After mk Ultra broke up in 1999, Vanderslice wasted little time building a solo reputation. In 2000, he gained national media attention over his single Bill Gates Must Die after concocting an elaborate hoax in which Microsoft supposedly threatened legal action over supposed trademark violations (the disc had a similar etching to a Windows installation disc).
Subsequent albums, Time Travel is Lonely, Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, Cellar Door, Pixel Revolt and Emerald City have gained critical acclaim for their melodic quality and sophisticated narrative lyrical content. Vanderslice has spent much of the last few years on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan.
Vanderslice also founded a recording studio in 1997 called Tiny Telephone. Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Tiny Telephone has carved out a niche as the last all-analog recording studio in the Bay Area, and has a policy of setting recording rates under market prices. Bands who have used Vanderslice's studio include Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, Okkervil River and Spoon.
Vanderslice is a proponent of using analog instruments and recording equipment to produce a richer, more raw sound which he has sometimes called "dirty hi-fi". He has collaborated closely with Scott Solter in the production of his recent albums, with Pixel Revolt being notably shaped by Solter.
Vanderslice was a contributing producer on the Spoon album, Gimme Fiction, and has collaborated and toured with The Mountain Goats. He is strongly influenced by film and is a fan of David Lynch, whose work is referenced in his song "Promising Actress". His declared musical influences are diverse, ranging from Neutral Milk Hotel to Public Enemy. He is an avid photography hobbyist. He has incorporated the poetry of William Blake and Robert Lowell into his music.
Several songs on the album Pixel Revolt referenced the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent global political situation. This is also true of Vanderslice's most recent album, Emerald City.
Thule Fog
John Vanderslice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of biology and math, like everybody else
Open the window
I drive all night, through the thule fog
If they don't ground me somehow, I'll never come back
I had to leave, it's hard to believe
I don't deserve more than this, like everybody else
Open the window
The lyrics of John Vanderslice's song Thule Fog seems to depict the feeling of being trapped and the need to escape from a certain situation. The opening lines, "I had to go, I was a prisoner of biology and math, like everybody else" suggest a desire to break free from the restrictions of science and the limits of the human body. The mention of "like everybody else" highlights the universality of this desire, as it is common to all of us.
The repetition of the lines "Open the window" throughout the song provides a sense of urgency, as if the singer is pleading to be let out of this confinement. The use of the Thule fog, a thick fog associated with the Arctic region, as a metaphor underscores the confusion and lack of clarity in the singer's mind. The last stanza "I had to leave, it's hard to believe/ I don't deserve more than this, like everybody else/ Open the window" emphasizes the conflict between the singer's desire for liberation and the feeling of unworthiness.
Overall, the song Thule Fog captures the universal human desire for freedom and a sense of purpose beyond the limits of our physical and mental confines. It encourages listeners to open the window, both literally and metaphorically, and to take a step towards achieving that freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I had to go, I was a prisoner
I had no choice but to leave, I felt trapped
Of biology and math, like everybody else
Like everyone else, I was bound by the laws of science and logic
Open the window
A repeated request to allow fresh air into the space
I drive all night, through the thule fog
I am willing to go to great lengths, even through difficult conditions
If they don't ground me somehow, I'll never come back
If I am not stopped, I will never return to the same place or mindset
I had to leave, it's hard to believe
It was necessary for me to depart, even though it may seem unbelievable
I don't deserve more than this, like everybody else
I, along with everyone else, am not entitled to a certain level of existence or success
Open the window
A continued plea to allow for fresh air and a new perspective
Contributed by Jake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.