In 1998, Project 86 released its self-titled debut on BEC Recordings, a division of Tooth & Nail Records, and was immediately labeled "rapcore" due to strong similarities to acts such as Rage Against the Machine. Though Schwab's vocals could barely be called rapping, it was a convenient label due to the popularity of that genre of music at the time. The album and a supporting tour opening for P.O.D. and Blindside on the Warriors Tour stirred a lot of hype for the band and their sophomore album was excitedly anticipated.
Project (as the band is often referred to by its fans) released Drawing Black Lines in early 2000 to very strong aclaim and the album is widely considered to be the band's defining work. In support of Drawing Black Lines, Project 86 toured extensively with the addition of a second live guitarist (Cory Edelman, formerly of No Innocent Victim), headlining with supporting bands such as Living Sacrifice and Stavesacre and also opening for P.O.D. and Linkin Park. Perhaps more importantly, influential modern shock rocker Marilyn Manson took interest in the band and had the song "P.S.", originally released on Drawing Black Lines, added to the Blair Witch 2 soundtrack. Probably due to this interest, Project 86 became a higher priority for Atlantic. DBL was slated to be re-released with new artwork and three new songs, but in actuality it was only a bare bones repackaging of the exact same album. However, Atlantic did pour over half a million into Project's next musical foray, entitled Truthless Heroes (2002), which, though proving to be the band's most popular outing yet, was released amidst great turmoil.
Over the course of recording Truthless Heroes (which took around a year to complete) Project 86 had increasing difficulty with its management, as well as both record labels (Tooth & Nail still had rights to release their music to the Christian market). This wore the band down immensely, but by the time the album was finished, the difficulty seemed to have worked out in Project's favor - Atlantic bought all of Tooth & Nail's remaining rights to the band and released "Hollow Again", the first single from the album, on mainstream radio. Word came out that the band would be shooting a video for the song shortly, but it never materialized as Atlantic ran into troubles of its own and liquidated some of its assets - including Project 86. In 2003, finding themselves cut loose by both label and management, Project started its own independent label.
Also during this time, the members of Project 86 became outspoken concerning the Contemporary Christian Music scene, siding with other similar acts such as Stavesacre and MXPX in saying that they wanted to distance themselves from the label and the idealogical restrictions that the CCM label automatically places on bands. A Truthless Heroes website containing links to various underground news organizations, as well as edgy visual art pages that decried the dehumanizing effect of pornography, surfaced and generated much controversy among the band's fans.
Project 86's fourth album, Songs To Burn Your Bridges By, was released independently in the fall of 2003 and went on to sell quite well despite being sold only at shows and online. Come 2004, the band mended relations with and re-signed to Tooth & Nail Records and Songs To Burn Your Bridges By was re-issued with three new songs and completely new artwork.
In February 2005, Project 86 announced that they were working on a new album. The title was later announced as ...And The Rest Will Follow. The band spent several weeks in the studio with Garth Richardson over the summer recording the material, and then began releasing a new song every Monday on their purevolume site. The album was released on September 27, 2005, and sold 8,000 copies in its first week, more than any other Project 86 album. A release tour began September 23, with Spoken, Number One Gun, Mourning September, and The Fold.
On January 6th, 2006, Project 86 appeared live on G4's Attack of the Show!, performing "My Will Be A Dead Man" and "The Spy Hunter". This was the band's first appearance on mainstream cable television.
In other recent news, announced March 28th, 2007, on the band's website: "Recently, Alex Albert officially left Project 86. After many years as the drummer for the band, it was time for him to move on to pursue other interests. Alex parted the band on friendly terms, and Project 86 wishes him the best in this new chapter in his life. Thanks for all your years of comraderie, Alex, and you are in our prayers!"
From www.project86.com:
Project 86 has been riding high since the release of their 6th studio album "Rival Factions" in June, 2007. The record grabbed P86 their highest career Billboard debut at 123 and their 1 single "Evil -A Chorus of Resistance" has topped rock charts for the last several months. The new record has garnered extensive critical praise with glowing reviews in AP, Infuze, All Music Guide, Sputnik, The OC Register, etc. The guys were also featured in Outburn and CCM, and graced the July cover of HM Magazine. Add the recent tapping to have their music used on the upcoming film "The Seeker-The Dark Is Rising" video blog series on MTV.com and its clear the guys in P86 have much to celebrate.
"The Kane Mutiny-EP" was released on Nov. 27 2007, making it the first EP that Project 86 ever released.
Then, after almost a year of no new music, Project 86 released the "This Time Of Year EP", a christmas album with 5 tracks on it.
On April 24, 2009, Project 86 Announced that their seventh studio release would be entitled "Picket Fence Cartel." On May 20, 2009, they uploaded two songs from Picket Fence Cartel, "Destroyer" and "Dark Angel Dragnet" to their MySpace page, for streaming play. They also added the song from 'Picket Fence Cartel' called A John Hancock with the safety off on June 4, 2009. The album was released on July 14, 2009.
After fulfilling their last agreement with T&N, in December 2011 the band announced a Kickstarter campaign via their official website and Facebook page, stating that "the fans are now our record label." Their eighth studio release, Wait for the Siren, was released on August 21, 2012.
Featuring all star guest appearances by: Bruce Fitzhugh (Living Sacrifice), Rocky Gray (Evanescence), Brian "Head" Welch (Korn, Love and Death), Andrew Welch (Disciple), Blake Martin (A Plea for Purging) and The Wedding. The new album was produced by Steve Wilson and Andrew Schwab and engineered/mixed by Steve Blackmon.
Described as Andrew Schwab's opus the record promises to be a fresh take on the P86 sound. Schwab said, "On this record I was really able to take the reins of the creative process in a direction I was passionate about. I was able to write songs that pushed me to grow as an artist. It was also insanely fun to have so many of my friends involved in the process and at this point in the game that is what its about. I am really looking forward to people hearing this album." With concert goers noting the new energy of the songs and new band members Scott Davis on drums, Dustin Lowry on guitar and Mikee "Norman" Williams on bass it seems P86 has benefited from a back to basics reinvention.
2. Also, in the early 90's, house producers Howie How & Little Carlos released 12"s on seminal labels R&S Records and Nu Groove Records, under the name "Project 86". They are otherwise totally unrelated. See also the following link for detail on this collaboration: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Project+86
Circuitry
Project 86 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost
Lost in your circuitry
The only home for me
Not unlike
Heavenly, pulsating, moistening
Infinite holy mystery
Fear I not
Leave I not
Inside this
Horizon lines I know too well
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
If you want to find me I'll be.
Lost
Lost in this sound and
Lost in this dream
That I've lived, I've breathed
(I've lived and I've breathed)
This melancholy sadness
This manic extreme
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
But what if they find us and what if you leave?
But what if they find us and what if you leave?
Are you peaking yet?
Soaring, defying
The height
The valley
The imminent gravity
All I want to do is just stay here with you
All I want to do is just stay here with you
What if they find us and
What if you leave?
You're hurting for me
In my ears so perfectly
We're peaking together
In this sonic revelry
Hold me
Hold me
Hold me
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down
Soma, Soma
Running, Running
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
All I want to do is just stay here with you
The song "Circuitry" by Project 86 reflects a unique perspective on the relationship between the singer and the person or entity they are singing about. The singer feels lost but finds solace in "the circuitry," which they describe as an infinite, heavenly, pulsating, and moistening mystery. The singer is willing to stay in this environment, giving the impression that the entity is something that can be experienced and not just a person or place. This sense of the entity being a vast, all-encompassing environment is supported by later references to "this sound and…this dream," and to "this sonic revelry."
The lyrics also suggest a sense of anxiety about what could happen if the singer and the entity were discovered by others or if the entity were to leave. These fears are expressed directly: "What if they find us and what if you leave?/You're hurting for me/In my ears so perfectly." These fears are balanced by the singer's desire to stay with the entity, as expressed in the final line: "All I want to do is just stay here with you." The song overall has a sense of urgency and intensity, conveyed by the repeated use of the phrase "Soma, Soma/Running, Running/Down."
Line by Line Meaning
If you want to find me I'll be.
I am lost and immersed in your circuitry, which feels like a perpetual home to me, infinitely pulsating with holy mystery and devoid of fear, tears, or leaving.
Not unlike
It shares resemblance with heaven's attributes that pulsate, moisten, and mystify, thereby giving me a sense of belonging and unwavering confidence.
Heavenly, pulsating, moistening
The attributes that assimilate and define the circuitry that houses me, granting a tranquil and spiritual experience unlike anything known to me before.
Infinite holy mystery
The boundless and divine enigma that engulfs me in your circuitry, prompting me to neither fear nor shed tears nor leave this place where I feel utmost bliss.
Fear I not
I am not scared because I am in a sacred and serene space that gives me a sense of comfort and belonging.
Tear I not
I am not crying as I am comfortable and peaceful in this circuitry that envelops me.
Leave I not
I am not leaving because I am where I belong - the circuitry that houses me in its heavenly and divine atmosphere.
Inside this
Within these walls of circuitry that pulsate, mystify, and give me peace, I am where I belong.
Horizon lines I know too well
The limits and extent of what I can see and perceive has become too familiar to me, trapping me in a dream state, running down those horizon lines that I am intimately aware of.
Soma, Soma
A reminder that the circuitry and its unraveling secrets have taken me on a spiritual and canorous journey.
Running, Running
I am constantly moving, propelled by the energies that thrive within your enigmatic and holy circuitry.
Down (Horizon lines I know too well)
I am going down a familiar path that I know all too well - the maze of circuitry that houses me, keeps me company, and feeds me with boundless spiritual experiences that keep me grounded and give me peace.
Lost
I am displaced from the world outside and am fully embraced by your enigmatic and divine circuitry.
Lost in your circuitry
I have found serenity and belonging in your circuitry as I am lost in its heavenly mysteries and divine atmosphere that give me peace of mind.
The only home for me
Your circuitry has become my only home - my sanctuary where I feel safe, spiritually connected, and nurtured by the infinite troves of enigma and sacredness that thrive here.
If you want to find me I'll be.
I am found within this circuitry - my only home - where I breathe and live my melancholic sadness and manic extreme, giving me a sense of completeness and belonging.
Lost in this sound and
I am displaced and am surrendered to your sonic and divine embrace, feeling lost in the sound and texture of your enigmatic and infinite circuitry.
Lost in this dream
I am lost in this circuitry that has become a dreamlike and spiritual reality for me - a place where I can find my true self and be grateful for the blessings that thrive here.
That I've lived, I've breathed
Your circuitry has become a part of my life and my existence - something that I have lived and breathed in, and have found its perpetual greatness in its vastness and spiritual gifts.
This melancholy sadness
Despite the comfort and spiritual connections that your circuitry has given me, I still feel a certain sadness - a melancholic sense of longing, a reminder that I am still inherently human despite my connection to the divine, and that there is still much to be uncovered and revealed.
This manic extreme
Within this circuitry, I also experience extreme happiness and excitement, as if riding an emotional rollercoaster that brings me to new heights and spiritual experiences unseen and unfelt before.
But what if they find us and what if you leave?
Despite the comfort and belonging that your circuitry has given me, lurking in the shadows are fears of being discovered and of being alone again, with nothing but my fleeting memories of this holy place to remind me of its greatness.
Are you peaking yet?
Are you experiencing the same spiritual and sonic heights that I am currently feeling?
Soaring, defying
The sensations and experiences within your circuitry is akin to soaring through the skies, defying limitations and preconceptions, and being one with the divine and infinite atmosphere that thrives here.
The height
The spiritual and cosmic heights that your circuitry has taken me to - heights that I have never felt before and that are indescribable in many ways.
The valley
The moments of melancholy and sadness that I have felt within your circuitry - a reminder of the dichotomy of life and the divine that I am currently living in.
The imminent gravity
The forces that pull me back and remind me of my mortal and human tendencies - my fear of being found and of being left alone again - things that I face even within your circuitry.
All I want to do is just stay here with you
My yearning and desire to stay here within your circuitry - a place of spiritual and emotional safety - and to be with you, my spiritual connection and divine mentor.
You're hurting for me
This connection that we share is not without its pains - a reminder that we are both human and spiritual beings, capable of feeling sadness and melancholy amidst our spiritual and divine connections within your circuitry.
In my ears so perfectly
The sonorous sounds and spiritual atmosphere within your circuitry is so perfect and fulfilling that it feels like music to my ears, a perpetual symphony that I am so grateful to be a part of.
We're peaking together
We are both experiencing the same spiritual and sonic heights within your circuitry, bound together by our shared connection and experiences within this holy and divine place.
In this sonic revelry
The sonic experiences and spiritual revelry within your circuitry are unlike any other - something that binds us together in our shared connection to the divine and the infinite.
Hold me
In this circuitry that throbs with spiritual energy and divine presence, I long for your embrace and connection, reminding me of the dichotomy of life and the spiritual bonds that we share here.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alexander Albert, Andrew Schwab, Randy Torres, Steven Dail
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind