Over their career, the group has been very influential on American electropop and freestyle artists from both their music and their strident, colorful visuals, being best known for their 1988 self-titled album. The band was formed in Minneapolis in the early 80s, and they performed avant-garde electronic music with flourishes of hip-hop. In 1983, they independently released two albums, 'The InSoc EP' and 'Creatures Of Influence'. Two years later, they released "Running", their first single, which became a hit popular in New York City's Latino nightclubs and "put them on the map". That song, a 7-minute effort that touched on contemporary techno, was written and sung by Murat Konar, who left the band soon after. Their growing success led them from their native Minneapolis to NYC, and the ensuing revenues and contacts, as well as the addition of Amanda Kramer to the lineup, led them to record their proper debut album.
Their first major release album. 1988's 'Information Society', received critical acclaim, giving the group breakout commercial success as the album hiked up to #25 on the Billboard 200. In addition to "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" (which hit #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart), the album also had other hits in "Walking Away" (#9 on that chart) and a cover of ABBA's "Lay All Your Love On Me" (#12 on the Hot Dance Music chart). The disc was one of the few to use CD+G, which included digital graphics on the compact disc version in addition to the music. The audio samples from Star Trek were authorized for use on the album partially thanks to the efforts of Adam Nimoy, a fan of the band and son of Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy.
The second release, Hack (1990), wasn't as successful, but had small hits with Think and How Long but still managed to sell quite well in the fall of 1990.
Kurt was also the owner of the heavily-modified The Road Warrior-inspired art car named "Vector" featured on the cover of Hack. The car sported a functioning ranging laser, among other unusual features. Vector was eventually given to a friend at Burning Man in the mid-1990s.
The third release, Peace & Love, Inc. (1992), proved to be more powerful and critically acclaimed, although their label failed to do much to promote them. Their first single Peace & Love, Inc. reached #1 on the 'Billboard Dance Chart'. A music video was produced for the track, but MTV declined to play it. The album is also notable for being perhaps the first album ever produced to contain a track of modem tones, which when played into a telephone connected to a computer resulted in a bonus text message from the band.
The fourth album, Don't Be Afraid (1997), written and performed by Kurt Harland alone and produced by Steven Seibold, was more industrial-driven. Cleopatra Records released the album, but - like Tommy Boy Records - did little to promote it. Harland's love of computer-related materials continued to be evident, as the album included a CD-ROM filled with bonus material, not yet a common occurrence in 1997.
There was also a carefully-orchestrated digital scavenger hunt culminating in the discovery of a bonus track called White Roses. The scavenger hunt began with decoding a modem's signal recorded at the end of the audio CD, resulting in a text message from Kurt which pointed the way to a website where the search began. There is also a cover included of Gary Numan's Are 'Friends' Electric?. Also included is Ozar Midrashim, a track which was later used as the main theme for the videogame Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver.
During the course of those four albums and about a dozen remix singles from them, Information Society's sound went from more electronic pop music to a darker industrial type, though they will always be remembered for their first hit song and the cardboard guitars they wielded in its music video.
However, in 2006 Paul Robb and James Cassidy announced their intention to re-form Information Society, and began working on a new album. They also performed live at several venues across the US with Christopher Anton as lead vocalist. The Ep "Oscillator" was released in early 2007 followed by the album Synthesizer in late 2007. Christopher Anton provided the vocals on Oscillator, and Synthesizer and was the co-writer on several of the tracks as well.
http://informationsociety.us/
Are "Friends" Electric
Information Society Lyrics
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And the paint's peeling off of my walls
There's a man outside
In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
Now the light fades out
And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this
There's a knock on the door
So now I'm alone
Now I can think for myself
About little deals
And issues
And things that I just don't understand
Like a white lie that night
Or a slight touch at times
I don't think it meant anything to you
So I open the door
It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway
Please sit down
A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
You know I hate to ask
But, are 'friends' electric?
Mine's broke down
And now I've no one to love
So I find out your reason
For the phone calls and smiles
And it hurts
And I'm lonely
And I should never have tried
And I missed you tonight
So it's time to leave
You see this means everything to me
The lyrics to Information Society's Are 'Friends' Electric? 2.0 convey a sense of isolation and loneliness as the singer reflects on their current state of life. The description of the man outside, in a long coat and grey hat, smoking a cigarette, adds a noir-like feel to the song. The lyrics also touch on the complexities of human relationships and the difficulty of understanding the intentions and emotions of others. This is conveyed through the singer's contemplation of "little deals and issues and things that I just don't understand" and their uncertainty about the meaning behind "a white lie that night or a slight touch at times."
The main theme of the song, however, is the singer's search for connection and love. The refrain of "are 'friends' electric?" suggests a desire for something more than mere friendship, but the fact that the singer's "friend" is broken down and they have "no one to love" hints at a deeper loneliness and need for intimacy. The final line, "You see this means everything to me," underscores the importance of this connection and the desperation of the singer's search for it.
Line by Line Meaning
It's cold outside
The weather is chilly and unpleasant outside
And the paint's peeling off of my walls
The paint is coming off the walls, indicating that the room is not well-maintained
There's a man outside
An unidentified man is standing outside the building
In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette
The man is wearing a long coat and grey hat while smoking a cigarette, suggesting he is not concerned about the temperature outside
Now the light fades out
The light source in the room is dimming and becoming less visible
And I'm wondering what I'm doing in a room like this
The singer is questioning why they ended up in this poorly maintained room
There's a knock on the door
Someone is knocking on the door
And just for a second I thought I remembered you
When the artist hears the knock on the door, they briefly think it could be someone they know
So now I'm alone
The artist is now on their own
Now I can think for myself
Without any influence from others, the artist can now think independently
About little deals
The singer is able to think about small transactions or agreements between people
And issues
The artist can also contemplate problems or concerns
And things that I just don't understand
There are certain subjects or events that the singer doesn't fully comprehend
Like a white lie that night
The singer is reminded of a fib or falsehood told on a previous occasion
Or a slight touch at times
The singer recalls an occasion where physical contact was made, even if it was only a small gesture
I don't think it meant anything to you
Despite the memories, the artist doesn't believe the experiences had the same significance to the other person involved
So I open the door
The artist opens the door
It's the 'friend' that I'd left in the hallway
The person knocking on the door is a mutual associate who was waiting in the hall
Please sit down
The singer invites the visitor to have a seat
A candle lit a shadow on a wall near the bed
The only source of illumination in the room is a candle that creates shadows on the wall close to the bed
You know I hate to ask
The artist is reluctant to broach the topic
But, are 'friends' electric?
The artist questions whether they have any truly genuine allies or only robotic acquaintances
Mine's broke down
The singer's own 'friend' has ceased to function properly
And now I've no one to love
Without any friends or companions, the artist feels unloved and isolated
So I find out your reason
The singer seeks to discover the motive behind another person's actions
For the phone calls and smiles
The singer is specifically interested in the messages and expressions of happiness conveyed by this other person
And it hurts
The singer experiences emotional pain
And I'm lonely
The artist feels alienated and isolated
And I should never have tried
The artist regrets having made an attempt at some point in the past
And I missed you tonight
The singer is reminded of his longing for another person during this present evening
So it's time to leave
The singer decides that it's appropriate and necessary to depart from this setting
You see this means everything to me
The artist conveys the profound importance of this situation and its implications for him personally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY ANTHONY JAMES WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind