Porcupine Tree started out as a "fake" band, the only real member being multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. Wilson's first two releases, Tarquin's Seaweed Farm (1989) and The Nostalgia Factory (1990), were both released on cassette tapes. In addition to the band's trademark psychedelic sound, these two tapes also contained heavy ambient and pop influences. Wilson's favorite tracks were then compiled into the CD On the Sunday of Life... (1991), while the more ambient-leaning tracks were also collected in Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape (1994). The first of these two featured many new versions of songs.
Wilson then went on to release Voyage 34 (1992) and Up the Downstair (1993), which refined the sound of the previous albums and removed the pop influences. Both of these were later re-released, the first as Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (2000), which included an extra two remixes (a total of four), while Up the Downstair was remastered at 2005 with real drums added in place of the drum-machine beats.
The Sky Moves Sideways (1995), often considered the band's best album by long-time fans, largely uses the spacey nature of previous albums. By the time of Signify (1996) Wilson had a full band at his disposal: Chris Maitland (drums), Colin Edwin (bass), and Richard Barbieri, formerly of Japan, on keyboards.
The band's next two albums, Stupid Dream (1999) and Lightbulb Sun (2000), saw them take on a more alternative rock-oriented sound, while still drawing influence from as far back as Up the Downstair. During this period, the band garnered increasing recognition, both in their home country and abroad. Finally, they were signed to Lava Records (a major American record label) in time for the release of In Absentia, with Gavin Harrison replacing Chris Maitland on drums. This album shows high metal influences, due in part to Wilson's work with Opeth on their album Blackwater Park. The band continued this sound for their 2005 release, Deadwing, which has the heaviest and most noticeable metal influences.
In April 2007, the band released Fear of a Blank Planet, an album clearly influenced by the post-rock genre, but also sees them expanding the metal side of their music, yet still remaining true to older facets of the band's sound.
In April, 2007, the band embarked on a six-month world tour in support of Fear of a Blank Planet, one that included Europe, the U.S., Japan, and Australia. The new album was featured, and the show featured the films and projections by the band's long-time visualist Lasse Hoile.
Fear of a Blank Planet is already the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album of the band's career, charting high in most countries (even giving the band their first top-forty album in their home country). Porcupine Tree spent most of 2007 on tour promoting the album, and a new EP Nil Recurring containing material left over from the album-writing sessions was released on the band's own label Transmission in September.
The band started recording their tenth studio album The Incident in February 2009. This was confirmed by the band, posting this message on their official website: "Writing for the next PT studio record is well underway, with the band recently spending two weeks scheduled in the English countryside working on new tracks. Recording of these pieces and a new 35 minute SW song cycle were due to start in February..." A tour was announced on the band's website and MySpace, along with dates, following release of the new album. Around March and April, Wilson commented the 35-minute song kept evolving and now it has become a 55-minute song, occupying the entire disc.
On 20 May 2010, Porcupine Tree released their second live concert film on DVD and Blu-ray, titled Anesthetize. It was recorded live on 15 and 16 October 2008 in the Netherlands at the 013 Tilburg venue.
On 17 June 2010, the band announced on their website that a new live album titled Atlanta, recorded during the tour of Fear of a Blank Planet at the Roxy theatre, Atlanta, on 29 October 2007, would be released in a near future. This album was released via online distribution only, without any class of physical format; all the sale proceeds were donated to Mick Karn for his treatment against cancer.
In June 2012, Wilson re-emphasised his continued focus on his solo career.
On November 1st, 2021, the band announced their eleventh studio album Closure / Continuation, to be released in June 2022 on Music For Nations, along with their first single in over 12 years, Harridan. The release is the first without bassist Colin Edwin since he joined the band in 1993.
Sound Of Muzak
Porcupine Tree Lyrics
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Drifting in the aisles
Elevator Prozac
Stretching on for miles
The music of the future
Will not entertain
It's only meant to repress
Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want
Now the sound of music
Comes in silver pills
Engineered to suit you
Building cheaper thrills
The music of rebellion
Makes you want to rage
But it's made by millionaires
Who are nearly twice your age
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It's going down I know
It's one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares
No-one cares enough
The lyrics of Porcupine Tree's song The Sound of Muzak are an insightful commentary on the music industry and how it has become a tool for the mass consumption of music. The first verse describes the experience of being in a store or elevator and hearing generic, background music that is meant to be soothing - like Prozac - but also overwhelming and never-ending. The second verse explains that the "music of the future" is not about entertainment but rather about control: it is meant to suppress individuality and creativity and make people easier to influence. The chorus describes how the music industry caters to specific demographic groups and creates music that is engineered to suit them, thereby producing "cheaper thrills" that are easily consumed.
The third verse reveals the irony of "rebellious" music: even though it may inspire feelings of rage or rebellion in listeners, it is often made by wealthy individuals who are disconnected from the experiences of their audience. The final lines of the song express a sense of resignation towards this state of affairs, as if the singer is watching the industry crumble but feels powerless to stop it: "One of the wonders of the world is going down / It's going down I know / It's one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares / No-one cares enough."
Overall, The Sound of Muzak is a powerful critique of the music industry and consumer culture, and it encourages listeners to be more critical of the media they consume and how it affects their sense of self and individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the sound of music
Take notice of the music that you are hearing
Drifting in the aisles
The music is present everywhere and is not confined to a particular place or genre
Elevator Prozac
The type of music that is commonly heard in elevators is bland and unexciting, much like the drug Prozac
Stretching on for miles
The monotony of the music seems never-ending and tedious
The music of the future
The type of music that will become popular in the future
Will not entertain
It won't be enjoyable or entertaining to listen to
It's only meant to repress
The music is intended to suppress or quieten the mind and emotions
And neutralize your brain
The music is designed to have a numbing effect on the listener's brain
Soul gets squeezed out
The music has no soul or passion and lacks any emotional depth
Edges get blunt
The music is uninspired and lacks creativity
Demographic
The target audience for the music
Gives what you want
The music is tailored to meet the expectations and demands of the target audience
Now the sound of music
The current state of music
Comes in silver pills
The music is packaged and sold like a commodity or drug
Engineered to suit you
The music is specifically designed to appeal to a particular demographic
Building cheaper thrills
The music is created with the intention of providing cheap and disposable entertainment
The music of rebellion
Music that is associated with rebellious or counter-culture movements
Makes you want to rage
This type of music elicits an emotional response of anger and defiance
But it's made by millionaires
This music is actually created by wealthy individuals who are not part of the revolutionary culture
Who are nearly twice your age
These wealthy individuals are much older than the target audience for this type of music
One of the wonders of the world is going down
One of the great cultural phenomena is coming to an end or being destroyed
It's going down I know
The artist is certain that the cultural phenomenon is coming to an end
It's one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares
The fact that nobody cares about this cultural loss is a mistake or oversight
No-one cares enough
There is a lack of concern or interest regarding this cultural phenomenon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: STEVEN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind