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/
Free
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's such a shame
It's so unreal
It's so insane
That a love like ours
Would ever have to fade
It's so unfair
This love of ours
Don't you know
That we don't have to let this go
I could let you be free
You could do the same for me
And I know that you know
This is our love
It's so unfair
It's such a shame
This love of ours
Will never be the same
It's so unreal
It's so insane
That a love like ours
Would ever have to fade
I don't wanna get you down
Cause I want you to stay around
I need more than you reveal
Cause I just want to make you feel
Free
I know it's tough
Still we haven't tried enough
Come on please don't give up
All we need is a little time
Just keep an open mind
I can show you another way
I just wanna let you know
I need more than what you show
Words can never say what's real
Cause I just wanna make you feel
There was a time it seemed that every door was open
There was a time it seemed the world was blue and green
There was a song we used to sing when we're together
There was a song we'd sing of how it used to be
I don't wanna get you down
Cause I want you to stay around
I need more than you reveal
Cause I just want to make you feel
I just wanna let you know
I need more than what you show
Words can never say what's real
Cause I just wanna make you feel
Free
The lyrics to Information Society's song Free convey a message about a relationship that is struggling to survive. The singer expresses his sorrow over the fading love, and how it seems so unfair and unreal that the love has to die. He proposes that they don't have to let go of each other and can become free while staying together. The singer also asks for more from his partner than what they reveal presently, and he wants to make them feel free.
The song is characterized by a melancholic tone that perfectly matches the theme. The lyrics, paired with the music, communicate the emotions of the singer and make the listener feel them as well. The chorus, "I could let you be free, you could do the same for me," serves as a reminder that relationships do not have to be restrictive and that there is always a way to find the freedom that would make the bond stronger.
Overall, Free by Information Society is a touching and emotive piece of music that speaks to the struggles of relationships and the desire for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
It's so unfair
The situation is unjust and wrong
It's such a shame
The situation is pitifully regrettable
It's so unreal
This situation doesn't feel possible or genuine
It's so insane
This situation is wildly irrational
That a love like ours
Our romantic connection
Would ever have to fade
Is disappearing regardless of how much we wish it to continue
Don't you know
Are you unaware that
That we don't have to let this go
We can prevent this from ending if we choose to
I could let you be free
I can give you the freedom you desire
You could do the same for me
You can reciprocate and offer me the freedom I require
And I know that you know
I'm certain that you are already aware
This is our love
Our romantic connection is important to both of us
This love of ours
Our romantic connection
Will never be the same
Our romantic connection will never be restored to its former glory
I don't wanna get you down
I don't want to depress and discourage you
Cause I want you to stay around
I desire for you to remain close to me
I need more than you reveal
I require more from you than what you're currently providing
Cause I just want to make you feel
I solely desire to provide you with positive emotions
I know it's tough
I'm aware that the situation is challenging
Still we haven't tried enough
We haven't put enough effort to find a resolution
Come on please don't give up
Let's continue striving and not lose hope
All we need is a little time
We just require more time to fix the situation
Just keep an open mind
Stay receptive and understanding
I can show you another way
I can demonstrate a different method or viewpoint
I just wanna let you know
I only desire to inform you
Words can never say what's real
What I genuinely feel can't be expressed through words
There was a time it seemed that every door was open
There were moments in the past where life offered unlimited possibilities
There was a time it seemed the world was blue and green
There were moments in the past where the world appeared more inviting and inviting
There was a song we used to sing when we're together
In the past, we used to enjoy a specific song when we were in company
There was a song we'd sing of how it used to be
That song reflected on how lovely our past romantic connection was
Free
Without any constraints or limitations
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jorge Paniagua
Mais uma para a minha coleção de favoritas do INSOC!
Marcelo Carvalho 😎
I Love this song.
Nina Mendes Terapeuta
Adoro INSOC. Kurt é um amor em pessoa. Super atencioso. Tive a oportunidade de conhecê-lo esse ano. Adoro!!!
David Q
Badass track!
Carlos Hidalgo
Una real maravilla me emociona llena de recuerdos hermosos !
Fernando Szatkowski
Olha aí influência de Depeche Mode de novo!!! Voltem Information Society, por favor!!
Fernando Szatkowski
@Jose Roberto Da Silva Barbosa qual a dúvida???
Jose Roberto Da Silva Barbosa
???
singinglawnchair
You can tell this is a Karl Bartos production, it definitely has his "flavor" :) love it!
Sala Samsung
Well said. Similar “flavor” was later heard on Electronic 1996 album Raise The Pressure.