Inspired by the groundbreaking music of Chrome, Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Portion Control, The Legendary Pink Dots, and others, Skinny Puppy experimented with electronic recording techniques and methods. the band composed multi-layered music generally using keyboards, synthesizers, found sounds, drum machines, live percussion, tape splices, samplers, and conventional rock music instruments. Whereas many contemporary remixes and re-edits of songs were created in order to make a song more suitable for dancing or different radio formats, Skinny Puppy approached remixing and re-editing as an artistic process of reinterpreting compositions, often using remixes to push their sound into styles of ambient, dub and techno. Skinny Puppy's often informal, improvisational approach to musical composition is indicated by use of the term brap, coined by them and defined as a verb meaning "to get together, hook up electronic instruments, get high, and record".
Skinny Puppy's first two proper releases, Bites and Remission, fall somewhere between the found-sound chaos of early Cabaret Voltaire and the abrasive, futuristic synthpop of the Units or Crash Course in Science. While the intense synth programming, abstract rhythms, and surreal samples--all Puppy trademarks--are present here, the albums owe as much to new wave as to industrial.
A subsequent EP, Chainsaw, featured a remix of Bites's "Assimilate" that earned the band some attention from club DJs. 1986's Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse earned Skinny Puppy greater attention, as "Dig It" and "Stairs and Flowers" became alternative club and college radio hits; the video for the former was played occasionally on MTV. The album is arguably less club-friendly than its predecessors, as the band continues to refine a claustrophobic, almost surreal sound that buries rhythm and melody. The follow-up, Cleanse, Fold, and Manipulate treads similar territory.
VIVIsectVI was a breakthrough for the band, with "Testure" becoming their biggest club hit to date, and the album itself was received warmly by college radio. The title of the album was a pun intended to associate vivisection with Satanism (ie. the "666 sect"). The album shows SP integrating more political and social themes: "Testure" is an animal rights song; "VX Gas Attack" concerns the use of chemical weapons; "State Aid" promotes sexual abstinence to stop the spread of AIDS/HIV.
Ogre had become very interested in Ministry and Al Jougensen's side projects, and he persuaded the rest of the band to allow Jourgensen to produce Rabies. While "Worlock" (a track Jourgensen didn't produce) remains an industrial club classic, the album was received coolly, as many thought Jourgensen's heavy metal guitar-based signatures did not compliment SP's more complex, intricate sonic sculptures. The band briefly disbanded afterward.
They reformed and returned to their electronic roots with Too Dark Park, a hallucinogenic album that owes as much to psychedelia as industrial music. Two years later, "Last Rights" covered similar territory, culminating in the epic sound sculpture "Download." Although their sound had moved away from industrial dance, these albums expanded the band's audience, and provided the template for many industrial bands of the 1990s.
Following "Last Rights", the band, poised for a major breakthrough in the wake of Nine Inch Nails' commercial success, left their longtime label Nettwerk for American Recordings. Their highly anticipated followup was unfortunately marred by personal tragedy - the death of Dwayne Goettel - and the band's inability to agree on a direction for the record. Numerous producers, including Martyn Atkins (PigFace/Invisible Records founder) and Roli Mosimann (Swans), came and went without success; finally the band regrouped with longtime collaborator Dave "Rave" Ogilvie to finish "The Process". The band expanded their range, working with gothic pop and heavy metal, alongside their familiar electronic textures. While seemingly rushed to completion following Goettel's death (it sounds half-finished in parts), it is an interesting change for the group. Unfortunately American Recordings, tired of waiting for the record, did little to promote it. Skinny Puppy broke up afterward.
With interests in filmmaking, they made a number of music videos, each attempting to further the theme and concept of the composition at hand. Most of these videos received little air play by major music video networks such as MTV (USA) and MuchMusic (Canada) and some were outright banned. For example the video for "Worlock" was universally banned because it is a "non stop gore fest" of clips from various horror movies. Because none of these clips were authorized for usage in the video it has never been commercially available.
Their concerts have been marked by their bizarre and bloody conceptual performance art, which for every concert was planned with the intention of challenging the notions of all who observed. Their music had some acceptance in dance clubs because of its danceable beats, but had little play on commercial radio. Skinny Puppy had little commercial success outside of Canada, but their influence on industrial music is immense.
The band began with the intention of doing something "raw" and "real." Ogre's vocals, one of Skinny Puppy's most recognizable features, are typically roughly growled snarls of half-sentences and fragmented stream of consciousness. Lyrical themes included animal rights, politics, religion, horror, drug abuse, disease, and environmental degradation; these themes were often lyrically and conceptually intertwined. Other core aspects of the Skinny Puppy sound include the mixture of heavy sampling and experimental noise with softer musical styles sometimes approaching synthpop.
Post-punk politics are a recurring theme utilised by Skinny Puppy. Some say the meaning of their name is that their music and lyrics give a view of the world from the eyes of a starving animal. They have long had an interest in animal rights; this is most obvious in their song Testure, which is about vivisection and other animal testing being scientific fraud. During many of their concerts Ogre would take the role of "scientist" and experiment on a stuffed animal. In 1988 they were arrested for their mocked-up vivisections, and found it ironic to be arrested for a parody of what was happening for real across the street from their concert. During their TGWOTR tour, criticism of the Bush regime was a recurring theme, particularly during their performance of VX Gas Attack, a song about atrocities perpetrated by Saddam Hussein, originally released while he was still considered an ally of the United States.
The last two studio albums are points of contention for old school Puppy fans. During the recording of The Process, the band broke up. Even more tragically, Dwayne Rudolph Goettel died, from an apparent heroin overdose at his parent's home, soon afterwards. Some people say that cEvin, Nivek, and Dwayne didn't connect as well on this album as they had earlier because their respective musical interests were diverging at the time, others claim it was the heroin.
Key and Ogre later reunited as Skinny Puppy for a one-off concert in Germany in 2003. Afterwards, they decided Skinny Puppy should continue as an ongoing project. The newly reconstituted Skinny Puppy released The Greater Wrong of the Right in 2004, their first studio album in 8 years, and have been continuing since, constantly evolving their sound.
There have been a number of Skinny Puppy side projects, both before, and after the breakup in 1995. The Tear Garden is a collaboration between cEvin and Edward Ka-Spel (and later most band members) of The Legendary Pink Dots. Other noteable side projects include Download, Hilt, Plateau, Cyberaktif (a collaboration between Key & Goettel and Bill Leeb, a.k.a. Wilhelm Schroeder), Rx (one-off collaboration between Ogre and Martin Atkins), ADuck (Goettel's side project), A CHUD Convention (one-off collaboration with a;GRUHM...), Ogre's contributions to Pigface, Ogre and Mark Walk's band ohGr and solo releases from cEvin Key.
Spasmolytic
Skinny Puppy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No place to go downtown crushing crucifixion
Particles aching harmful descent take a shot and hide
Subway slam dance stale mattress slow throb bloating
Freshly open grave barefoot beggar
Knotted finger turning pages in a book descending
No noise the great trees fall
Faded spirit of the gold toothed whore
Moon dances wondering how could this ever be
Kicking the habit possession in the flesh
Loves made-up melancholy kicking the habit
Trip back and unleash all anger emerging from the waterfall
Fork horse rear snorted downward
A vulgar desire playing cards conjured on fly blown
Dimly lit round a room of shadows claw the side
Phantom pinches waking from a dream half eaten candy
From some disordered heaven swirling tastes fornicate
Rotted meat a nested virus feels eating dish aging
She sits alone in the worry she's created more time
Holy hatred kicking the habit
The lyrics to Skinny Puppy's song Spasmolytic seem to paint a picture of a person's descent into drug use and addiction. The first verse describes someone living in a low-rent high-rise with nowhere else to go, turning to drugs to escape their reality. The imagery of a crushing crucifixion and particles aching suggests the intense physical and emotional pain the person is experiencing, and the need to take drugs to numb it.
The second verse seems to describe the person's hallucinations and delusions as a result of their drug use. The faded spirit of the gold-toothed whore and moon dances suggest a disconnection from reality, and the kicking the habit possession in the flesh line suggests a struggle with addiction. The final line about anger emerging from a waterfall could represent the person's intense emotional reactions and unpredictable behavior while under the influence.
The final verse returns to the physical reality of the situation, with imagery of a horse and conjured cards suggesting a gambling addiction. The phantom pinches and half-eaten candy suggest that the person is not fully aware of their surroundings or actions, and the disordered heaven and swirling tastes represent the person's altered state of mind. The final line about holy hatred kicking the habit suggests that the person is aware of their addiction and wants to break free from it, but is struggling to do so.
Overall, the lyrics to Spasmolytic seem to be a vivid and brutally honest depiction of the experience of addiction, from the initial allure and escape to the painful physical and emotional consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Making time in a low rent highrise
Trying to find the time to exist in a crappy apartment building
No place to go downtown crushing crucifixion
Being stranded and feeling trapped and hopeless in a city
Particles aching harmful descent take a shot and hide
Dealing with the consequences of bad decisions by numbing oneself
Subway slam dance stale mattress slow throb bloating
The unpleasant after-effects of partying and sleeping on a dirty mattress
Freshly open grave barefoot beggar
Being vulnerable and desperate for help
Knotted finger turning pages in a book descending
Reading about a descent towards darkness and despair
No noise the great trees fall
Watching the destruction of nature in silence and despair
Calmly through the window see backward elevation
Reflecting on the past from a safe distance
Faded spirit of the gold toothed whore
The lost soul of someone who has been exploited and abused
Moon dances wondering how could this ever be
Feeling overwhelmed by the absurdity of life
Kicking the habit possession in the flesh
Trying to overcome addiction
Loves made-up melancholy kicking the habit
Trying to move on from a past love
Trip back and unleash all anger emerging from the waterfall
Reminiscing and releasing pent-up emotions that were previously suppressed
Fork horse rear snorted downward
A horse bucking and snorting in anger and defiance
A vulgar desire playing cards conjured on fly blown
A crude and desperate attempt at distraction and entertainment
Dimly lit round a room of shadows claw the side
Being surrounded by darkness and fear
Phantom pinches waking from a dream half eaten candy
Experiencing the jarring confusion of waking up from a bad dream
From some disordered heaven swirling tastes fornicate
The satisfaction of indulging in hedonistic pleasures
Rotted meat a nested virus feels eating dish aging
The feeling of decay and emptiness in the face of aging
She sits alone in the worry she's created more time
Feeling the pressure of self-imposed stress
Holy hatred kicking the habit
The intense desire to overcome inner demons and negative patterns
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VITTORIO D'AMORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@komafibre
As a former addict
This hits the nail on the head
No one plans to become a junkie.
It starts with a bad day & things keep piling on, rent is due, my boss is a dick, gf cheated on me, car broke down, pet died
Somehow you take a risk and try something new
Now you are being tortured by all of the former problems but now with an 800lb gorilla on your back to add on.
The female in the video represents the drug.
When he pulled that mask off & it was him I cry because I know how bad that hurts to realize it was a hell I created for myself with a bad choice.
There is hope though for anyone who may be battling.
I was on opiates for 10 yrs & methadone for 10
It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through, but also one of the most worthy & important choice I’ve made.
Stay away from kratom
It’s another trap
Just as addictive but detox isn’t quite as bad
Never give up
It’s never too late
God bless you all
Much love
@bigal0172
Making time in a low rent highrise
No place to go downtown
Crushing crucifixion
Particles aching
Harmful descent
Take a shot and hide
Subway slam dance
Stale mattress
Slow throb bloating
Freshly open grave
Barefoot beggar
Barefoot beggar
Freshly open grave
Knotted finger
Turning pages in a book descending
No noise
The great trees fall
Calmly through the window see
Backward elevation
Faded spirit of the gold toothed whore
Moon dances wondering how could this ever be
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Possession in the flesh
Loves made up melancholy
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Trip back and unleash all anger
Emerging from the waterfall
Branch fork horse rear
Snorted downward a vulgar desire
Playing cards conjured on
Fly blown dimly lit
Round a room of shadows
Claw the side phantom pinches
Waking from a dream
Half eaten candy from some disordered heaven
Swirling tastes
Fornicate
Rotted meat
Swirling tastes
Fornicate
Rotted meat
A nested virus feels eating dish aging
She sits alone in the worry shes created
More time put aside sorry im fucked up inside
Holy hatred
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
Kicking the habit
@komafibre
As a former addict
This hits the nail on the head
No one plans to become a junkie.
It starts with a bad day & things keep piling on, rent is due, my boss is a dick, gf cheated on me, car broke down, pet died
Somehow you take a risk and try something new
Now you are being tortured by all of the former problems but now with an 800lb gorilla on your back to add on.
The female in the video represents the drug.
When he pulled that mask off & it was him I cry because I know how bad that hurts to realize it was a hell I created for myself with a bad choice.
There is hope though for anyone who may be battling.
I was on opiates for 10 yrs & methadone for 10
It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through, but also one of the most worthy & important choice I’ve made.
Stay away from kratom
It’s another trap
Just as addictive but detox isn’t quite as bad
Never give up
It’s never too late
God bless you all
Much love
@xisotopex
holy fuk, just read this... never was addicted to anything other than alcohol, but I started using kratom 3 years ago and have become addicted to it, and having a very hard time stopping it... of course, things like this are not in isolation, sometimes its much more difficult because its more than one thing that needs to change, its a visious circle... I would like to hear more of your thoughts on kratom...
@Disclina
sending love your way, God bless your soul ❤
@SeeDIfRiT
Cheers Mate
Stay strong, so may we all!
@phyrr2
Thanks for sharing this dude, I've got a pretty similar story to yours but unfortunately I'm still riding that fine line of paycheck to paycheck where if something bad happens, it could all kick out from underneath. Been doing that for 10+ years now. Every time I get a brief glimpse of sobriety all of my hopes and dreams come swelling back but also with all of the wrongs I need to right and reminder of time lost. Every time I go through a dry period the more I put up with it and feel it out. Obviously I'm not done yet but I'm pretty damned close. I can't live in the future by cannibalizing old memories, gotta get out there and live in the world and adapt.
@komafibre
@@xisotopex I had been clean from all cept herbal meds for a few years when kratom came across my radar to actually try some.
Its herbal, so I had more trust for it & gave it a go.
A few months later in 2016 I tried the opmes gold liquid concentrate shots & I felt myself caught in the addiction within 2 months of 1 shot each day.
Not as bad as other opiates, but not fun at all.
Not to mention the powder or raw leaves will give you stomach/digestive issues within 5-20yrs from what I’ve researched
Final conclusion: imo, stay away
It’s just another trap & not worth it
@ihateweezer7222
Anyone else soothe anxiety with their more aggressive songs? I think this is one of the biggest reasons for me being so obsessed with industrial music
@sodapopbrosky
Yes. Funny how it works.
@atarax14
Same!!!
@kryptichands968
Besides this, is why I listen to punk/hardcore