Michael was born and raised in Denmark, and has been creating and playing music since childhood. He has been a member of several bands in the past and in his early teens, he began to write songs, experimenting in electronic music. Today, electronic music is still his main focus. In the summer of 1999, Michael decided to record a demo and teamed up with Erin.
Erin is originally from the USA and moved to Copenhagen in the autumn of 1998. Growing up, she had a passion for music and art, including them both in her basic education. In college, she primarily studied fine arts and graphic design, and kept music on the side. After she met Michael in Copenhagen, Erin wanted to put music into the main focus again and is debuting for Sepiamusic as the singer and lyricist.
Sepiamusic's style is perhaps best described as melodic electronic. It’s also been described as a good mix of a masculine and feminine universe. Sepiamusic finds it difficult to place the music in a specific genre, because it holds elements of many different genres. Michael is inspired primarily by electronic music from the last 20 years. Erin also has a love for electronic music, but grew up listening to music from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. Sepiamusic is not about creating the ”sound of now”, but creating the distinct sound of Sepiamusic.
In April 2000, Sepiamusic’s first demo was released and was very well-received. In May, Denmark’s national radio, P3, asked to interview and feature Sepiamusic for their program for up-coming bands. The group was immediately voted by the listeners as #1. Soon after, the DJs of P3 requested the same track, “Fall Into Me”, be the featured track of the week on Denmark’s Radio. This made Sepiamusic the #1 rotation of that week and the track remained on the A-list for 13 weeks after.
In March 2000, Sepiamusic decided to submit a track to Garageband.com. Steadily, the track ”Fall Into Me” climbed the chart and in February hit #1 in the pop category. After 5 months, it remained in the #1 spot. When a band enters the Garageband site and submits a track, they are automatically placed at the bottom of the chart. There are approx. 75.000 songs on Garageband.com. Additionally, in May of 2002, Sepiamusic entered a second track, “Ease Me.” It started at the bottom, and in only 2.5 months, went straight to #1, making it the second track Sepiamusic had in the #1 spot. The tracks are now on Garageband compilation cds for best artists.
In their own genre, Sepiamusic believes it is important to experiment and cross borders with musical styles in order to keep things progressive and interesting. They like to blend their sound with other artist’s musical styles and have worked on several collaboration tracks with artists in the drum'n'bass, DJ and Hip Hop markets, also releasing tracks on vinyl in the UK.
The group’s live performance is a powerful, energetic mix of electronic atmospheres, driving rock emotion, and rich acoustic sounds. The band consists of Erin on lead vocals, Michael on synths and rhythm acoustic guitar, a bass player on acoustic double bass & electric bass, a lead guitarist and drummer/ percussionist.
To explain the live version of Sepiamusic, it is best described in a following quote from a fan:
“I just saw Sepiamusic live last night and it was nothing short of amazing. Raw, honest, jarring rock electronica that will steal your breath. Music has meaning again and you’ll know it when these Scandiland Lovlies go live in months to come. “
Sepiamusic’s tracks have been written, produced and recorded by Michael Adler Miltersen and Erin Chapman in Michael’s home studio in Copenhagen.
Prototype
Sepiamusic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I broke down
'cause I was
Bending all their rules
A reject
A mistake
That didn't fit the box
A fixed me
Ignoring
Malfunction inside
And found out
I could hide
I never made the cut
[Chorus]
This is how I feel
Like a prototype
Never passed the test
Can I even try
I will always feel
Like a prototype
If I'm looking strong
I crack up inside
This is how I feel
Like a prototype
Just a prototype
And sometimes
I hear them
They're scheming
How to raise the stakes
So I will
Be shut down
So I'll be shorting out
(Chorus)x1
(This is how I feel)
(Like a prototype)
(I will always feel)
(Like a prototype)
(Chorus)x1
This is how I feel
Like a prototype
Just a prototype
In the song "Prototype," Sepiamusic explores the feelings of being an outsider and not fitting into the expectations of society. The lyrics describe the singer as being "spoiled," but ultimately "breaking down" because they were not able to conform to the rules imposed upon them. The singer then goes through a process of self-discovery and self-repair, but still feels like an imperfect "prototype" that has never truly passed the test.
The chorus emphasizes this feeling of being a prototype, never quite measuring up to the standards set by others. The singer wonders if they will ever be able to try or succeed, or if they will always feel like an outsider. The lyrics also suggest that the singer feels like others are plotting against them, trying to find ways to shut them down and make them short circuit.
Overall, "Prototype" is a poignant exploration of the struggles of feeling like an outcast in society. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has felt like they do not fit in or are not living up to someone else's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
They spoiled me
I was given everything I wanted
I broke down
I became overwhelmed and lost control
'cause I was
This happened because
Bending all their rules
I constantly pushed the limits and didn't conform
A reject
I was seen as unwanted or not good enough
A mistake
I was seen as an error or fault in the system
That didn't fit the box
I didn't fit into their predetermined standards or expectations
I moved on
I decided to continue despite the setbacks
A fixed me
I made changes and improvements to myself
Ignoring
I did not acknowledge
Malfunction inside
My internal struggles and conflicts
And found out
I learned that
I could hide
I could conceal my true feelings or flaws
I never made the cut
I never met their standards of excellence
This is how I feel
These are my emotions
Like a prototype
Like an unfinished, untested product
Never passed the test
I was never successful or proven
Can I even try
Is it even worth attempting?
I will always feel
This feeling will persist
If I'm looking strong
Even if I appear confident
I crack up inside
I am still fragile and vulnerable internally
Just a prototype
Only an experimental model, not finished or perfected yet
And sometimes
Occasionally
I hear them
I become aware of what others are saying
They're scheming
They are planning or plotting
How to raise the stakes
How to make the situation more difficult or challenging
So I will
In order for me to
Be shut down
Be stopped or eliminated
So I'll be shorting out
So my system or emotions will fail
Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeb Kerman
so psychedelic when listening while on the stuff.
Jana Caicedo
Hi Friends, Im from Colombia South America and definitely I can´t believe how you guys dont be more known in the world, this band is perfect, the voice, the style, the letters. I just want to congratulate you and say you that here in COLOMBIA you have one fan more ... !! Thanks, big hugs !! ;) and don´t stop to create art !!
stan633
All time favourite track. Never tire of hearing this.
sodazman
Some of the best music I've listened to in a long time. Please release another album soon!
Ahsan Iqbal
Awesome! Could you guys please post some live versions of your songs? I know that would be mind blowing.
Yvan Cartwright
I badly want a new album! Prototype and Trenches are inspirational works of art.
Miltersen
Thank you.
surfboy2100
Amazing performance....love your music....great sound, awesome vocals....
Ángel
Un tema con fuerza y sentimiento. Enhorabuena, desde que lo escuché, sigo el trabajo de este grupo... Un saludo desde España.
Miltersen
Thank you for the kind words - we appreciate it! - and yes we have heard of Spleen United. They are based in Copenhagen like we are. Very cool band - We love them :)