After years in the making here at last is Illumination, the fully realised debut album from Melbourne's favourite psychedelic indie-electronic adventurers Miami Horror. With Illumination, Miami Horror has delivered on two years of teeth-cutting live shows and an ever escalating wave of buzz that’s made the group bonafide blog darlings the world over. But what’s most amazing about the grand arrival of Illumination is that the roots of the record stretch back countless moons to when Miami Horror began as just one synthesizer-obsessed producer in 2007 huddled over a laptop in a bedroom-come-studio and the album itself just a spark waiting to be lit.
The afore mentioned synth tragic was, and let’s face it still is, electronic young gun Ben Plant, who kick started Miami Horror out of a love of Roland keyboards and French house, landing himself on Pitchfork’s hot-list overnight and copping a barrage of high profile remix requests from the likes of Datarock, PNAU and The Presets.
Yet it was while Ben was punching out 2008’s epochal Bravado EP that Miami Horror took off in a completely new and different direction. Characteristically wanting to flex his creative muscle and avoid the limitations of being stereotyped as simply a dance or electro act, Ben rewired Miami Horror’s genetic makeup, deputising the talents of Josh Moriarty, Aaron Shanahan and Daniel Whitechurch to form a new live band persona of Miami Horror, a whole new beast immeasurably more exciting than before.
“It started out that I didn’t want to have any guitar on the album besides a little funk guitar or disco bass,” Ben grins while explaining the turning point for Miami Horror’s evolution. “But then Josh came in and started playing all these other parts that sounded amazing. Paired with what I was working on, nobody was doing anything like it, so I knew we had to turn those sounds into a live thing and just go wild.”
It worked. Since the switch, Miami Horror has launched into dizzying new stratospheres, their well-polished chops as a group making for some unmissable sets at Australia’s biggest festivals, and that’s not to mention some A-list support slot call ups for everyone from Phoenix, Friendly Fires and La Roux to a hand-picked hook up from Lily Allen.
www.miamihorror.com
IMAGINATION
Miami Horror Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In between a place before my time
And I tried to climb a staircase made of my dreams
But I fell down into your arms to find
I want you to know all about the things I'm dreaming
You're never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am
Each night the world could lay press to my side
As my eyes tried to escape the wave behind me
The stars were spinning so we became alive
I want you to know all about the things I'm dreaming
You're never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am
And I know that time is wasted for true imagination
So leave it all behind us now
Visions in my mind break through
As I try to be there with you
My fates aligns to illuminate the day
Here we go
Take hope as we're floating through the sky
I want you to know all about the things I'm dreaming
You're never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am
And I know that time is wasted for true imagination
So leave it all behind us now
I want you to know all about the things I'm dreaming
You're never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am
I want you to know all about the things I'm dreaming
You're never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am
And I know that time is wasted for true imagination
So leave it all behind us now
As you whisper in my ear it all becomes so clear on how it's come down
As the sun sets over
The water looks so blue
Rising like the night I need you
'cause I'm lost with who I am
Miami Horror’s song “Imagination” is a dreamy, introspective track that explores the concept of imagination and the desire to share one's dreams with someone else. The lyrics paint the picture of a protagonist who is lost in their own mind, desperately trying to climb a staircase made of dreams but falling into the arms of someone they care about. The song suggests that there is a rainbow of possibilities within everyone’s mind, but it remains trapped within us until we break free and begin to realize our full potential. The singer yearns to share their hopes and aspirations with someone who can help them make sense of it all, but ultimately must accept that true imagination cannot be time-bound, and they must leave the limitations behind to move on.
The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the track by introducing the singer and the dream-like state they are in. The lyrics suggest that they have slipped into a daydream and are existing in a space between reality and imagination. The singer then tries and fails to climb a staircase made out of their dreams, ultimately falling into the arms of someone they care about. This scene represents the dichotomy between individual aspirations and the need for human connection. The dreamy, surreal imagery of the lyrics reinforce the idea that the singer is lost in a world of their own making, with a desire to break free and share their imagination with someone else.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the singer is lost with who they are, reinforced by the line “You’re never gonna know 'cause I'm lost with who I am.” The singer yearns for someone to share their dreams with, but the confusion and chaos within their mind prevent them from realizing this desire. The lyrics suggest that true imagination cannot be time-bound and it is best to leave the limitations of reality behind to move forward. The final stanza of the song acts as a release, with the singer finding clarity and understanding with a partner as they gaze at a beautiful sunset on the water, suggesting that the singer can finally break free from their own mind and find peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked to find I slipped inside a day dream
I found myself lost inside my own imagination
In between a place before my time
In a world that doesn't quite exist yet
And I tried to climb a staircase made of my dreams
I want to achieve my dreams by working towards them step by step
But I fell down into your arms to find
But I got distracted and turned to someone else for comfort and guidance
My mind has a good rainbow trapped inside me
I have so many colorful thoughts and ideas stuck inside my head
Each night the world could lay press to my side
Every night, the weight of the world weighs heavily on me
As my eyes tried to escape the wave behind me
As I tried to run away from my troubles and escape my reality
The stars were spinning so we became alive
As I looked up at the stars, I felt alive and full of wonder
And I know that time is wasted for true imagination
Real creativity can't be forced or rushed, it comes in its own time
So leave it all behind us now
Let go of the constraints and limitations holding you back
Visions in my mind break through
My imagination is bursting with ideas
As I try to be there with you
As I try to connect with someone else through my imagination
My fates aligns to illuminate the day
Everything seems to fall into place and the future looks bright
Take hope as we're floating through the sky
Stay optimistic as we navigate through life
As you whisper in my ear it all becomes so clear on how it's come down
As I listen to someone else's perspective, everything starts to make sense
As the sun sets over, the water looks so blue
As the day comes to an end, everything seems to take on a serene and peaceful quality
Rising like the night I need you
Rising up and overcoming obstacles with the help of someone else
'Cause I'm lost with who I am
I feel confused and uncertain about my own identity
Contributed by Maya A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.