Ides of Space came into existence somewhere around the turn of the millenni… Read Full Bio ↴Ides of Space came into existence somewhere around the turn of the millennium in Sydney, Australia. After a spluttering false start or two, the band released an EP, First Translated in 1965, on the now defunct Sydney label Quietly Suburban. The recording received rave reviews, solid airplay in Australia, and filtered overseas to several sympathetic ears. By 2001, Ides were recording their second domestic EP, We Have Nowhere to Be, the majority of which was coupled with the debut to form an album that was released in the U.S on Better Looking Records, Japan on Painted Sky Discs, and Sweden on Kasual Recordings.

This compilation of sorts, There Are No New Clouds, was again well received. Epitonic described the band's sound by asking its readers to imagine perhaps, if The Go Betweens had formed not in the wake of the punk and New Wave explosion, but instead in the wake of early '90s U.K. shoegazer and U.S. lo-fi college rock, and you get darn close to the joy of Ides of Space. Alternative Press heard "10 stunning tracks", the All Music Guide noted that the presence of "[soaring] Guitars, boyish multi-part harmonies [and] good old-fashioned hooks" and Pitchfork stated that the way they play and write, it's hard to believe they've only been together for two years. The melodies are well developed and the playing is technically flawless, yet rough enough to sound real.

On the back of touring the U.S. tours with the likes of The Gloria Record, Her Space Holiday, Despericidoes, and The Special Goodness, and Australia with Trans Am, Preston School of Industry, Art of Fighting and Knievel, these recordings reached no. 3 on the Australian AIR charts and 28 on the CMJs.

The band then retreated with producer Wayne Connolly (Underground Lovers, Youth Group, The Vines) to record its follow-up LP, which saw the light of day through low-key releases in Australia, Japan and Sweden in 2004 but not the U.S. Here the story gets a little hazy...various U.S. deals did not eventuate, lives got in the way of the band, and its activities began to contract. In 2005, Ides recorded 2 songs with Tim Whitten (Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus) intended as a 7-inch single release. The masters of these recordings sat in songwriter Patrick Haid's desk draw until about 2 weeks ago.

But now Ides of Space's ‘lost recordings' Sleeping Fractures (and then some!) gets its long overdue release on Better Looking Records. The entire record, plus the insomniac's opus ‘fighting age/guaranteed escape' (previously only available on the Australian limited release EP We Have Nowhere...) plus the ominously titled pop-bliss nuggets ‘The Final Straight' and ‘No more Sound' (aka the desk-top draw recordings) will be available to those unwilling or unable to make Indiana Jones type expeditions for indie-rock.

Recently, members of Ides of Space have been active again in Line Drawings, who have a debut EP available through Bell Sounds. Check them out here (www.myspace.com/linedrawings).

Band members:
Patrick Haid - guitar and vocals
Mark Ayoub - guitar
Dave The - bass guitar
Martin Barker - keyboard
Anthony The - drums.

This Side of the Screen
Ides Of Space Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's everything I miss when you're not here
That makes you float away the more that I stay
And I'll beg you in ink, so much that I'm afraid

Your singing follows me around
So I'll send you words and look for tiny little sounds
That could send away the memory of days of black and white
And of all the folders that we kept there

Thinking that we might not need
To let a single secret go to make it to the night
That's melting through

You make me search really hard
For things that might exist
And for other things that are just never going to be here
Though we're wishing them from far

And does your sky look like that right now?
You're further away and still closer now somehow
And though it's not the cliche that we like
And though your days aren't black and white
We're not yet moving out of spite this time
And I'll wish you back here first time around
To think from under steady ground
And keep on moving around you now

You're further away and still closer now somehow
Somehow
Somehow

Somehow
Somehow

Overall Meaning

The song “This Side of the Screen” by Ides of Space is about missing someone and feeling their absence more deeply as time goes on. The opening lines of the song, “It's everything I miss when you're not here, that makes you float away the more that I stay” set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is expressing the longing they feel for the person they miss, and how that longing seems to pull them further away the more they try to hold on.

The lyrics also delve into the idea of communication, specifically through writing and music. The singer talks about “begging in ink” and sending words to the person they miss. They also mention the other person’s singing following them around, as if a reminder of their absence. The singer looks for “tiny little sounds” that could send away the memories of the days they spent apart, and the “folders that we kept there” with secrets they didn't want to share.

The final lines of the song indicate that even though the person the singer misses is further away, they somehow feel closer. And though their days aren't just black and white, they're not moving away from each other out of spite, but rather because they're moving around each other.

Line by Line Meaning

It's everything I miss when you're not here
I feel a sense of emptiness and longing for all the things that you bring into my life when you're not around.

That makes you float away the more that I stay
The things that I miss about you seem to make you more distant as I spend more time without you.

And I'll beg you in ink, so much that I'm afraid
I will write down my overwhelming desire for you so that I can hold onto it, but I'm afraid that it will never be enough.

Your singing follows me around
Your presence and influence remain with me even when you're not physically present, as if your voice is still echoing in my mind.

So I'll send you words and look for tiny little sounds
I will try to communicate with you through writing and listen closely for any small signs of your response.

That could send away the memory of days of black and white
I hope that our connection can help me forget the times of hardship and struggle that I have experienced in the past.

And of all the folders that we kept there
I am reminded of all the memories and secrets that we have shared together through the physical records that we have kept.

Thinking that we might not need
Initially, we thought that these records may not be important, but now they hold a significant place in our shared history.

To let a single secret go to make it to the night
We have held onto our secrets so tightly, even sacrificing our sleep, to preserve our bond and maintain our closeness.

That's melting through
However, our connection is slowly fading away.

You make me search really hard
Our distance has made me search deeply for anything that could bring us closer together.

For things that might exist
I hold onto the hope that there are still things that we can share and bond over.

And for other things that are just never going to be here
At the same time, I also come to terms with the fact that there are certain things that we will never be able to share or experience together.

Though we're wishing them from far
Even though we are apart, we still hold onto the hope and desire for these unattainable things.

And does your sky look like that right now?
I wonder if the world around you is as beautiful and enchanting as I imagine it to be.

You're further away and still closer now somehow
Despite our physical distance, I feel a spiritual and emotional closeness to you that is difficult to articulate.

And though it's not the cliche that we like
Our relationship may not fit into the usual romantic tropes that we are accustomed to, but it still holds a special significance to us.

And though your days aren't black and white
Your life may not be without struggles and complexity, but you still bring a sense of clarity and stability to mine.

We're not yet moving out of spite this time
We are not drifting apart out of a sense of animosity or ill-will towards each other, but rather out of external circumstances beyond our control.

And I'll wish you back here first time around
I long for the opportunity to start our relationship anew, to do things differently and perhaps avoid the mistakes that brought us to where we are now.

To think from under steady ground
I hope that we can find a stable and secure foundation for our connection, rather than always feeling like we are navigating uncertainty and instability.

And keep on moving around you now
Despite the difficulties we face, I am committed to staying close to you and making every effort to keep our bond alive.

You're further away and still closer now somehow
Despite the physical distance between us, I still feel a deep emotional connection to you that transcends time and space.

Somehow
Even though it is difficult to explain, our connection remains a powerful and meaningful force in my life.

Somehow
No matter how far apart we may be, I will always hold onto the hope that someday, we will find our way back to each other.

Somehow
Our relationship may be unpredictable and uncertain, but I believe that it still has the potential to be something beautiful and meaningful.

Somehow
Despite everything, I still hold onto the hope that we can overcome our challenges and find a way to be together once again.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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