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/
Fire Tonight
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I heard that the park is filled tonight with police.
On the radio there's nothing but a man saying
To stay inside.
Well, I remember what you said on the telephone,
That you didn't feel like it was safe to stay alone.
And you would get yourself to me if you could find
A way across the line.
But there's fire tonight on your side of town,
Orange light in the sky without a sound.
Fire tonight on your side of town.
I watch and wait for you to come around.
Well, there's a faint sound of sirens tonight in the air,
And I heard that the downtown streets tonight are bare.
On the TV here they're telling me the roads are all
Closed down.
You said that if you couldn't take the car you'd walk
Instead.
It was the last thing you said before the line went dead.
And now I'm waiting by the window holding all the things
Of yours I've found.
But there's fire tonight on your side of town,
Orange light in the sky without a sound.
Fire tonight on your side of town.
I watch and wait for you to come around.
I know we always said that we were free.
I know we never thought this would succeed.
But now your face is all that I can see.
But there's fire tonight on your side of town,
Orange light in the sky without a sound.
Fire tonight on your side of town.
I watch and wait for you to come around.
The lyrics of Information Society's song "Fire Tonight" paint a scene of chaos and danger, with a hot wind blowing and police filling the park. The singer recalls a conversation with someone they care for, who expressed fear about being alone and promised to find a way to be with them. However, as the night progresses, the situation grows worse. There are sirens in the air and the downtown streets are bare. The singer waits by the window with the things they found, watching the orange light in the sky without a sound, hoping for the person they care for to come around. They reflect on the fact that they never thought their freedom would be threatened, but now, all they can see is the face of the person they are waiting for.
The song seems to be about two people who have been separated by a dangerous or uncertain situation. They express a desire to be together despite the risks and the uncertainty. The fire on the other side of town might represent a literal or metaphorical obstacle between them. Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of longing and desperation, as the singer waits for the person they care for to arrive safely.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, there's a hot wind blowing tonight in the east,
Tonight, there is a warm breeze blowing from the east.
And I heard that the park is filled tonight with police.
I heard that the park is crowded with police officers tonight.
On the radio there's nothing but a man saying To stay inside.
On the radio, there is a man advising listeners to stay indoors.
Well, I remember what you said on the telephone,
I remember what you said to me during our phone conversation.
That you didn't feel like it was safe to stay alone.
You said you didn't feel secure being alone.
And you would get yourself to me if you could find A way across the line.
You said that you would come to me if you could find a safe route.
But there's fire tonight on your side of town,
There is a fire tonight on your side of the town.
Orange light in the sky without a sound.
The fire has caused an orange glow in the sky without any audible disturbances.
Fire tonight on your side of town.
There is a fire tonight on your side of the town.
I watch and wait for you to come around.
I am waiting and watching for you to arrive.
Well, there's a faint sound of sirens tonight in the air,
There is a barely audible sound of sirens in the air tonight.
And I heard that the downtown streets tonight are bare.
I heard that the downtown streets are deserted tonight.
On the TV here they're telling me the roads are all Closed down.
The TV is reporting that all roads are closed.
You said that if you couldn't take the car you'd walk Instead.
You told me that you would walk if you couldn't take the car.
It was the last thing you said before the line went dead.
Your last words before the line disconnected were that you would walk if necessary.
And now I'm waiting by the window holding all the things Of yours I've found.
I am holding onto all of your belongings that I have found, waiting by the window.
I know we always said that we were free.
We talked about how we were free in the past.
I know we never thought this would succeed.
We never thought we would succeed in this situation together.
But now your face is all that I can see.
All I can think of is your face now.
I watch and wait for you to come around.
I am watching and waiting for you to return.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT LARSON, PAUL ROBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scottpatnode92
bought your album early 80's got me through many plane rides, she reminds me of cherry 2000..info society. mirrorshades..
this is me..Scott Daniel Patnode most dangerous person on Earth..clancy died while i was reading splintercell conviction, only book i read oif his , never finished, all my beta fish were named fisher..i had 2 friends die same day three years ago.
broken arrow
ive had 3tsunami dreams, nightmares whatever, 2 have come true, had 2 dreams 20 years ago tsunami hits cocoa florida, i climb on building, i searched for 15 years for this building before finding it, when i met my motorcycle mechanic and see back corner of his building get tsunami flashback to dream i tell everyone on facebook' put your bedrooms upstairs, since plane t stealing my tech since 1992 ignoring my warnings like they do you, that was sept 19,2014 isis was invading turkey i warned turkey about isis, they side with isis and hit with tsunami 6 days later , all biblical im like vlad the impaler. then other tsunami dream from 20 years ago tsunami chases us over hubert humphrey 520 bridge at 120 mph we jump the bridge start to fall then everything goes black, guess we died past life. that one hasnt come true yet, then 2017 i warn on facebook march 17, 2017 where does planet want its next tsunami,and ufos cause tsunami water displacement entering and leaving ocean then ;last video on youtube i watch on iran, next day iran hit with tsunami march 18,2017, i predict fukushima by one day , told gf, i can fart cause tsunami on other side of earth jokingly but next day fukushima disaster and i was wanting a nuclear reactor disaster to usher in antiradiation tech using sound, atomic lasers, infrared and electron microscope imaging to neutralize radiation, i won science awards growing up.few eyras back i didnt want to go to wotk pictured a tsunami in iceland, 8 hours later on youtube tsunami 2-3 footer hits iceland. i posted a bout turkey and iran tsuanmi then they got hit again. sept 27 friend shows up talking gibberish spun, i ask him 3 times "where he wants his next tsunami, my research was on indonesia that month and next day sept 28 indonesia tsunami, then i predict jakarta boeing crash by 3 days on twitter oct26-oct29 from bermuda plane missing, i accidentally said " here about plane crashing" then 3 days later boeing crash jakarta, got march 7-10 boeing crash too by 3 days when i talked about obama and kenya then 32 kenyans die in that crash, but i got indonesia tsunami dec 22-23 also, and i got ethiopian meteor that correlated to march ethiopia crash, Im god your planets under attackk, for stealing from my aliens and i past 31 years via US govt of criminals..good luck
youtube:sumsco vanpat
P node
pinterest@scottpatnode3(hybrid alien)
i dont lie
july 12 2018 i have dream of eclipse and tsunami , many tsunamis which predicted the sept 28 and dec 23 tsunamis, in indonesia, july 13 ends up being an eclipse i knew nothing about my dream predicted by one day plus both tsunamis, i pictured an atlantic tsunami 4-6 years ago got that one, i pictured tsunamis last month and got one somewhere i was picturing many last month. thats just tsunamis, noy meteors quakes , volcanos,floods,fires,etc. i predict or dream or get visions that happen. i design tsunami proof structures since 1992 eveyone on earth ignores so their countries go broke overnight
i detonated nuke in russia 3 octobers ago asking all day on telepathy , nuclear missile blew up in russia that day killing 5 scientists, iwas tryong to keep this from happening past 20 years since nuke dream i had on space coast 2 nukes detonating west o f me, now i get a nuke to detonate in russia with telepathy..u people still know nothing at all do you???
.since the planet is having Ukraine and Russia destroy all its weaponry??
when does everybody believe in the new hybrid messiah?? or does everyone let US govt steal from me for 30 years so my aliens kill you all??
\
youtube:sumsco
P Node
pinterest@scottpatnode3 i gave away 2 free energy devices and u still fighting over gas , fuel and resources, talk about retarded.......!!,
@scottpatnode92
bought your album early 80's got me through many plane rides, she reminds me of cherry 2000..info society. mirrorshades..
this is me..Scott Daniel Patnode most dangerous person on Earth..clancy died while i was reading splintercell conviction, only book i read oif his , never finished, all my beta fish were named fisher..i had 2 friends die same day three years ago.
broken arrow
ive had 3tsunami dreams, nightmares whatever, 2 have come true, had 2 dreams 20 years ago tsunami hits cocoa florida, i climb on building, i searched for 15 years for this building before finding it, when i met my motorcycle mechanic and see back corner of his building get tsunami flashback to dream i tell everyone on facebook' put your bedrooms upstairs, since plane t stealing my tech since 1992 ignoring my warnings like they do you, that was sept 19,2014 isis was invading turkey i warned turkey about isis, they side with isis and hit with tsunami 6 days later , all biblical im like vlad the impaler. then other tsunami dream from 20 years ago tsunami chases us over hubert humphrey 520 bridge at 120 mph we jump the bridge start to fall then everything goes black, guess we died past life. that one hasnt come true yet, then 2017 i warn on facebook march 17, 2017 where does planet want its next tsunami,and ufos cause tsunami water displacement entering and leaving ocean then ;last video on youtube i watch on iran, next day iran hit with tsunami march 18,2017, i predict fukushima by one day , told gf, i can fart cause tsunami on other side of earth jokingly but next day fukushima disaster and i was wanting a nuclear reactor disaster to usher in antiradiation tech using sound, atomic lasers, infrared and electron microscope imaging to neutralize radiation, i won science awards growing up.few eyras back i didnt want to go to wotk pictured a tsunami in iceland, 8 hours later on youtube tsunami 2-3 footer hits iceland. i posted a bout turkey and iran tsuanmi then they got hit again. sept 27 friend shows up talking gibberish spun, i ask him 3 times "where he wants his next tsunami, my research was on indonesia that month and next day sept 28 indonesia tsunami, then i predict jakarta boeing crash by 3 days on twitter oct26-oct29 from bermuda plane missing, i accidentally said " here about plane crashing" then 3 days later boeing crash jakarta, got march 7-10 boeing crash too by 3 days when i talked about obama and kenya then 32 kenyans die in that crash, but i got indonesia tsunami dec 22-23 also, and i got ethiopian meteor that correlated to march ethiopia crash, Im god your planets under attackk, for stealing from my aliens and i past 31 years via US govt of criminals..good luck
youtube:sumsco vanpat
P node
pinterest@scottpatnode3(hybrid alien)
i dont lie
july 12 2018 i have dream of eclipse and tsunami , many tsunamis which predicted the sept 28 and dec 23 tsunamis, in indonesia, july 13 ends up being an eclipse i knew nothing about my dream predicted by one day plus both tsunamis, i pictured an atlantic tsunami 4-6 years ago got that one, i pictured tsunamis last month and got one somewhere i was picturing many last month. thats just tsunamis, noy meteors quakes , volcanos,floods,fires,etc. i predict or dream or get visions that happen. i design tsunami proof structures since 1992 eveyone on earth ignores so their countries go broke overnight
i detonated nuke in russia 3 octobers ago asking all day on telepathy , nuclear missile blew up in russia that day killing 5 scientists, iwas tryong to keep this from happening past 20 years since nuke dream i had on space coast 2 nukes detonating west o f me, now i get a nuke to detonate in russia with telepathy..u people still know nothing at all do you???
.since the planet is having Ukraine and Russia destroy all its weaponry??
when does everybody believe in the new hybrid messiah?? or does everyone let US govt steal from me for 30 years so my aliens kill you all??
\
youtube:sumsco
P Node
pinterest@scottpatnode3 i gave away 2 free energy devices and u still fighting over gas , fuel and resources, talk about retarded.......!!,
@scottpatnode92
bought your album early 80's got me through many plane rides, she reminds me of cherry 2000..info society. mirrorshades..
this is me..Scott Daniel Patnode most dangerous person on Earth..clancy died while i was reading splintercell conviction, only book i read oif his , never finished, all my beta fish were named fisher..i had 2 friends die same day three years ago.
broken arrow
ive had 3tsunami dreams, nightmares whatever, 2 have come true, had 2 dreams 20 years ago tsunami hits cocoa florida, i climb on building, i searched for 15 years for this building before finding it, when i met my motorcycle mechanic and see back corner of his building get tsunami flashback to dream i tell everyone on facebook' put your bedrooms upstairs, since plane t stealing my tech since 1992 ignoring my warnings like they do you, that was sept 19,2014 isis was invading turkey i warned turkey about isis, they side with isis and hit with tsunami 6 days later , all biblical im like vlad the impaler. then other tsunami dream from 20 years ago tsunami chases us over hubert humphrey 520 bridge at 120 mph we jump the bridge start to fall then everything goes black, guess we died past life. that one hasnt come true yet, then 2017 i warn on facebook march 17, 2017 where does planet want its next tsunami,and ufos cause tsunami water displacement entering and leaving ocean then ;last video on youtube i watch on iran, next day iran hit with tsunami march 18,2017, i predict fukushima by one day , told gf, i can fart cause tsunami on other side of earth jokingly but next day fukushima disaster and i was wanting a nuclear reactor disaster to usher in antiradiation tech using sound, atomic lasers, infrared and electron microscope imaging to neutralize radiation, i won science awards growing up.few eyras back i didnt want to go to wotk pictured a tsunami in iceland, 8 hours later on youtube tsunami 2-3 footer hits iceland. i posted a bout turkey and iran tsuanmi then they got hit again. sept 27 friend shows up talking gibberish spun, i ask him 3 times "where he wants his next tsunami, my research was on indonesia that month and next day sept 28 indonesia tsunami, then i predict jakarta boeing crash by 3 days on twitter oct26-oct29 from bermuda plane missing, i accidentally said " here about plane crashing" then 3 days later boeing crash jakarta, got march 7-10 boeing crash too by 3 days when i talked about obama and kenya then 32 kenyans die in that crash, but i got indonesia tsunami dec 22-23 also, and i got ethiopian meteor that correlated to march ethiopia crash, Im god your planets under attackk, for stealing from my aliens and i past 31 years via US govt of criminals..good luck
youtube:sumsco vanpat
P node
pinterest@scottpatnode3(hybrid alien)
i dont lie
july 12 2018 i have dream of eclipse and tsunami , many tsunamis which predicted the sept 28 and dec 23 tsunamis, in indonesia, july 13 ends up being an eclipse i knew nothing about my dream predicted by one day plus both tsunamis, i pictured an atlantic tsunami 4-6 years ago got that one, i pictured tsunamis last month and got one somewhere i was picturing many last month. thats just tsunamis, noy meteors quakes , volcanos,floods,fires,etc. i predict or dream or get visions that happen. i design tsunami proof structures since 1992 eveyone on earth ignores so their countries go broke overnight
i detonated nuke in russia 3 octobers ago asking all day on telepathy , nuclear missile blew up in russia that day killing 5 scientists, iwas tryong to keep this from happening past 20 years since nuke dream i had on space coast 2 nukes detonating west o f me, now i get a nuke to detonate in russia with telepathy..u people still know nothing at all do you???
.since the planet is having Ukraine and Russia destroy all its weaponry??
when does everybody believe in the new hybrid messiah?? or does everyone let US govt steal from me for 30 years so my aliens kill you all??
\
youtube:sumsco
P Node
pinterest@scottpatnode3 i gave away 2 free energy devices and u still fighting over gas , fuel and resources, talk about retarded.......!!,
@tiburcio242
Still a great and sublime tune. The kind of song you´ll never get tired of.
@doloresamora
I love this song, it awakens my affective memory completely♡ it's like a lullaby!
@user-ze3qr4px7x
A emoção toma conta de mim, e transporto no fecha de olhos para ano de 1990.
@youllis
I had this album in high school and this song keeps calling to me lately I wanna cover it
@scottpatnode92
bought your album early 80's got me through many plane rides, she reminds me of cherry 2000..info society. mirrorshades..
this is me..Scott Daniel Patnode most dangerous person on Earth..clancy died while i was reading splintercell conviction, only book i read oif his , never finished, all my beta fish were named fisher..i had 2 friends die same day three years ago.
broken arrow
ive had 3tsunami dreams, nightmares whatever, 2 have come true, had 2 dreams 20 years ago tsunami hits cocoa florida, i climb on building, i searched for 15 years for this building before finding it, when i met my motorcycle mechanic and see back corner of his building get tsunami flashback to dream i tell everyone on facebook' put your bedrooms upstairs, since plane t stealing my tech since 1992 ignoring my warnings like they do you, that was sept 19,2014 isis was invading turkey i warned turkey about isis, they side with isis and hit with tsunami 6 days later , all biblical im like vlad the impaler. then other tsunami dream from 20 years ago tsunami chases us over hubert humphrey 520 bridge at 120 mph we jump the bridge start to fall then everything goes black, guess we died past life. that one hasnt come true yet, then 2017 i warn on facebook march 17, 2017 where does planet want its next tsunami,and ufos cause tsunami water displacement entering and leaving ocean then ;last video on youtube i watch on iran, next day iran hit with tsunami march 18,2017, i predict fukushima by one day , told gf, i can fart cause tsunami on other side of earth jokingly but next day fukushima disaster and i was wanting a nuclear reactor disaster to usher in antiradiation tech using sound, atomic lasers, infrared and electron microscope imaging to neutralize radiation, i won science awards growing up.few eyras back i didnt want to go to wotk pictured a tsunami in iceland, 8 hours later on youtube tsunami 2-3 footer hits iceland. i posted a bout turkey and iran tsuanmi then they got hit again. sept 27 friend shows up talking gibberish spun, i ask him 3 times "where he wants his next tsunami, my research was on indonesia that month and next day sept 28 indonesia tsunami, then i predict jakarta boeing crash by 3 days on twitter oct26-oct29 from bermuda plane missing, i accidentally said " here about plane crashing" then 3 days later boeing crash jakarta, got march 7-10 boeing crash too by 3 days when i talked about obama and kenya then 32 kenyans die in that crash, but i got indonesia tsunami dec 22-23 also, and i got ethiopian meteor that correlated to march ethiopia crash, Im god your planets under attackk, for stealing from my aliens and i past 31 years via US govt of criminals..good luck
youtube:sumsco vanpat
P node
pinterest@scottpatnode3(hybrid alien)
i dont lie
july 12 2018 i have dream of eclipse and tsunami , many tsunamis which predicted the sept 28 and dec 23 tsunamis, in indonesia, july 13 ends up being an eclipse i knew nothing about my dream predicted by one day plus both tsunamis, i pictured an atlantic tsunami 4-6 years ago got that one, i pictured tsunamis last month and got one somewhere i was picturing many last month. thats just tsunamis, noy meteors quakes , volcanos,floods,fires,etc. i predict or dream or get visions that happen. i design tsunami proof structures since 1992 eveyone on earth ignores so their countries go broke overnight
i detonated nuke in russia 3 octobers ago asking all day on telepathy , nuclear missile blew up in russia that day killing 5 scientists, iwas tryong to keep this from happening past 20 years since nuke dream i had on space coast 2 nukes detonating west o f me, now i get a nuke to detonate in russia with telepathy..u people still know nothing at all do you???
.since the planet is having Ukraine and Russia destroy all its weaponry??
when does everybody believe in the new hybrid messiah?? or does everyone let US govt steal from me for 30 years so my aliens kill you all??
\
youtube:sumsco
P Node
pinterest@scottpatnode3 i gave away 2 free energy devices and u still fighting over gas , fuel and resources, talk about retarded.......!!,
@AndrewJanke0
Hell yeah, "Fire Tonight". Justifies the existence of this whole album (which isn't bad on the whole, either).
@georgevela
simplistic yet a masterpiece. I still have my Hack cassette.
@stopdeforestation
Someone should do a mashup of this and Phil Collins in the air tonight. Call it "in the fire tonight"
@chesterfreiheit7682
What wonderful song, I want to back to 1990
@gavincopeland2539
this hits so differently when you're from california in 2020