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/
Still Here
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And everything you said was real
And everything I said was right
That we don't have to fear the night
Then I'm in light and I still find
That when we look around we still feel
Like we're running out of time
We stay together now
When all the signals say we
Should move on from here
But I don't think it's coincidence
And I don't believe in accidents
It's time to ask ourselves
Why are we still here
Come back down and we still find
That all our waking fears are around us and
Shining in our eyes
They are blinding out the skies
Something still you don't give me
Something that just won't break
You sit there silent in your place
And try to see your face
Why do we still try
When all our time is spent in
Holding on to hope
The lyrics to Information Society's song Still Here explore themes of love and persistence in the face of uncertainty and fear. The singer dreams of a world where they can be together without fear, but even in this idyllic world, they sense that time is running out. Despite the obstacles they face, the singer remains determined to stay with their loved one, even when all signs point to moving on. They refuse to believe that their situation is a mere coincidence or accident, and instead question why they are still here, grappling with their feelings and uncertain future.
The song suggests that the power of love and hope can overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles. The singer acknowledges that they are faced with difficult challenges and fears, but believes that they can overcome them by staying united with their partner. The lyrics also touch on the idea that love requires effort and persistence, even when it may seem easier to give up.
Overall, Still Here is a powerful song about the strength of love and perseverance. It is a reminder that even in the face of uncertainty and fear, we can find hope and hold onto the things that matter most to us.
Line by Line Meaning
So I dreamed we were somewhere
The singer had a dream about being in a certain place
And everything you said was real
In the dream, everything the other person said was true
And everything I said was right
In the dream, the singer's words were all correct
That we don't have to fear the night
In the dream, there was no need to be afraid of the dark
Then I'm in light and I still find
Now the artist is awake and in reality
That when we look around we still feel
Despite being awake, they feel the same
Like we're running out of time
They feel like they don't have much time left
And there is nothing left for us to try
They feel hopeless and like there's no more options
We stay together now
Despite the difficulties, they are still together
When all the signals say we
Despite many signs telling them to
Should move on from here
They should leave their current situation
But I don't think it's coincidence
The artist doesn't think it's a random occurrence
And I don't believe in accidents
They don't believe it's a mistake
It's time to ask ourselves
They need to reflect on the situation
Why are we still here
Questioning why they are still in their current situation
Come back down and we still find
Even after some time has passed, we feel the same way
That all our waking fears are around us and
Their fears are still present when they are awake
Shining in our eyes
Their fears are affecting the way they see things
They are blinding out the skies
Their fears are so strong that it's overshadowing everything else
Something still you don't give me
They feel like they are lacking something
Something that just won't break
Whatever it is, it's unbreakable
You sit there silent in your place
The other person is quiet and unmoving
And try to see your face
The singer is trying to read the other person's expression
Why do we still try
Why are they still putting in effort
When all our time is spent in
Despite spending so much time and energy
Holding on to hope
They are still holding out hope that things will get better
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GINA HENDRICKS, KURT LARSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jennifer Schardt
This was my all time favorite band growing up and I still love them today!!!♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
christdragon
You have excellent taste! They were one of my favorites as well. I would put them only behind Depeche Mode. I much prefer this album to the first one.
Sérgio Valle
Amo essa música !!!
Reinaldo de Oliveira Pereira
Nossa mano, que loucura! Toda a minha adolescência veio à tona agora!
Genesio Neto
Essa é minha preferida dos 3 álbuns.
Letra, melodia e Sampler
christdragon
I love this song so very much! I remember listening to this album over and over on my CD walkman. This album never got the credit that it deserves. This album and band is a very influential part of the soundtrack of my teen years. I have loved listening to all kinds of electronic music. I'm surprised that no one has covered any of Information Society's songs. Thank you.
Marcelo Carvalho 😎
Maravilhosa. Minha preferida desse álbum.
Tulio Santos: Covers, Curiosidades e etc.
Essa é uma da músicas do Information que eu queria fazer cover. Muito boa...
Fernando Szatkowski
Nessa música percebe-se a influência do Depeche, outra banda da qual sou muito fã...
Nina Mendes Terapeuta
Adoro INSOC. Kurt é um amor em pessoa. Super atencioso. Tive a oportunidade de conhecê-lo esse ano. Adoro!!!