History
Project Pitchfork was formed by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber. After agreeing to work together, they picked the project's name by choosing a random word from the dictionary. The band gave their first performance in Hamburg in February 1990 and released their demo, "K.N.K.A", in August. In May 1991, their debut album "Dhyani" was released. The band's second album, "Lam-'Bras" was released in February 1992 and yielded the first vocal appearance of Patrica Nigiani. Six months later, the band's third album, "Entities" was released. The band switched labels to Off Beat for their 1994 release "Io". The album featured two singles, "Renascence" and "Carrion", and marked the first time the band entered the German Charts. The album was followed by a lengthy German tour.
In 1995, Project Pitchfork established their own label, Candyland Entertainment, through which they would release the majority of their material. 1995 also saw the release of two EPs, "CH'I" and "Corps d'Amour", and one album, "Alpha Omega". The year finished off with a tour supported by Rammstein. The next Project Pitchfork studio album "¡Chakra:Red!" was released in 1997. It was the first album since "Dhyani" to be written as a group effort, rather than by Peter Spilles alone, and the first to include Jürgen Jansen as a permanent band member.
Right after their first US tour in 1998, Project Pitchfork returned with concept album "Eon:Eon", their first while signed to label EastWest. The album yielded three singles, "Steelrose", "Carnival", and "I Live Your Dream". With the support of Eastwest, an imprint of the major label Warner Music), the band had greater resources available to produce videos for their music, which led to their being the first gothic industrial band to receive airplay on music TV in Germany. The video for "Steelrose" earned the band a nomination for an Echo Award for Best Video National. In 2001, the band released their eighth studio album "Daimonion" and supported the album with a European tour. In 2002 the band released the "NUN" trilogy which consisted of album "Inferno" and EPs "View From a Throne" and "Trialog". This earned the band another nomination for an Echo Award, this time for Best Alternative Act National.
Project Pitchfork returned with album Kaskade in 2005. In February 2009 the band released "Dream, Tiresias!" which received praise from electronic music magazine, ReGen. In 2010 the band's follow up album "Continuum Ride" was released along with a video to support the song "Beholder." "Continuum Ride" was inspired by the band's US tour in 2009, particularly their experience of Detroit, whose dilapidated skyline led to a more "dark and destructive" sound than that of their previous album.
By 2011 Project Pitchfork ceased operating their Candyland label, having since begun releasing their work on the Trisol label.
The band released "Quantum Mechanics" in 2011 as well as a video for the album's second track, "Lament". Later that year the band released a compilation album titled "First Anthology". In 2013 the band released their fourteenth studio album, "Black", and a music video to accompany the song "Rain". In June 2014, the band announced via their official website a new album titled "Blood". To promote the record the band held a pre-release show in Hamburg. The album was released in September and featured a music video for "Blood-Diamond (See Him Running)" edited by Peter Spilles himself.
In 2016, Project Pitchfork released their "Second Anthology", a double CD that included one new track, several unreleased rarities, and many re-recorded and remastered tracks. Also in 2016, the band released the album "Look Up, I’m Down There" to commemorate their 25th anniversary. The album was released in two versions: a standard CD release and a special, limited edition double CD wth an 80 page art book containing complete lyrics and a short story by the fantasy author Björn Springorum.
In 2018, the band released the album "Akkretion", the first of what was planned to be a trilogy of albums for release that year. Of the remaining albums of the trilogy, only the second, "Fragment," was released.
Starting in 2019, Trisol began releasing reissues of all the band's material over the previous decade from "Dream, Tiresias!" through "Look Up, I'm Down There".
Human Crossing
Project Pitchfork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A cage a name
Rat forty one distress
The rest is imagination
Where have I been
A pain in my body
I taste blood
Cruel eyes
A hand is reaching for me
The rest is imagination
Is it raining outside
Is there a sun
Is there a sky
Is there compassion
Dazzling lights
Needles injections
Almond eyes giving hope
In the night almond eyes
The rest is imagination
Where have I been
A pain in my body
I taste blood
Where is my home
Cruel eyes
A hand is reaching for me
The rest is imagination
The lyrics of Project Pitchfork's song Human Crossing reflect a journey of suffering, confusion, and hopelessness in the context of an institution or confinement. The opening lines set the scene of a sterile hospital-like environment, evoking feelings of voidness and entrapment. The reference to "Rat forty one distress" could suggest the subject's dehumanization, where they are reduced to the status of an experimental animal, deprived of their identity and agency. The repetition of "The rest is imagination" adds to the unsettling atmosphere, implying that reality may be even worse than what can be perceived.
The second verse deepens the sense of disorientation and physical pain, with the singer being detached from their own body and surroundings. The questions "Where have I been" and "Where is my home" reflect the loss of a sense of self and belonging, while "Cruel eyes / A hand is reaching for me" could signify a moment of despair and vulnerability. The theme of imagination as a coping mechanism is revisited, raising the possibility that the person may be fantasizing a better life as a way of survival.
The third verse introduces a shift towards a more ambiguous and dreamlike atmosphere. The natural elements of rain, sun, and sky contrast with the previous starkness, and the question of "Is there compassion" suggests a longing for empathy and human connection. The lines "Dazzling lights / Needles injections / Almond eyes giving hope" create a visual and sensory contrast, with light and hope appearing in contrast to the previous pain and confinement. The repetition of "almond eyes" adds to the dreamlike quality, and the final line and repetition of "The rest is imagination" leave the meaning open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Long halls white rooms
The singer is likely in a medical facility or institution, surrounded by long and sterile corridors lined with white rooms.
A cage a name
The singer feels trapped and dehumanized in their current situation, reduced to a mere label or number.
Rat forty one distress
The singer identifies with a lab animal, specifically a rat with the number '41,' and is experiencing distress.
The rest is imagination
The artist acknowledges that their perception and interpretation of their surroundings and circumstances may not be entirely accurate or based in reality.
Where have I been
The artist is disoriented and unsure about their recent past and how they ended up in this situation.
A pain in my body
The singer is in physical discomfort, which could be due to injury or experimentation.
I taste blood
The singer is bleeding or has an injury in their mouth, causing them to taste blood.
Where is my home
The artist feels displaced and disconnected from their sense of belonging or comfort zone.
Cruel eyes
The artist is being observed by someone with a harsh, unfeeling gaze.
A hand is reaching for me
The artist feels threatened or endangered by someone extending their hand towards them.
Is it raining outside
The singer wonders about the weather beyond their immediate surroundings, as a way of reconnecting to the outside world.
Is there a sun
The artist wonders if there is light and warmth beyond their sterile and oppressive environment.
Is there a sky
The singer longs for a view of the open sky and the limitless possibilities it represents.
Is there compassion
The singer is searching for empathy or humanity in their current situation, possibly from those who are observing or experimenting on them.
Dazzling lights
The singer is likely subjected to bright and intense illumination as part of their captivity or medical treatment.
Needles injections
The artist is being given injections or medical treatments that involve the use of needles, which can be painful or invasive.
Almond eyes giving hope
The artist sees a glimmer of positivity or optimism in the eyes of someone caring for them, possibly a nurse or doctor with almond-shaped eyes.
In the night almond eyes
The singer recalls the comforting and hopeful presence of the almond-eyed caregiver during a time of darkness and fear.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind