Recoil was born in 1986 as a two-track experimental EP. Simply entitled ‘1 + 2’, this collection of primitive demos caught the attention of Mute Records label boss Daniel Miller and was inconspicuously released as a mini-album on 12" vinyl. An album, Hydrology, soon followed in 1988 and both were eventually re-issued by Mute on CD as Hydrology plus 1+2. These early Recoil recordings revealed Alan’s position as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche sound around to create something entirely new. Wilder described the project at the time as “... an antidote to Depeche Mode; a way to alleviate the frustrations of always working within a pop format”.
Almost immediately, Wilder found himself back in the studio to record what would become the most successful Depeche Mode album to date,‘Violator’. It wasn’t until the band finally allowed themselves an extended break after the enormously successful 'World Violation' tour that Alan could return to Recoil - not, however, before agreeing to produce Ebbhead, an album for label-mates Nitzer Ebb. It was during this time that he cemented a working relationship with lead singer Douglas McCarthy who would return the favour by singing on Recoil’s next album,‘Bloodline’.
Released in 1992, Wilder recruited guest vocalists for the first time with further contributions from Curve's Toni Halliday and Moby, helping to produce an album that demonstrated his ability to concoct slow-burning soundscapes drenched in drowsy paranoia. Bloodline also marked the first Recoil single, a cover of Alex Harvey’s song ‘Faith Healer' as well as the innovative 'Electro Blues For Bukka White', featuring the posthumously sampled voice of Blues-man Bukka White set into a post-modern context - an influential idea later popularised by others.
Between 1992-93 Wilder resumed his Depeche duties as the band recorded the album ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’. Released to universal acclaim, it topped the charts in the UK, USA, Germany and a host of other countries. Enjoying hits with ‘I Feel You’, ‘Walking In My Shoes’, ‘In Your Room’ and ‘Condemnation’, the Mode embarked on their most adventurous tour to date, enduring a gruelling 15 months on the road. Although the group had reached the pinnacle of success, aspects of the lifestyle had taken their toll on everyone and things eventually came to a head. In June 1995, having spent 14 years as an integral part of one of the most popular and influential bands the UK has ever produced, Alan Wilder made the difficult but inevitable decision to leave Depeche Mode.
Free from his group commitments, Wilder could now focus solely on Recoil. In September 1996, he began work in his own studio, ‘The Thin Line’, gradually piecing together the unnerving scores that would eventually reveal Recoil's next album ‘Unsound Methods’. The final results were more impressive than ever. What emerged appeared to take up where ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ had left off. Guest vocalists featured Maggie Estep, Siobhan Lynch, the reappearance of Douglas McCarthy, and Hildia Cambell. The styles of each could not be more removed from one another helping to create a startlingly original and diverse collection. The more organic style of Unsound Methods incorporated every imaginable musical genre from trip-hop to gospel whilst dealing with the subject of obsession in all its manifestations, taking the listener to the edge of unease, through dark, dub-infected landscapes, reverberating with shivering piano, seductive strings and a deep electronic pulse.
In the Spring of 2000, Recoil gave us Liquid which this time utilised the unique qualities of internationally acclaimed fellow Mute artist Diamanda Galás, 1940's Gospel crooners The Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, along with New York spoken-word performers Nicole Blackman and Samantha Coerbell. The worldwide music press received the Liquid album with a host of glowing reviews and Wilder was awarded the Charles Cros Grand Prix 2000. Strangely enthralling and genuinely unhinging, Liquid masquerades as the aural equivalent of a disturbing movie. Wilder's intoxicating soundscapes kick up clouds of the same dark dust that falls on David Lynch or Nine Inch Nails, but where others may hammer out their message with histrionic force, his touch is lighter and characteristically more subtle.
Now, following a 5 year break from recording, Alan Wilder returns with Recoil's 5th studio album, entitled subHuman released in July 2007.
Collaborating this time is Blues-man Joe Richardson with his band Joe Richardson Express, whose evocative vocal style is complimented by accomplished guitar and harmonica performances. Born in Southern Louisiana, Richardson spent years immersed in the murkier side of New Orleans life and offers a unique commentary on conflict, religion, incarceration and personal struggle. English singer Carla Trevaskis, a songwriter in her own right, brings an expressive range and control to subHuman and has worked with artists as diverse as Fred de Faye (Eurythmics), Cliff Hewitt (Apollo 440) and Dave McDonald (Portishead).
Says Wilder: “We seem to have learnt nothing from past experiences and our so called ‘civilised’ world is still awash with personal and global atrocities. From suicide bombings in the Middle East, to ethnic cleansing in the Balkans; from the homophobic rhetoric of the Christian fundamentalist preacher, to the activities of Western governments engaged in their ‘war on terror’".
subHuman asks us to reach within ourselves and extract the very essence of what makes us human - and more importantly what allows us to subordinate others, sometimes with the most brutal consequences. "We are all 'subhuman' in somebody's eyes."
Official site: http://www.recoil.co.uk
Chrome
Recoil Lyrics
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The song "Chrome" by Recoil presents a critical look on the representation of women in the music industry, showcasing a man who is seeking a "girl who knows how to suffer." The lyrics expose a bitter reality behind the facade of glamour and fame, revealing a culture of exploitation and objectification of women. The singer's decision to be "done with the dark boys" signifies a refusal to participate in this culture any further, recognizing the harm it inflicts on both men and women.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "done with the dark boys" several times, emphasizing the singer's determination to move on from this toxic culture. The imagery used in the song, such as "sucking the chrome" and "silver skin," suggests a desire for perfection and artificiality that cannot be attained. The singer acknowledges the tragic cycle of exploitation and the pain it causes on both sides, recognizing the suitors as "butcher" and himself as "bone."
Overall, "Chrome" is a commentary on the complexities of the music industry, exposing the dark underbelly of glamor and calling for a reevaluation of the way women are represented and treated within it.
Line by Line Meaning
So let's be done with this. You said “I want you, I don't want another, I want a girl who knows how to suffer.”
Let's put an end to this conversation. You told me you desire a girl who can endure pain and suffering, and you don't want anyone else except me.
Chalk down my hands, I need to work the bars dry.
My hands are sweaty, and I need to dry them to work on the bars properly.
So now you're in the middle of someone terrible and you're carrying a tiny crucible.
You are stuck in a situation with someone terrible, and you are trying to handle a small container holding something valuable.
Every raw boy want relief.
Every immature man wants to feel relieved from their problems.
You tough guys with the glass jaws, your pins, your backstage laws, your French positions, your stripper damage. It's more than you can hide, more than you can manage.
You act all tough with your fragile egos, your insecurities, your made-up rules, your vulnerable positions, and your emotional baggage. It's too much to stay hidden and control.
I'm done with the dark boys, through with the dark boys, done with the dark boys, I swear you'll be the last one.
I am over with men who have a shady character and a negative outlook on life. I am finished with them, and I promise you're the last one.
You dream of a girl with silver skin, you dream of a girl cooled and thinned. She's gone a bit blue around the edges.
You imagine a girl with a pale complexion, slimmed-down physique, and cold demeanor. She has become distant and depressed over time.
You want a girl who sucks her thumb when she comes, you're just looking for a clean sleep.
You desire a girl who shows childish behavior during sexual climax, and you want to enjoy a peaceful sleep without worries.
She doesn't want to see you, she wants to be seen by the cameras, the crews and the soft machines.
She doesn't want you to see her; she craves fame, attention, and admiration from media, producers, and technology instead.
You want a girl who could suck the chrome.
You are hoping for a girl who can perform oral sex well.
You're so rocked and wrapped in anguish, some little tragedy I'm slow to extinguish. Watching the suitors stagger home, now I'm butcher, now you're bone.
You are overwhelmed by distress and agony, and I am unsure how to comfort you. Seeing your previous dates leave disappointed makes me feel like a murderer while you are the victim.
It's documented, tequila scented.
It's written, and the scent of tequila is filling the air.
You want a girl who's pale and bled, you want a girl who's easily led. Her slim hips, your tight grip, tell me it doesn't hurt just a little bit boy.
You seek a girl who looks weak and easily manipulated. The way you hold her by her thin waist shows how much pain you can inflict on her.
Come on, copy, she doesn't read you, she fed, fed the hand that bit her, she doesn't need you.
Listen carefully; she's not interested in you. She keeps feeding into a vicious cycle of abuse and doesn't realize she can live without you.
Your fill-in girls, your soft metal foxes, your white receipts, your big, black boxes.
Your temporary girlfriends, your attractive but fragile partners, your insignificant records, your mysterious and massive possessions.
Life doesn't mean telling lies, it means enduring what you despise.
Life isn't about deceiving others; it's about enduring things you dislike and making the best of it.
I'm done, I'm through.
I'm completely finished and exhausted.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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