The band was formed in 1989 by bassist Mark Clayden with guitarist and programmer Johnny Carter, later joined by vocalist JS Clayden and Stuart Toolin. During this time, the band played with local bands and soon gained attention of the Peaceville Records. During this time, JS went to live in France to sell paintings.
During 1990, the band started recording their début album, Industrial, with the main vocalist being Mark Clayden instead of JS, who contributed with backing vocals. The band later went on a small tour with bands like Napalm Death.
Their first few releases had a distinctive industrial sound where the influential gaze of Godflesh was abundantly apparent.
The simplified 808 style drum tracks and sluggish drone guitars evolved over the next decade to produce some of the most intense loop based crunching metal/punk riffs and hard floor dance rhythm sections.
Throughout their highly acclaimed career although often commercially overlooked, Pitchshifter were often heralded with founding the Electro Punk genre with JS Claydon's 'sex pistols' barrages on the current state of the UK, simplistic chord driven guitar lines and the inclusion of more and more elaborate sampling and synth based elements.
Similar to previous attempts at this meld of minds such as Pop Will Eat Itself (PWEI) Pitchshifter created an intense and dedicated fan-base who still work hard to promote the outfit.
Although the band officially ceased to be after releasing the album PSI, they have continued to reform for the occasional festival appearance or one-off event each of which is accompanied by one-off releases for ticket holders.
Since shutting down the PSI-political propaganda machine, members have gone on to work on various projects together and solo, including This is Menace, a super group comprising of members of Amen, Hundred Reasons, Funeral For a Friend and Earthone9.
Mark Claydon is now a regular tutor at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM), and runs a regular advice column for bands just starting out in the UK-based Total Guitar magazine (available through Future Publishing).
Down
Pitchshifter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"You can't change a thing?" watch me, watch me, watch me
Turn things round, you can't make this sound
"We can't change a thing?" watch me, watch me, watch me
And I'd like to rise above you
And I'd like to see you falling
Down, feeling nothing
You can't light this fuse, we're not safe to choose
"You can't make a stand?" watch me, watch me, watch me
Can't burn the pages, it's not sent in stages
"You can't change a thing?" watch me, watch me, watch me
And I'd like to rise above you
And I'd like to see you falling
Down, feeling nothing
Down, your feeling is nothing
And I'd like to see you falling
Down, feeling nothing
Down, your feeling is nothing
The lyrics to Pitchshifter's song "Down" are a powerful message of defiance and determination. The chorus repeats the phrase "watch me" multiple times, emphasizing the idea that no one can stop the singer from achieving their goals. The verses describe various challenges that the singer faces - people who doubt their ability to succeed, obstacles that seem insurmountable, and the feeling that they are not safe to make their own choices. Despite these difficulties, the singer is determined to rise above them and come out on top.
The repeated line "And I'd like to rise above you" is particularly significant, as it suggests that the singer is motivated by a desire to prove themselves to someone else - perhaps someone who has doubted or belittled them in the past. The line "your feeling is nothing" implies that this person's opinion is ultimately meaningless, and that the singer will succeed regardless of what anyone else thinks.
The overall message of the song is one of empowerment and self-belief; it encourages listeners to shake off their doubts and fears, and to pursue their dreams with passion and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't touch this dream, you can't make this scene
No one can interfere with our dreams or the life we want to create for ourselves.
"You can't change a thing?" watch me, watch me, watch me
Challenges and naysayers won't stop me from making changes and achieving what I desire.
Turn things round, you can't make this sound
I have the power to turn things around and create my own unique sound that cannot be replicated.
"We can't change a thing?" watch me, watch me, watch me
Other people's doubts will not prevent me from making changes and doing what I need to do.
And I'd like to rise above you
I want to achieve more than those who doubt me and hold me back.
And I'd like to see you falling
Not only do I want to succeed, but I also want those who doubt me to witness my success and acknowledge their wrongness.
Down, feeling nothing
I want those who doubted me to feel small and powerless in the face of my success.
You can't light this fuse, we're not safe to choose
Those who doubt our choices and abilities cannot take control and dictate our lives. We must make our own choices and take calculated risks.
"You can't make a stand?" watch me, watch me, watch me
Others may doubt our ability to take a stand, but we will prove them wrong and take a stand for what we believe in.
Can't burn the pages, it's not sent in stages
Our life and story cannot be erased or undone, we cannot start over, but we can continue writing and making choices to move forward.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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