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/
Running
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wait for you
Cold brittle morning alone
And I cry for you
And when you finally call
You cloak your moves in the shadows
Chorus:
They must not have meant very much to you
The night I needed you the most
My cries fell on deaf ears
And I'm running so hard to find it
And I'm running so fast
And I'm telling you know to leave me
Our romance cannot last
And if someday I need to see you
I'll come back from the past
I'll come back and find you
I'll never leave you now
Chorus
Now I don't want to play games with you
But I don't know what to say to you
The digits change so slowly now
I'm going it alone
And I'm running so hard to find it
And I'm running so fast
And I'm telling you now to leave me
Our romance cannot last
And if someday I need to see you
I'll come back from the past
I'll come back and find you
I'll never leave you now
The lyrics of Information Society's song "Running" seem to revolve around someone waiting and pining for a love interest who seems to be unreliable and consistently shirks responsibility. The first two stanzas establish that the singer is constantly waiting and the person they're waiting for is never there when they need them. When the love interest finally does call, they're completely insubstantial and the singer feels like they're always shrouded in secrecy. The chorus of the song seems to reveal that the singer has always been there for the love interest, but their efforts were never reciprocated. The lyrics express frustration with the other person and a determination to move on without them, while still acknowledging that their heart is heavy with chasing something that is no longer attainable.
The second verse shows a further split in the relationship, with the singer feeling trapped and unsure how to proceed. They're trying to move forward and escape the situation, but their heart is still bound up in the past. The chorus repeats, reinforcing the idea that this is a story of a relationship that is moving away from what once was and can never be again. The final lines of the song are bittersweet, with a reluctant acknowledgment that while the relationship may be over, the singer's feelings will always be there.
Overall, the lyrics of "Running" see-saw between frustration, longing, and resolve - it's a portrayal of finding the strength to move on that's also underscored by a deep sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot steamy night alone
I spent a hot, humid night by myself.
I wait for you
I long for your companionship.
Cold brittle morning alone
I woke up to a cold, harsh morning all alone.
And I cry for you
I feel sadness and cry for your absence.
And when you finally call
Finally, you call me.
You cloak your moves in the shadows
You hide what you're doing.
Those days and nights I was good to you
The times I was kind to you and spent with you.
They must not have meant very much to you
You didn't value them very much.
The night I needed you the most
When I was in dire need of you.
My cries fell on deaf ears
You didn't listen or respond to my pleas.
And I'm running so hard to find it
I'm exerting great effort to search for something.
And I'm running so fast
I'm moving speedily.
And I'm telling you know to leave me
I am instructing you to go away.
Our romance cannot last
Our relationship is doomed.
And if someday I need to see you
If there comes a time when I need to see you.
I'll come back from the past
I'll return from my previous life.
I'll come back and find you
I'll come searching for you.
I'll never leave you now
I won't abandon you anymore.
Now I don't want to play games with you
I'm not interested in playing games with you.
But I don't know what to say to you
I'm struggling to find the words to say to you.
The digits change so slowly now
Time seems to be moving very slowly.
I'm going it alone
I'm doing this by myself.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MURAT KONAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@victor_vortexx
1986, I use to take my little sister to Paleds (Queens, NYC) for their teen night parties, when she was like 12, and she loved this song. Always remember the first time we heard and we both were like "what is this, its soooo dope". That intro for that era was just unexplainable hearing it for the first time.
She passed away 3 years later @ 15, and it never gets easier everytime I hear this song, so many years later. Still tear up like a baby, and I'm 50 years old now. I still remember how happy she was, so full of life. Miss you my little dude!
@sic2mystomach
I'm sorry for your loss🙏. I can't Imagine. She had good taste! She was right though this song was dope. Still is
@emersonlizandro01
😢
@kmills2606
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤no words, my condolences
@southisland2269
I am 😊 and loving it still 35 years later!
@susgwin7987
Who is listening in 2024?!🎉
@CrazyFF7-rf1dm
Me! 🤗
@snowstyle80
Me !!!
@miguelprietomatz279
And why not?
@dianeramirez218
Yes!