With their debut CD "God Has Failed" in September 2000, RPWL was greeted on all sides with great enthusiasm. Praise and excellent reviews in all the important magazines. A hugely successful tour through half of Europe and appearances at many of the major festivals. In addition, RPWL has become an appreciated part of the Progressive/Symphonic rock scene. In 2000, some of the most important and influential Scene magazines graded the band on the world-wide popularity scale under the TOP 3!
In spring 2002, RPWL released their second album "Trying to Kiss The Sun". What began in 1997 as a Pink Floyd cover band, named Violet District, has in the meantime developed into an effective band in its own right. The music is still typically "RPWL" and without question, belongs to the symphonic rock scene. With a well-thought out collage of sound and tone, haunting melodies and poetic texts that get under the skin and are not easily forgotten, together with a Brit-pop rock mood - RPWL has made significant steps towards their own style of music with this second album. Whether enjoyed live or on CD, the songs sometimes sound a little raw but in that they have a very sensitive and personal tone, are not only a pleasure to listen to but at times can raise the hair on your head!
Backed-up by a unique Quadrophonic-System, every concert becomes a very special experience! There were numerous opportunities to experience RPWL live at stage: The Band went on tour through out Germany and half of Europe.
Meanwhile RPWL has won their fans' favour world-wide. So it's not surprising that, in July 2002, "Trying to kiss the sun" was released in the USA as well. In December 2001 the Brazilian people have already released the "God Has Failed" album.
Motivated by their latest success the band has released a very special album (in Germany and in the USA): "STOCK - A collection of previously unreleased material". Additionally for all hi-fi fans they have mixed the "STOCK" songs in the most modern way of listening to music: 5.1 Surround-Sound. Obviously it has suggested itself to transmit the Quadrophonic-Sound from concert stage to the people's familiar living-room. So the "STOCK" album is published as a digi-pack with one conventional CD and one DVD with the surround mix (Dolby/DTS) plus a tour- and history-video of RPWL. The release of "STOCK" was on 10th February 2003 (Europe and USA). The press has payed a great tribute to this album therefore the following tour through Europe, started on 13th March 2003, has been entirely successful. In 2003, as a very honour to RPWL, they had got the chance to support the very popular band Toto at the "Tollwood-Festival" in Munich.
In November 2003, for the very first time, the band gave a concert in Great Britain (Rotherham) and in April 2004 they travelled to the USA in order to play as headliner at the "Rites Of Spring"-Festival in Phoenixville/Philadelphia. In August they played for the very first time in Spain.
In 2005 the band released the album "World Through My Eyes", also available as special-edition Hybrid-SACD 5.1 mix. One track on it ("Roses") features the impressive voice of ex-Genesis/ex-Stiltskin-singer Ray Wilson on lead-vocals.
Later that year, the band released their 1st live album "Live: Start The Fire", known to fans of the group as just "Start The Fire". The double disc album contains the whole of the band's Rockplast concert, again featuring Ray Wilson on lead vocals for Roses and one other track this time, Not About Us. Ray recorded this song with Genesis in 1997 for the Calling all Stations album. This was a way for the band to pay tribute to the other main band that has influenced them greatly, Genesis.
On 9/9/2007, RPWL released the album "9". It is a compilation including 5 previously unreleased live songs and 4 brand new solo songs from Yogi Lang, Chris Postl, Manni Müller and Kalle Wallner, recorded together by the band. Those studio-tracks are representing the different influences in the band. "9" was released in a limited edition of 999 CDs and is only available from their website.
In 2008 they released the album"The RPWL Experience".
The band's official website is www.rpwl.de.
Karlheinz Wallner has a solo project, Blind Ego.
hide and seek
RPWL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we loved to play hide and seek
Counted to ten and the place
That was crowded before
Was empty and still
And while everyone was found
I knew this place at the very end of our street
A small wooden shed
I sneaked in
All alone i waited for hours and hours and hours and....
Trapped by the lie of belief
frightened by the human being
It's clear that you fear and you
Fight everything you don't know
But now the fight me
And all my comrades in arms
It seems that all knowledge is more cause than a cure
Now we have to hide
Haunted by the ghosts of Paul
All alone i waited for hours and hours and hours and....
Who brings the good news to the poor?
When belief is the sight of the blind
And shadow reigns over the light
Holey apathy is all you can find
So what shall we do?
We can't even open the doors
No money in our pockets and nothing to eat any more
Disconnected and caged
In this secret place
All alone i waited for hours and hours and hours and....
Fanatics who won't change their
Mind, will never change the world
The difference is our common ground
There's no sense in us all being the same
The song "Hide and Seek" by RPWL is a nostalgic reflection on childhood and the innocence that comes with it. The initial verses describe the experiences of playing hide and seek as a child, counting to ten and searching for a place to hide. The singer is portrayed as someone who didn't necessarily like to be found and would wait for hours alone in a small wooden shed, far away from the prying eyes of the others. However, the song takes a darker turn when it touches upon the idea of being "trapped by the lie of belief" and "frightened by the human being" and how fear of the unknown makes us fight everything we don't know.
The latter half of the song talks about being haunted by the ghosts of the past and how disconnected and caged we feel in a world where apathy rules over empathy. The singer is stuck in a secret place with no way of escape and is left pondering what to do, given there's nothing left outside. The final verse opens up the possibility of change and optimism, suggesting a common ground can be found among all and that the present condition can be transformed if the same old fanatics and ideologies can be changed.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when we were kids
Recalling a time when life was simpler and everything seemed possible
And we loved to play hide and seek
A free and innocent time of childhood pastimes that were unencumbered by adult responsibilities
Counted to ten and the place
The simplicity of the game and the clear delineation of its rules
That was crowded before
The anticipation of the game and its structure
Was empty and still
The mystery that surrounded the outcome of the game
And while everyone was found
The inevitability of being found, eventually
I knew this place at the very end of our street
A sense of ownership and knowing that place well in the game of hide and seek.
A small wooden shed
A specific location that held a special place in the childhood memory
Through a hole in the wall
An access point that was special and private
I sneaked in
The thrill of breaking the rules in a controlled environment
All alone i waited for hours and hours and hours and....
The loneliness of being 'hidden' for too long and the sense of time that drags on
Trapped by the lie of belief
The realization of the limitations of one's beliefs
frightened by the human being
Anxiousness around the new and unknown
It's clear that you fear and you
The recognition of others' anxieties and how they affect us
Fight everything you don't know
The natural tendency to resist new concepts that are beyond our immediate experience
But now the fight me
A new sense of resistance emerging that is directed at the artist
And all my comrades in arms
A rallying cry for like-minded individuals who share similar experiences and beliefs
It seems that all knowledge is more cause than a cure
The more one learns, the more complicated things seem to become
Now we have to hide
A need to conceal and protect oneself in the face of danger
Haunted by the ghosts of Paul
The lingering intensity of past experiences and memories
Who brings the good news to the poor?
A rhetorical question about who will provide comfort and support for the marginalized and low-income communities
When belief is the sight of the blind
The problematic nature of relying too heavily on faith without reason or rationality
And shadow reigns over the light
A sense of darkness and confusion that is pervasive
Holey apathy is all you can find
A feeling of emptiness and lack of motivation that results from overwhelming circumstances
So what shall we do?
A moment of realization that calls for action
We can't even open the doors
A sense of being trapped and constrained
No money in our pockets and nothing to eat any more
A feeling of lack and desperation that triggers survival instincts
Disconnected and caged
A sense of isolation and imprisonment
In this secret place
An unknown location that is both mysterious and dangerous
All alone i waited for hours and hours and hours and....
The fear and loneliness of being trapped for an unknown period of time
Fanatics who won't change their
Individuals who refuse to accept alternative viewpoints
Mind, will never change the world
The futility of sticking to one's beliefs without compromise
The difference is our common ground
The recognition that diversity can lead to strength and mutual understanding
There's no sense in us all being the same
The futility of trying to impose the same ideals and beliefs on everyone
Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.