It was the same fall when they recorded their debut album "Byra byra karoliukai" (The Beads are Falling) consisting of 13 songs. The duet was compared to such bands as Dead Can Dance, The Cure, and Cocteau Twins because of the unique vocals of Barbora. The first concert of Mano Juodoji Sesuo took place in the so-called "Festival Of The Worst Bands" (aka Pačių blogiausių grupių festivalis) in Vilnius (1992). Right after the festival the band released two singles - "Tiesi rankas į dangu" (You reach for the sky) and "Byra byra karoliukai"; both of them reached the highest positions in top charts of Lithuanian radio stations.
The great success was expected for the band, but the singer Barbora left for the US before the recording of the second album started. This looked very much like the end of the band but Mindaugas decided not to give up and to carried on with the project.
His childhood friend Dainius joined the band and in fall of 1993 they recorded their demo MC "Saules dienos" (The Days of the Sun), consisting of five songs. The style of the music changed, compared to the first album: it became heavier, guitars beceme more prominent and Mindaugass singing was more romantic and not as alternative, compared to Barboras vocals. The band started identifying themselves with The Sisters Of Mercy.
At the end of 1993 the beginning of 1994, Mano Juodoji Sesuo was engaged into the creation and recording of their new album. The album was titled "Reinkarnacija" (Reincarnation) and was released at the beginning of 1994 under "Bomba Rec." label. The release of the MC was presented in a big concert in Kaunas Academic Drama Theater and has received significant interest of the national press. The song "Nejaugi tai tu" (Can it be you) was included into a German compilation CD "The Torturer vol. 2".
In winter of 1995 new members - Henrikas (drums) and Jurga (keyboard) joined the duet. In spring the band released a new EP called EP "Sesuo" (Sister) that included three new songs and four live versions of older songs. 1995 can be considered the year of the greatest activity of the band: MJS played in over 50 gigs, including the final concert of the tour "Kai perplauksi upę" (When you swim across the river) of the legendary band Foje (Foyer) in Vilnius Vingio Park, and in the festival "Sparnai" (Wings) in Prienai.
In 1996 Mano Juodoji Sesuo released the album "Belamy". The songs "Šaltą Ryta" (On a cold morning) and "Belamy" were included into playlists of Lithuanian radio stations. The drummer Henrikas left the band, and MJS returned to programmed drums. The concert activity of the band decreased, but the creation of new songs continued, and in December 2001 the band released their new album "Synthetique".
Nearly 4-year-long searching period significantly altered the bands previous rock-alike sound and instrumentation as well as their musical concept. A significant dose of electronics and progressive dance rhythms united with dark and cold tones emerged in their new music. The only remaining similarities with their previous albums are Mindaugass vocals and the general romantic and wistful mood of the music.
The year 2003 began with the long-planned Synthetique tour. Keyboard player Jurga left the band and was replaced by ivil from the cybercore band Xess. And it was October when the bass player Dainius left MJS as well.
Mindaugas and ivil duo was complemented by Rosvaldas "Rosva" (known as an ex-vocalist/guitar player of an already non-existent tanzmetal band Liunuosna). The renewed and strengthened trio from Kaunas gave a concert in Riga club Depo, followed by a performance in the yearly festival "Velniu Malnas" (The Devils Mill) in Vilnius in winter of 2003, which received multiple positive evaluations.
In 2004 the band recorded the album "Dogmatic". Three years later the compilation “Essential Curse – The best of MJS 1992-2007” was released: CD and DVD release contained the best of the band's songs. In the end of 2013 the band released the compilation of the acoustic (live) and remix versions of their songs.
The current lineup consists of:
Mindaugas Budnikas (vocals, guitar, lyrics, music)
Egidijus Čilčius (keyboards )
Mantas Petraitis (guitar)
Black
Mano Juodoji Sesuo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere not here, where everybody sinks
Black arround, gave me total blindness
Cold ground with hopeless reality madness
Black realm – is it real?
Black stream – when you’re in deal
Are you afraid of your shadows?
New day, never-ending fight of time
It’s so close the end of road of yours and mine
Colored black covers any loss inside
We are the same, same with one hope and one shame
Black realm – is it real?
Black stream – when you’re in deal
Are you afraid of your shadows?
In the song "Black" by Mano Juodoji Sesuo, the artist describes a feeling of wanting to disappear or blend in with the masses by dressing in black. The color black surrounds the singer and causes a feeling of blindness, with a sense of hopelessness and madness in the reality around them. The repetition of the words "black realm" and "black stream" seems to ask the listener if they are afraid of their own shadows and the darkness within.
The singer compares the struggle of everyday life to a never-ending fight of time, leading towards the end of their own personal road, and paints a picture of the color black covering up any losses felt inside. Despite these feelings, the singer insists that we are all the same, with the same hopes and shames. The use of the color black in the lyrics could be interpreted as a symbol of depression, anxiety, or feeling lost and disconnected from the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Dressed in black try to disappear in masses
I wear black clothing to blend in with the crowd and avoid attention.
Somewhere not here, where everybody sinks
I want to escape to a place where everyone is struggling and unhappy, so I don't stand out.
Black around, gave me total blindness
The darkness that surrounds me is so overwhelming that I can't see anything else.
Cold ground with hopeless reality madness
The harsh and unforgiving reality of life weighs heavily on me and makes me feel helpless and crazy.
Black realm – is it real?
I wonder if the darkness that surrounds me is actually real or just a product of my mind.
Black stream – when you’re in deal
When you're faced with difficult situations, it feels like you're drowning in darkness.
Are you afraid of your shadows?
Do you fear the darker parts of yourself that you hide from the world?
New day, never-ending fight of time
Every day feels like a battle against time, which always seems to be running out.
It’s so close the end of road of yours and mine
We are all nearing the end of our journey through life, no matter what path we take.
Colored black covers any loss inside
My pain and sadness are hidden under a shroud of darkness, making it hard for others to see what I'm going through.
We are the same, same with one hope and one shame
Despite our differences, we are all human and share the same desires and fears.
Contributed by Audrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.