The band's musical adventures first began in 1982 when McCarthy and Harris, along with drummer David Gooday, formed the group whilst still at school in Chelmsford. Listening to the likes of Abwärts, Neubauten, Malaria, DAF, Cabaret Voltaire, Killing Joke and Bauhaus among many others the boys began experimenting with synthesizers and samples culminating in the release of four singles on their own Power Of Voice Communications label (a joint venture with Pet Shop Boys producer Phil Harding) before Daniel Miller was impressed enough to sign them to his own label Mute.
Nitzer Ebb's debut album, 1987's brooding 'That Total Age', displayed a brutalist yet polished élan. Following the powerful opening singles 'Murderous' and 'Let Your Body Learn', the band's club reputation was truly secured with the release of 'Join In The Chant', which in a version remixed by Phil Harding, became a staple in Britain's acid house and techno clubs.
Having won over club-land the band turned their attentions to the live arena and at the invitation of label mates Depeche Mode, supported them on their huge Music for the Masses tour. Meanwhile original drummer Gooday departed to be replaced for live performances by Julian Beeston, whilst McCarthy and Harris returned to the studio with producer, Flood, to record the follow up to 'That Total Age' for the album that would eventually become 'Belief' and set in progress a highly creative partnership that would extend over four albums.
The new album once again retained the musical and visual aggression of their previous work. Yet 'Belief' also hinted at the band's growing ability to display a sense of wit, imagination and sheer caustic comment within their music. There were no sacred cows in terms of subject matter or indeed the band's merciless capacity for piss taking.
Upon its release 'Belief' not only attracted much domestic critical praise but also saw their stock rise in Europe. In part this was aided by the series of remixes provided by the band for the singles 'Control I'm Here', 'Hearts & Minds' and 'Shame'. Along with additional mixes by William Orbit they helped maintain the band's popularity in the clubs and encourage the burgeoning fascination in Europe with what was then known as EBM (Electronic Body Music).
In 1990 the band and Flood once again returned to the studio with every intention of upping the ante even further. The resulting album 'Showtime' showed further evidence of the band's progression, combining their trademark energy with a growing musicality that added menacing depths to tracks such as 'Getting Closer' and 'Lightning Man'. The album also spawned a most improbable, though brilliantly effective remix of 'Fun To Be Had' by George Clinton, the visionary behind two of the greatest freak-funk bands ever - Parliament and Funkadelic.
Arguably the success of this collaboration acted as a spur for the band's next release, the EP 'As Is'. This saw McCarthy and Harris working with four different mixers to reveal the different musical aspects at work within band. Their collaborators included Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke, a recording artist whose musical aggression was even more noted than their own, and Alan Wilder, then of Depeche Mode, who applied his noted production skills to enhance the melodic potential within the band.
It was this potential that the band sought to develop on their 4th album, 'Ebbhead'. Released in 1991 the album was a full-blooded affair and with Alan Wilder joining Flood in the production hot seat it was perhaps no surprise to hear the rich musical instrumentation now firmly part of the band's armoury. Any suggestion though that the Ebb were somehow softening up were blown away by the full on pulverising assault of 'Godhead', an assault that had by now successfully overcome audiences in the US.
Though it appeared that the main external battles had been won, the band were arguably now having to battle with the internal tensions that naturally had arisen following a decade sustaining an intense level of shared creativity. Four years in the making 'Big Hit' finally made the light of day in 1995. The diverse and experimental nature of the band was still there, and in the lead-off single 'Kick It', the Ebb showed that they could still easily conjure up those moments that would batter the listener into submission yet make it a strangely rewarding process at the same time. Unfortunately, the band's decicion to update their sound with grunge-inspired guitars fails throughout most of the album, as the big rock-styled choruses proved incompatible with the band's signature electronics. Once ahead of their time, but now left behind, Nitzer Ebb found their last release headed straight to the cutout bins.
The cracks that appeared between McCarthy and Harris during the making 'Big Hit'--as well as longtime producer Flood's inattentiveness to the group's material--proved to be decisive and shortly after its release it became clear that another album would not be forthcoming. In fact it would take seven years before the band could bring themselves to talk to each other. Perhaps it was this enforced silence that encouraged critics to reassess the precocious impact and originality of the band, as a number of subsequent artists lined up to cite them as a major influence, or less honourably, simply exploiting the Ebb's musical template for their own individual gain. Whilst such a situation may be a cause of great annoyance to most bands, the Ebb maintain a healthy level of stoicism. As they say, “That's the problem with being ahead of the game - the pioneers get the arrows and the settlers get the land.”
In the end of 2005 when the quantity of requests for new Nitzer Ebb live acts went beyond the limits McCarthy and Harris met to discuss the possibility of reunion. Since the beginning of 2006 they started to give concerts and since summer Nitzer Ebb are on reunion tour. A 2CD compilation of best tracks and a bunch of remixes "Body Of Work" was released in may and later, in july, a remixes album "Body Reworked" followed. For the tour Nitzer Ebb hired a new drummer - Kourtney Klein, mostly known for her work in CombiChrist. In august of 2006 it was officially confirmed that Nitzer Ebb are working on the new material. The recording actually started in March 2007. New record is going to be produced by british producer Jagz Kooner and should be issued, according to Douglas McCarthy, at spring 2008.
Traveling
Nitzer Ebb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It knows me it calls me
Tomorrow's beckoning
It's waving its greeting
The light comes to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
The light comes to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
Shining into me
I've been traveling
Been far away been traveling
I travel inside myself
The drugs are signaling
I can't surrender I'm mingling
The drink is covering
My personal discovering
The room invites me
The smells entice me
The room engulfs me
And then revolts me
I've been traveling
Been far away been traveling
I travel inside myself
The night is calling me
It knows me it calls me
Tomorrow's beckoning
It's waving its greeting
The light comes to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
Shining into me
The opening lines of Nitzer Ebb's "Traveling" take us into a world where the night and tomorrow seem to merge into one. The night calls out to the singer of the song, beckoning him to come closer, to immerse himself in its mysteries. At the same time, tomorrow seems to be greeting him, waving a welcome as he explores the depths of his own psyche. This sense of duality continues throughout the song, as the singer struggles to reconcile his inner demons with the external world.
The use of imagery in the lyrics is striking, as well. The light that "comes right through me" and "consumes" the singer is both transformative and terrifying, a symbol of the harsh reality that awaits him on the other side of his travels. The drugs and alcohol that he turns to as a coping mechanism are similarly fraught with ambivalence, signaling both surrender and mingling, discovery and obfuscation. Even the room itself is depicted as both inviting and repulsive, with the smells that once enticed the singer eventually becoming overwhelming and "revolting."
At its core, "Traveling" is a song about the search for identity and meaning in a world that seems to offer little of either. The singer of the song is on a journey to discover himself, to understand who he is and where he belongs. Along the way, he encounters a multitude of obstacles, both external and internal. But in the end, he remains undaunted, still searching, still striving, still traveling.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is calling me
I feel a strong urge to leave my current situation and explore the mystery of the night.
It knows me it calls me
I am familiar with the mystique of the night and I am drawn to it.
Tomorrow's beckoning
I am being pulled towards the future by the promise of new experiences.
It's waving its greeting
The future is welcoming me with open arms and calling me towards it.
The light comes to me
I am illuminated by new experiences and opportunities.
Comes right through me
I am completely open to these new experiences and they affect me deeply.
The light consumes me
I am fully immersed in these experiences, they become a part of me.
Shining into me
These experiences are revealing new parts of myself to me.
I've been traveling
I have been exploring different aspects of myself and my surroundings.
Been far away been traveling
I have been seeking new experiences and perspectives beyond my usual routine.
I travel inside myself
My journey of exploration is happening within me and is a part of my personal growth.
The drugs are signaling
The drugs I am taking are leading me down a specific path and dictating my experience.
I can't surrender I'm mingling
I am unwilling to give up control and instead am testing my limits.
The drink is covering
I am using alcohol to numb myself and avoid confronting difficult truths about myself.
My personal discovering
Through my exploration, I am learning more about myself than I ever have before.
The room invites me
I am drawn to this new environment and the possibility it holds for me.
The smells entice me
The sensory experience of this room is intriguing and captivating to me.
The room engulfs me
I am fully enveloped in this environment, it is all-encompassing.
And then revolts me
The novelty wears off and I am suddenly repulsed by the environment and what it represents.
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Craig Conway
Lyrics
The night is calling me
It knows me it calls me
Tomorrow's beckoning
It's waiving it's greeting
The lights come to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
Shining into me
The light comes to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
Shining into me
I've been traveling
Been far away been traveling
I travel inside myself
The drugs are signaling
I can't surrender I'm mingling
The drink is covering
My personal discovering
The room invites me
The smells entice me
The room engulfs me
And then revolts me
I've been traveling
Been far away been traveling
I travel inside myself
The night is calling me
It knows me it calls me
Tomorrow's beckoning
It's waiving it's greeting
The lights come to me
Comes right through me
The light consumes me
Shining into me
DoratTheKiller
Thanks
Lars Amble
thanks for uploading this...it's probably my favorite track off of the new album
Dragoner Sounds
Fantastic Oldschool EBM!!!
Andy Gutsche
Awesome track...
Ariel Popperl
Sounds like Cabaret Voltaire. Not a bad thing, but a good thing :D
Boris Klančnik
B r a v o
stefano forcellini