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/
I Like the Way You Werk It
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slight simulated pain
No form of human answer can explain
Synthetic screams, Just data streams
Hypnotic smile, So versatile
I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
Every tactile sensor active
Synaptic template on
Coping until all self restraint is gone
Human themes with plastic seams
Nothing to share but I don't care
I like the way you werk it
I, I, I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
and I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I, I, I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
and I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I, I, I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
and I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I like the way you move
I like the way you werk it
I, I, I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
and I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I, I, I like the way you werk it
and I, I, I like the way you move
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
and I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I, I, I like the way you groove
I like the way you move
The lyrics to Information Society's "I Like the Way You Werk It" explore the relationship between humans and machines. The first verse describes the synthetic nature of the sounds and movements being made, highlighting the lack of any human response or emotion. The hypnotic smile is versatile and the movements are syncopated and rhythmic, leading the singer to express their admiration for the machine's abilities by saying "I like the way you werk it".
The second verse continues to explore the theme of human versus machine, with the tactile sensors being active and the synaptic template on. The singer notes that they are coping until all self-restraint is gone, highlighting the addictive nature of the interaction with the machine. The line "human themes with plastic seams" further emphasizes the artificial nature of the interaction. Despite this, the singer remains unbothered and continues to express their appreciation with the repeated refrain.
Overall, the song emphasizes the allure and excitement of the relationship between humans and technology, highlighting the way that machines can capture our attention and fascination.
Line by Line Meaning
Syncopated rhythms movement
The irregular beat and movements of the performer are pleasing to me
Slight simulated pain
The performer is simulating pain in a way that enhances their performance
No form of human answer can explain
The performer's style and movement cannot be fully explained by human language
Synthetic screams, Just data streams
The performer's expressive noises are produced synthetically and are simply data being processed
Hypnotic smile, So versatile
The performer's mesmerizing smile can convey a range of emotions and styles
I like the way you werk it
I am enjoying the way you perform
Every tactile sensor active
The performer is using all of their touch sensors to produce their movements
Synaptic template on
The performer is following a pre-programmed pattern of movements
Coping until all self restraint is gone
The performer is pushing themselves to the limit and letting go of any inhibitions
Human themes with plastic seams
The performer is exploring human themes and emotions, but in a synthetic and artificial way
Nothing to share but I don't care
The performer may not have anything personal to share, but I am still enjoying their performance
You drive me crazy when you do the robot
The performer's robotic movements are particularly exciting to me
I, I, I like the way you werk it
I am really enjoying the performer's style and movement
and I, I, I like the way you move
I am attracted to the way the performer is moving
I, (I,) I, (I,) I like the way you groove
I am really enjoying the performer's rhythm and style
Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Information Society
This video was made in the fall of 2006 and is included on the OSCILLATOR EP released in 2007. OSCILLATOR and the new full length CD SYNTHESIZER are currently available at the InSoc Shop on the official website (the link is on our YouTube channel page).
chadergeist82
In 2006, it was announced that Paul Robb and James Cassidy had decided to reconvene Information Society, initially without Kurt Harland's full participation in the recording process. [3] Harland's absence in the studio line-up was cited as being due to family and work obligations. Harland ultimately contributed lead vocals to one track, "Seeds of Pain." The new lineup included Christopher Anton as lead vocalist and co-writer for several tracks from Oscillator and Synthesizer.
genXer3
Got the new CD "Synthesizer", It's sweeeeeet! Chris Anton has a decent vocal style. Kurt did a track on it too -"Seeds Of Pain"- love it. Would have liked for Kurt to have done at least TWO tracks though. -I LOVE the way you werk it!!
YerAmishDaddy
This is a really good track off the new album "Synthesizer". The whole album is surprisingly great! No kidding! A lot of songs with such infectious hooks that they'll get stuck in your head for days on end.
Sarah Chang
I love the album. I bought it!!
moparman72rr
Very nice ... so glad to see more InSoc music again (sorry to see minus Kurt). You can definatly hear Paul Robb influence in this! Did I see Kurt is going to be on stage in the upcoming concerts?!?!
TWRH
This is awesome. I hope it makes it as a bonus feature on the CD.
Ezilda Margarete Silva
Som 10 bom para os ouvidos.
The Only One
I guess to each is own, I think their '92 album Peace And Love, Inc. is brilliant. =)
Chiquinha Cosplay
Adoro vocês Information society 😍😍😍😍😍😍