Minus 8 masters the whole spectrum of Downbeat, Drum & Bass and Nu-Jazz. Th… Read Full Bio ↴Minus 8 masters the whole spectrum of Downbeat, Drum & Bass and Nu-Jazz. There are only a few internationally known DJs, producers and remixers from Switzerland. Robert Jan Meyer, aka Minus 8, is one of them. As a leading man in this group, his name is mentioned together with the names of Alex Attias (aka Beatless / Mustang / Catalyst / Bel Air Project) and the Straight Ahead label posse.

Robert Jan Meyer is an Architect and the brother of a well-known Swiss rave promoter. He started to make music at the end of the 80's, first as a bass-player in a Funk-band, but soon his fascination with Midi-equipment led to experiments with a keyboard and sampler. At the beginning of the 90's, Robert launched his Minus 8 project as a slow and peaceful answer to all the Plus 8 (on a turntable) speed madness that was prevalent in club music at the time.

By 1993 he also started DJing, playing mostly Acid-Jazz, Rare Groove, Funk, and Hip-Hop. Since then, Robert has consistently supported Swiss club culture with all his talents. He's also toured as support for big UK names like Goldie, Grooverider, Hype, Krust, Storm, Bad Company and Adam F. And now he's in-demand as a remixer. As all that wasn't enough, he's also found time to put together a great series of compilations - "Science Fiction Jazz"

The first ever Minus 8 release, "The Sweetest Sounds," was the actually the first release on DJ Cam's Paris-based label Inflammable. In 1997, Minus 8's first album "Beyond," followed (also on Inflammable), and received excellent reviews. "Beyond" was followed by a second album, "Beyond Beyond" for UK label Higher Ground (part of Sony UK). The English Trip-Hop and Drum & Bass scenes influenced both of these albums.

Badman & Throbin'
Minus 8 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
A Passage In Time (Dead Can Dance) (8)
These silent chances
Pass one by
B:[pass not by!]
D:[pass wrong by]
Whomever you are,

None at all.

Resign[ed] to the
D:[^agree]
Hands of fate,
We′ll? unending
B:["we'll wait here? ing,"]
E:[We′ll WAIT unending]
D:[agree with E:]
Beck and call
B:["beckon call"?]

Til' we return
Paradise in turn
Spread your golden wings
Let the sails unfurl!

Til we return
Paradise in turn
Spread your golden wings
Let the fires burn!

These silent chances
Pass one by
B:["pass them by"]
D:[pass wrong by]
Whomever you are
None(?) at all
Resign[ed] to the
Hands of fate
We'll? unending
B:["we′ll await the ending"?]
E:[We′ll WAIT unending]
Beck and call

Til' we return
Paradise in turn
Spread your golden wings
Let the sails unfurl!

′Til we return
Paradise in turn
Spread your golden wings
Let the sails unfurl

No, opportunity's doors
Did not open wide
The answers remain
Locked away inside
Locked away inside
Locked away inside
Locked away inside!
So? B:[for] our labour we till the earth!
Y:[SO (sounds like fast chained) our labour we till the earth!]
To sow the seeds of our own rebirth!

As the days turned into years
Our faith overcame any doubts or fears
Any doubts or fears
Are there any doubts or fears
Any doubts or fears
Are there any doubts or fears?

The truth be had from the?
Y:[The truth be had from the TREE(?)]
For a? on a? mystery
Y:[For a TRAVEL(?) (xxx) on a LOVER′S/MOTHER'S (?) mystery]
D:[for a crop rotation?]
This mystery
This mystery

This mystery
This mystery

Overall Meaning

"Badman & Throbin" is a song by Minus 8 that seems to be about the acceptance of fate and the importance of striving for personal growth despite the challenges that may come with it. The repetition of "dead can dance" and "pass one by" suggest that opportunities can be fleeting and easily missed. The phrase "whomever you are, none at all" implies that individual identity is ultimately insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The lyrics then express resignation to the hands of fate, but with an attitude of "waiting unending" rather than giving up entirely. The mention of "paradise in turn" and "sowing the seeds of our own rebirth" suggests that progress can be made even in difficult circumstances. Ultimately, the song seems to emphasize the importance of perseverance and personal responsibility.

Line by Line Meaning

These silent chances Pass one by
Don't let these opportunities slip away

Whomever you are, None at all.
We are all nothing in the grand scheme of things

Resign[ed] to the Hands of fate, We'll? unending Beck and call
We must accept what fate brings and wait for our time to come

Til' we return Paradise in turn Spread your golden wings Let the sails unfurl!
We will keep searching for paradise and continue to put in the effort to achieve it

Let the fires burn!
We must keep our passion and motivation burning strong

No, opportunity's doors Did not open wide The answers remain Locked away inside
Sometimes we don't get the chances we want, but we must keep searching for answers

So? for our labour we till the earth! To sow the seeds of our own rebirth!
We must work hard to create a better future for ourselves

As the days turned into years Our faith overcame any doubts or fears Any doubts or fears
With time, our faith will give us the strength to overcome any doubts or fears

Are there any doubts or fears
We must confront our doubts and fears head on

The truth be had from the? This mystery
The truth is hidden away and must be sought out

Writer(s): Robert Frank Meyer, Robin Brown

Contributed by Kaitlyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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