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/
Kebabträume 1.0
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR
Atatürk der neue Herr
Miliyet für die Sowjetunion
In jeder Imbißstube ein Spion
Im ZK Agent aus Türkei
(repeat)
The lyrics to Information Society's song Kebabträume 1.0 capture the cultural and political climate of the divided city of Berlin during the Cold War era. The song title translates to "Kebab Dreams", referencing the popular Middle Eastern dish that was embraced by the Turkish community in Berlin. The lyrics speak of this community's experience living behind the Berlin Wall, with their culture and identity impacted by political barriers.
The second line mentions "Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht", which translates to "Turkish culture behind barbed wire." This embodies the cultural isolation and partition that the community faced. The third line mentions "Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR", which refers to a settlement in East Berlin known for its Turkish community. The fourth line references Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, implying that he became a symbol of hope and power for this community in a time of political uncertainty.
The lyrics also touch on the espionage and surveillance that took place during this period, with the mention of "In jeder Imbißstube ein Spion", or "A spy in every snack bar." The final line "Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei" translates to "Germany, Germany, everything is over." This line could signify the disillusionment and disappointment with the political situation in Germany at the time.
Overall, "Kebabträume 1.0" provides a poignant commentary on the complex political and cultural landscape of Berlin during the Cold War era.
Line by Line Meaning
Kebabträume in der Mauerstadt
Dreams of kebab in the city of Berlin, separated by the wall
Türk-Kültür hinter Stacheldraht
The Turkish culture behind barbed wires
Neu-Izmir ist in der DDR
A new town called Neu-Izmir situated in the German Democratic Republic
Atatürk der neue Herr
Atatürk, the new leader
Miliyet für die Sowjetunion
The Turkish newspaper Miliyet supporting the Soviet Union
In jeder Imbißstube ein Spion
In every snack bar, a spy
Im ZK Agent aus Türkei
A Turkish agent working for the central committee
Deutschland, Deutschland, alles ist vorbei
Germany, Germany, everything is over
Contributed by Gavin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MobileNews24
nice
@djdavemick
This bonus reissue track is actually even better than the rest of Don't Be Afraid.
@wikipediaintellectual7088
It's better than the original.
@wikipediaintellectual7088
Intro sounds like Little Dark Age.
@jojotoofor9eight766
Yuck