaotic and confusing world.
Line by Line Meaning
There! Did you hear that sound, feel that fear
The singer is asking if you heard that sound and felt that fear creeping up on you.
The echo of a presence near, hanging in the air
The feeling of presence is lingering in the air and echoing around.
Lower your voice
The singer is asking you to lower your voice and be quiet.
Give up on choice
You are asked to let go of your choices and follow a different path.
Follow the trail
You are asked to follow a trail of clues to find your way.
Unfold your veil
You are asked to reveal and expose the hidden truths.
Find what you are looking for
Searching and finding what you are looking for is important.
Someone is here
There is someone present creeping around.
Right out there behind the door
The artist believes that the person they sense is behind the door.
Mirror the void
The artist tells you to face the emptiness to find what you seek.
Like SB the Floyd
The singer references the band Pink Floyd's style and urges you to mirror it.
Utter insane
The situation is incredibly crazy and nonsensical.
Is it a new game?
The singer wonders if this is a new game to play or if it is serious.
You search through the house
You begin searching through the house.
And you find that you are all alone in there
You realize that you are all alone in the house.
Can't shake the feeling someone is stealing
You have an unshakeable feeling that someone is stealing something.
Pieces of solid ground from here
Someone is stealing your sense of security and trust by taking away your solid ground beneath your feet.
Wide awake, you are still dreaming
You are fully conscious, but you feel as though you are dreaming.
Split between places you compose
You are split between two locations, one real and one that you have imagined or created.
Footsteps closing on on you
Someone or something is approaching you with footsteps.
Spinning round and round, halfway drowned
You feel dizzy and disoriented like you are half-drowned, spinning around and around in circles in confusion.
Living lead
You feel like you're moving through a dense and heavy mass, making you move slowly like you are made of lead.
From all directions
You feel like anxiety and panic is coming at you from every possible direction.
Panic is creeping up your spine
You start to feel an overwhelming sense of panic creeping up your spine.
Turns your light out as you cry out
You lose your sense of security and start to scream.
It hits you what it's all about
You begin to realize what is happening.
The sound, the fear
You understand that there was a sound that caused the fear inside of you.
Now crystal clear
Everything is clear and understandable.
Your mortal coil long since disappeared
You have passed away and your soul has left your mortal body behind.
In the sleep of death
You are in a state of eternal rest and peace - death.
The dreams to come repeats on and on
As you pass on to the next world, your dreams will keep repeating over and over.
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.