"Shallow Nation", released early in 2000, sold out the first thousand copies after only two weeks in the stores, which resulted in a deal with the Norwegian record label Tatra Records. Around that time Tatra Records released the compilation "Sex, Goth & Electronics", to which IoC contributed an exclusive version of their song "Repeat It".
Before they started work on their second release IoC did programming for the "Apoptygma Berzerk" track "Starsign". Soon afterwards, they travelled to Germany, with live member Jon Holm, to support Apoptygma on their "Welcome to Earth tour 2000" at gigs in Frankfurt, Cottbus and Leipzig before going back to Norway to play together at Rockefeller in Oslo.
Audiences seemed to enjoy Icon of Coil's energetic and melodious sound fused with Andy's hypnotic voice and the band's success grew. "One Nation Under Beat" debuted in the top 20 on the DAC-chart (Deutsch Alternative Chart), stayed on the chart for eight weeks and peaked at number three.
In late spring of 2000 at a gig in Uddevalla, Sweden, Christian Lund joined the band as a live-member and went on stage with Andy and Seb for the first time. Along with being the vocalist for his "En Route" project, Christian had a background from a melodious EBM Fredrikstad-band called "Elected By Fear" where he played together with Fredrik Hansen from "Echo Image" (who also played at that gig) and Marius Johnsen from "Centravibe".
After the release of IoC's first full-length "Serenity Is The Devil" in November 2000, which reached number three on the DAC-chart, the band went to Germany together with "Beborn Beton". With nine gigs, positive feedback from the audience and very good reviews on the debut album, IoC gained a substantial following in the synth/industrial scene.
Shortly afterward, the album crossed the Atlantic and was released in North America by Metropolis Records. On March 29th, 2001, the band itself followed and boarded a plane to Chicago. They were on their own in a foreign country and on a tight budget. The band flew from city to city, slept in hotels and sometimes even in the homes of their promoters. The song "Situations Like These" from the (then) forthcoming "Seren EP" was played live for the first time to an incredibly enthusiastic and energetic American audience, which made the tour a big success. Then after playing at "Slimelight" and "Astoria II" (Electrofest) in London, the guys had a short break before they faced a festival-filled summer in Europe.
The summer kicked off with a successful show in Leipzig, Germany, at "Wave-Gothic Treffen". The following festivals included "CSD", "Zillo Festival", "Xtreaktor Festival", "Eurorock", "Infest" and ended at "M'era Luna" where the trio did a hard-hitting performance in the Hangar.
"Situations Like These" became a big club hit and the band was ready for a second tour (this time in a Nightliner touring bus) of North America with "VNV Nation". The leg began in Chicago on the 16th of November at a packed Vic Theatre, which set the standard for the rest of the 19 shows. Icon of Coil, VNV Nation and the rest of the crew continued up to Canada, down the east coast to Florida, through Texas to the West coast and Hollywood, where they did their 15th show in front of about 900 people at the Palace. The four-week tour ended in Edmonton, Canada with a great show and a huge after-party.
During their tours, the band found the time to write material for their April 2002 sophomore album, "The Soul Is In The Software", which stayed at number one on the DAC for a several weeks. IoC then performed at two more festivals: "The Dark Jubilee Festival" in London; and later as the Sunday-headliner for "Synthpop Goes The World" in Toronto, Canada, which turned out to be a very good but warm weekend and concert.
Icon of Coil came a long way in a short amount of time. For 2004 their third album, "Machines Are Us", continued the trend with pummeling beats, sympathetic vocals, anthem-like melodies, and sweeping synths. Careful not to be outdone or forgotten, Icon of Coil released "Uploaded And Remixed", which featured brand new mixes of songs from their first two records and two exclusive tracks, at the tail end of 2004.
Since then the band has been on indefinite hiatus, only performing a handful of live shows around the world, as Andy has been concentrating on his new band "Combichrist".
On a short reunion tour of Australia in November, 2011 the 3 members rekindled old friendships and the creative chemistry from the past came raging back. The single "PerfectSex" was released in August 2012, together with the announcement that the band is working on a new album.
Official MySpace page: www.myspace.com/officialiconofcoil
Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IconOfCoilOfficial
Simulated
Icon of Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We breed and we conceive you
You live because we allow you to live
And you breath because we allow you to breath
You're incapable to think or breath for yourself
We pull the strings, cut off the wings
We're in charge of all the peace and of all the noise
You're incapable to think or breath for yourself
We pull the strings, cut off the wings
We're in charge of all the peace and of all the noise
You think there is a God, you are only toys.
You're toys
You walk
You talk
You breath
'Cause we need you to...
Work
Produce
Be used
When we want you to
You eat
You taste
Enjoy
When we allow you to...
Relax
You sleep
You feel
When we force you to
Your toys
Only toys
Your toys
Only toys
The lyrics of Icon of Coil's song Simulated portray a chilling dystopian vision of a world where humans are no longer in charge of their lives. The song paints a picture of a race of unknown beings that are the true rulers of the world, unrestricted by the laws of nature and free to manipulate humanity in any way they choose. The very essence of human existence is described as being held captive by these mysterious beings, who even go as far as to suggest that they created humanity in the first place.
The lyrics are potent in their description of how these beings exercise power over humanity, pulling the strings behind every aspect of daily life. Humans are depicted as mere playthings in the grand design of things, allowed to live and breathe at the mercy of their overlords. There is a profound sense of helplessness that runs through the lyrics; humans are portrayed as being incapable of thinking or breathing for themselves, completely at the mercy of their shadowy masters. The beings are in charge of dictating every aspect of life, from deciding when people eat, sleep, and feel to determining the pace and direction of all meaningful progress.
The lyrics of Simulated are a critique of authoritarian regimes that suppress freedom of thought and expression. The song serves as a reminder of the need for individuality and the dangers inherent in a lack of free will. Simulated acts as a cautionary tale for us to remember to exercise our autonomy as humans and to resist manipulation by those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
We're alive and we're among you
We exist and are present in your midst
We breed and we conceive you
We create and give birth to your existence
You live because we allow you to live
Your survival is dependent on our permission
And you breath because we allow you to breath
Your ability to breathe is only granted by us
You're incapable to think or breath for yourself
You lack the capability to independently think or breathe
We pull the strings, cut off the wings
We are in control and can manipulate and limit your actions
We're in charge of all the peace and of all the noise
We have the power to create both calm and chaos
You think there is a God, you are only toys
Your belief in a higher power is insignificant, as you are mere playthings to us
You walk, You talk, You breath, 'Cause we need you to...
Your basic functions are only necessary when we require them to be
Work, Produce, Be used, When we want you to
Your productivity and usefulness are dictated by our desires
You eat, You taste, Enjoy, When we allow you to...
Your pleasure and sustenance are also controlled by us
Relax, You sleep, You feel, When we force you to
Even your rest and emotions are at our mercy
Your toys, Only toys, Your toys, Only toys
In the grand scheme of things, you are nothing more than playthings to us
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OLE ANDERS OLSEN, SEBASTIAN R. KOMOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
deon lemarks
Their lyrics are always so meaningful. This probably perfectly describes how independent individuals rule over dependent scum.
lilkimimaro
Everytime these guys go near where I live its always 21+ :( but I still would love to c.them in concert.
Jeff Silvey
Dude the same exact same shit happened to me with bile
anon ymous
Possibly the best song ever created
Jeff Silvey
Ooooh thats hard due to people ear taste, but i atleast agree.
Tristan Traaen
So far ahead of it’s time.
Dani The Fiend
I still fucking love this song.
Jeff Silvey
God fuckin love this song.
MaMash2011
The good news is that age tend to grow with time :)
Nikos Kostis
Tend to simulate, is what you mean :)