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/
Empty
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It'll never be over, will it?
Crawl across the floor
If it feels like something you know
Curl up in a ball
If it feels like home
Sleep as much as you can
If you can't sleep then lay there
Pick at yourself
Until you feel pure
Something's pulling you to the floor
Like a longtime friend
Someone's banging your head on the wall
As a means to an end
This must be the end of you
But you know this will never stop
You can't hear anything anymore
Just the hammer in your chest
Walk on through the growing noise
Of your inescapable path
Walk willingly into the dark
Nothing can touch you now
Empty
Empty
Empty
Filling up with sick
Like water in your lungs
Sucking yellow fog around your head
Once you were a child
The world was darker then
Fear was in the hall
But you won't think about that now
Just some warmth and a home
And an end to the task
Your doors are standing wide open
But it's too late for you now
Something's pulling you to the floor
Like a longtime friend
Someone's banging your head on the wall
As a means to an end
Empty
Empty
Empty
Filling up with sick
Ammonia in your blood
Burning plastic wound around your hand
Lord, I am tired
Look at yourself
Lord, I am tired
What a day this is
Lord, I am tired
Look at yourself
What a day this is
Sometimes I wonder if you really understand
And although it's not quite the time
Although we've just begun to leave
We will tarry not to say we were wrong
To leave behind the silent reproach
And when our eyes are searching out
And our hearts are beating strong
We'll have a reason not to grieve
With holly leaves and scanning skies
And if the colors fade into night
And the storms our heads enclose
And our souls are set against one another
If the seas receive us not
And the skies mock our lowliness
Then we shall still love one another
For we are two, together
For we are two, together
Lord, I am tired
Look at yourself
Lord, I am tired
What a day this is
Lord, I am tired
Look at yourself
What a day this is
Sometimes I wonder if you really understand
The song "Empty" by Information Society is a haunting composition that deals with the concept of emptiness and the psychological effects it can have on an individual. The lyrics explore the idea of feeling lost and disconnected from the world, as well as the desperate search for meaning and purpose. The singer of the song seems to be struggling with his own identity and is trying to find his way back to himself. The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of it - someone, presumably the singer, emerges from a dream and realizes that he is the person he saw in it. The dream is a metaphor for the soul searching that the singer is undergoing, as he tries to figure out who he is and what his place in the world is.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of anxiety, depression, and self-harm. The line "crawl across the floor if it feels like something you know" seems to suggest that the singer is so lost that even basic actions like crawling on the floor feel familiar and comforting. The lines "pick at yourself until you feel pure" and "sucking yellow fog around your head" depict the singer's deteriorating mental state and his attempts to numb the pain. The repetition of the word "empty" throughout the song highlights the sense of numbness and lack of meaning that the singer is experiencing.
Overall, "Empty" is a deeply introspective song that explores the complexities of the human psyche. It's a hauntingly beautiful composition that captures the feeling of being lost and the search for purpose and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Crawl across the floor
Do anything to survive, even if it means degrading yourself.
If it feels like something you know
If something familiar comes your way, hold on to it tightly.
Curl up in a ball
Seek comfort even if it means retreating into yourself.
If it feels like home
Hold onto the familiarity of your surroundings for comfort and stability.
Sleep as much as you can
Escape from reality by sleeping and avoid dealing with the stressful world around you.
If you can't sleep then lay there
Even if you can't sleep, stay in bed to avoid the harshness of reality.
Pick at yourself
Hurt yourself physically to feel alive and pure, even if it is destructive behavior.
Until you feel pure
Keep up the destructive behavior until you feel pure, even if it is temporary and harmful.
Something's pulling you to the floor
Feel like something is pulling you down, causing you to feel heavy and burdened.
Like a longtime friend
The feeling of weight and burden has become familiar and consistent.
Someone's banging your head on the wall
Feel like you are being forced into hardship to achieve an end goal, even if it is painful.
As a means to an end
The struggle and hardship is seen as a way to get to a final goal or destination.
Empty
Feel like there is nothing left inside, there is no essence or substance to you anymore.
Filling up with sick
Starting to feel like the emptiness is being replaced with a negative feeling or emotion.
Ammonia in your blood
Feel poisoned or contaminated from the negative emotions filling you up.
Burning plastic wound around your hand
Feel the pain of self-harm or destructive habits physically manifesting in your life and leaving a mark.
Lord, I am tired
Expressing exhaustion from the weight of life and the constant struggle.
Look at yourself
Realize the pain and destruction you have caused in your own life.
What a day this is
Reflecting on the struggles of life and how tough they can be to get through.
Sometimes I wonder if you really understand
Questioning whether others can truly understand the pain and struggles you are going through.
And although it's not quite the time
Even though it's not yet over, change must come sometime.
Although we've just begun to leave
Even though life is hard, there is nowhere to go but forward.
We will tarry not to say we were wrong
Won't stop moving forward to avoid admitting past mistakes and shortcomings.
To leave behind the silent reproach
To move on from past shame or regret.
And when our eyes are searching out
Even during the hardest times, keep looking for hope and change.
And our hearts are beating strong
Find power and strength in the heart and never give up.
We'll have a reason not to grieve
There will always be hope for the future and reasons to keep going.
With holly leaves and scanning skies
Hope can be found even in the smallest things, like nature and the sky above.
If the colors fade into night
Even if things get dark and hopeless, there is still a way forward.
And the storms our heads enclose
Even during internal struggles and mental warfare, hope can be found.
And our souls are set against one another
Sometimes it feels like we are fighting against our own inner selves and doubts, but change is still possible.
If the seas receive us not
Even if things don't go according to plan, there is still hope.
And the skies mock our lowliness
Even if it feels like the world is against you, you can still find a way forward.
Then we shall still love one another
No matter what happens, love is always the answer.
For we are two, together
We are not alone in our struggles, we are in this together.
Contributed by Grace O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.