Then the band - at that point composed of Johnson, Charlie Koltak (drums), Rodrigo Palma (bass), and Steven Nistor (keyboards) - hit a wall. Strain set in and two months into a national tour, founding members Johnson and Koltak sat at the bar after a particularly soul-crushing show in Indianapolis and decided to stop playing together. The band dispersed and moved on. Nistor went on tour drumming for Daniel Lanois, Koltak joined Saturday Looks Good to Me, Palma went back to school and Johnson became a father.
From burnout and a search for authenticity began a new period of collaboration between Johnson and Palma. They would meet regularly to learn new software and experiment with creating their own sample banks. Eventually the duo took the work they had been developing into the studio to make what they had hoped would be the next Judah Johnson release. Instead they came out with the darkest and most fractured music either of them had ever created. They ultimately shelved the recording and turned their attentions toward making something that drew from the band's song-based past as much as its new sonic palette. Enter Andy Smith, an engineer who came up at New York's The Hit Factory working on albums from David Bowie to Public Enemy to Mariah Carey, with a true passion for synth programming, particularly the lost art of modular synthesis. Through a mutual contact Johnson and Smith met, bonded over their love of Talk Talk and made plans to co-produce the next Judah Johnson record together.
Recorded in just five days, Be Where I Be belies its swift creation. While the album captures the energy and immediacy of a quick session, its meticulous production style has more in common with studio rats like Kate Bush and Prince than most rock records. Palma says this is due in part to a mixing style where large chunks of textural experimentation are picked over to embellish the core performances, giving the illusion of a longer session. Johnson credits inspiration. "It sounds crazy but I don't really remember playing the stuff I played. I listen back to the record and if you told me it was someone else I would believe you." Thrilled, the band left the studio with new optimism. Then waited... and waited while Smith got tied up overseas working with Brian Eno on a new Paul Simon record.
Nearly a year later, it was finished and, without overstating, it sounds like nothing else: immaculate, yet messy; carefully considered while full of accidents. It's less a statement of a new direction than a sample of every stage of the band's development; yet it's also an attempt to pretend their past never happened. The album is a dream of something organic and colorful overtaking the machine. An imaginary place where the roots of Jamaican dub and the ruined futurism of 70s Berlin meet. Its title, like a Zen koan in jive, is an invitation to experience the depth of emotion and ideas the band has invested into their music. It's an admission that even 21st century life is not entirely apocalyptic. Be Where I Be is the sound of reconciliation. It's the end of a debate.
Currently the band is enjoying a second chance. Koltak and Johnson have made their peace and are having a "second honeymoon." Keyboardist Noah Harris and guitarist Arun Bali have been added to the lineup, returning the band's live sound to its original five-piece thunder and allowing the textures of the album to be reproduced faithfully while continuing to reshape it.
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Kisses and Interrogation
Judah Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to tell you the truth
Get you back under my eyelids
To see what I've been through
Wrapped in a blanket with you
Walking through each other's walls
I know I'm doing the accusing
It comes from listening to mirrors
The reflection that it brings
Writing a full confession for you to find
Underneath your pillowcase
'Cause I need peace
I learned to live with contradiction
In many places at one time
And when I set this thing in motion
I compromised our lives
Forgive me and forget me
The lyrics to Judah Johnson's song "Kisses and Interrogation" seem to be about a relationship that has lost its intimacy and is instead marked by interrogations and accusations. The singer longs for the closeness they used to have with their partner and wishes to go back to that time. They admit to being the one doing the accusing, but explain that this behavior comes from self-reflection and listening to their own inner voice. The singer even contemplates writing a confession for their partner to find, in hopes of finding peace and restoring their relationship.
The mention of "walking through each other's walls" suggests that the relationship itself has become a barrier, preventing true intimacy and vulnerability. The singer seems to have accepted that they live with contradictions, and acknowledges that their actions have compromised their lives and their relationship. They ask for forgiveness, but also seem resigned to the possibility that their partner may choose to forget them altogether.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of longing for intimacy and connection, but also a sense of guilt and regret for actions that have damaged the relationship. The mention of writing a confession adds a layer of complexity, suggesting that there may be more going on in the relationship than what the lyrics explicitly state.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately your kisses are interrogation
Recently, the way you kiss me leaves me feeling like I'm being questioned, and it makes me want to be honest with you
I want to tell you the truth
I desire to be open and transparent with you
Get you back under my eyelids
I want to remember and revisit the memories we share
To see what I've been through
I want to reflect on the experiences that have shaped me
Wrapped in a blanket with you
Being in your arms is comforting and reassuring to me
Walking through each other's walls
We are becoming closer and more intimately connected with each other
I know I'm doing the accusing
I recognize that I am unfairly assuming things about you
I know you haven't said a thing
I understand that you are innocent and have not given me a reason to doubt you
It comes from listening to mirrors
My insecurities and doubts are a result of overthinking and analyzing myself
The reflection that it brings
The introspection causes me to see things that may not be true
Writing a full confession for you to find
I am disclosing all my feelings and emotions to you in writing, so that you can understand me better
Underneath your pillowcase
I am leaving the confession in a place that is close to you, where you can easily access it
'Cause I need peace
I need to feel at ease and unburdened by my fears and uncertainties
I learned to live with contradiction
I have become accustomed to living with conflicting thoughts and emotions
In many places at one time
My mind is scattered, and I am unable to focus on one thing at a time
And when I set this thing in motion
When I started acting on my doubts and insecurities
I compromised our lives
I put our relationship in danger and caused harm to the life that we share together
Forgive me and forget me
Please forgive me for my mistakes and move on without me in your life
Contributed by Alice S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.