1. An industrial group from LA
Read Full Bio ↴Spahn Ranch is the name of two bands:
1. An industrial group from LA
2. A post-punk act from Detroit
The first and most well known is the Los Angeles electronic-industrial music group, formed in 1992 by Matt Green and his New York-based collaborator, Rob Morton. The group signed to Cleopatra Records. That same year, a self-titled, four-song EP with vocals supplied by Scott Franklin (later to become bassist for The Cramps), was released. In 1993, they added vocalist Athan Maroulis and recorded their debut album Collateral Damage. Their sophomore effort, The Coiled One, appeared two years later in the midst of Morton leaving the band due to creative and logistical differences. After his departure, the line-up was expanded to include Christian Death drummer David Glass, Screams for Tina guitarist Kent Bancroft, and Tubalcain drummer Harry Lewis. This offered a beginning of the fuller, more diverse, dark electro-industrial sound that Spahn Ranch would continue to pursue. By 1997 Spahn Ranch pared themselves down to a tight, three-piece unit of Green, Maroulis and Lewis.
Architecture, released in 1997, featured contributions from Killing Joke/Prong bassist Paul Raven and Rockats/Nancy Sinatra guitarist Danny B. Harvey. This album took an even more experimental appraoch to the Spahn Ranch sound, incorporating elements of drum and bass, dub and for the first time, live guitar parts. Beat Noir, in 1998, followed a similar path even further and included work with Bauhaus/Love & Rockets bassist David J.The band regularly toured throughout North America during their existence with the likes of Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Switchblade Symphony and The Electric Hellfire Club. Spahn Ranch also made a couple of European treks prior to their demise as a group in 2000. Closure was a posthumous release in 2001 of their final album recorded in 2000.
The second band was formed in Detroit, MI in 1986 and released one album in 1987 called Thickly Settled. In it's infancy, the band played in many local venues on the bill with various local bands. Quickly a strong following developed, which immediately precipitated a self titled cassette release of six tracks on the Ikthus Network label. After having missed their own billing at a show, the band was introduced to Eric Cope of Insight Records from San Francisco, CA. He offered them a contract with Insight after reviewing their cassette and video work. The band accepted and began recording their first LP, 'Thickly Settled' in California where they were welcomed by receptive audiences. 'Thickly Settled' was hailed as one of the best albums of the year by England's Underground Magazine, and also met favorable reception in the U.S.A. None of the members of Spahn Ranch had any formal music training and had not played an instrument prior to forming the group. "The sound they create is tense and raw, not polished to distract from the music itself. Drummer Odell Nails lays down a thick, almost tribal drum beat, accompanied by Hobey Echlin's bass foundation for the music. Guitarist Bradley Horowitz adds the energetic, consuming guitar melodies, changing the tunings for each song in order to make no two sets alike. Bob Sterner's vocals with a touch of folk influence, mesh with the instrumental sounds that give the finished product, intense music which envelopes and audience." Hobey Echlin later joined the band as bassist.
Monochrome
Spahn Ranch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They play the pictures
Spilled out on pages
Red sheets in Angeles
From the lots the direction
Tin nippled cafe intellect
The various levels in thievery
Your concentration fills misery
The plastic
Preserved the body
Pulled the marks over
Waiting
The trail of ants
Was made for TV
Played out a living
Bit parts in Angeles
Add some more scorn observation
Armed like a battery
Pointing for an hour
The Prozac
Lengthened the body
Pulled the marks over
Waiting
Blue eyed eugenics
They paint the pictures
Pissed out on pages
White sheets in Angeles
Parked over your direction
Fatherly deposits insert here
So many notes to the story
Your concentration on misery
The guiltless
Indulge the hour
The perfumed
Drink those of power
Pulling the marks over
Waiting
The Spahn Ranch's song Monochrome is a deep and impactful song that speaks to the societal and cultural issues that have been prevalent for a long time. The lyrics describe a scenario where blue-eyed eugenics play the pictures of society, spilled out on pages, and people indulge in misery, guiltlessly. The various levels of thievery, intellect, and direction in the song depict the way society is stratified and how power dominates.
The song also talks about how people are trying to escape their misery, but they are caught in time, waiting for something to change. The plastic preserved body is a metaphor for how society tries to preserve its beliefs and customs, which often leads to stagnation. The trail of ants made for TV depicts how modern entertainment has become a monotonous routine, and people are trapped in their bit parts in Angeles, a symbol of Hollywood's influence.
Moreover, the lyrics of Monochrome show how people arm themselves with weapons and Prozac, the antidepressant, to cope with their problems. The perfumed drink, a reference to alcohol, is used by those who wield power to keep others under their control. The song implies that society is trapped in a cycle of misdirection and control and can't break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue eyed eugenics
Referring to the prejudice of eugenics which believed that certain races or traits were superior, the phrase 'blue eyed eugenics' likely alludes to the ideal of Aryan race purity.
They play the pictures
This could mean that the media is complicit in perpetuating harmful stereotypes through visual representation.
Spilled out on pages
The media's portrayal of certain groups can be found in different forms of media, including printed materials like newspapers and magazines.
Red sheets in Angeles
This could refer to tabloid-style publications that exploit and sensationalize tragedy and scandal in the city of Angels (Los Angeles).
From the lots the direction
This could mean that the direction of society can be traced back to the influential people that occupy the highest positions in the social hierarchy.
Tin nippled cafe intellect
This phrase is a play on words that compares the culture of coffee and intellectualism to something cold and artificial, like tin nipples.
The various levels in thievery
There are different forms of stealing, and perhaps some groups are unfairly targeted while others get away with it more easily.
Your concentration fills misery
The more you focus on negative things, the more miserable you become, suggesting the importance of maintaining a balanced perspective.
She was reaching for an hour
This could refer to someone searching for something for a prolonged period of time or being unfulfilled in a particular endeavor.
The plastic
This could refer to literal plastic or metaphorical plasticity - something that is easily shaped or molded, suggesting a lack of authenticity or substance.
Preserved the body
This is likely a reference to embalming, which preserves a corpse for viewing or burial, suggesting the preservation of something that is dead or lifeless.
Pulled the marks over
This could mean hiding or disguising something, or perhaps even deceiving others into believing a false narrative.
Waiting
This word sets up a tone of anticipation or impatience, suggesting that something is about to happen or is expected to happen soon.
The trail of ants
This could be interpreted in different ways - it could refer to a literal trail of ants, or it could have a symbolic meaning related to conformity and following the crowd.
Was made for TV
This phrase suggests that something was constructed specifically for the purpose of being broadcast on television, perhaps implying that it is not authentic or genuine.
Played out a living
This could refer to someone living a lifestyle that is predetermined or predictable, or even to acting out a life on stage.
Bit parts in Angeles
This phrase could refer to small roles in Hollywood movies, suggesting that these people are not important or significant in the grand scheme of things.
Add some more scorn observation
This could mean that the singer is adding more critical observations to an already jaded or cynical outlook on society.
Armed like a battery
This phrase could be interpreted in different ways - it could refer to someone armed with knowledge like a rechargeable battery, or it could have a darker meaning related to weapons and destruction.
Pointing for an hour
This could mean someone taking a long time to make a decision, or perhaps giving directions for an extended period of time.
The Prozac
Prozac is a medication used to treat depression and anxiety, suggesting the song is commenting on mental health or artificial happiness.
Lengthened the Body
This could refer to Prozac as having an impact on physical health, or as creating an artificial happiness that masks underlying issues.
Pulled the marks over
This line is repeated from an earlier verse, reinforcing the idea of concealing or manipulating the truth.
Waiting
This is also repeated from an earlier verse, setting up the tone of anticipation or impatience.
Pissed out on pages
This is likely referring to the cheap or vulgar content found in magazines or tabloids.
White sheets in Angeles
This is similar to an earlier line, but with a different color indicating a brighter or more positive tone. However, the mention of 'Angeles' suggests that this positivity may be superficial or artificial.
Parked over your direction
This could mean that someone is blocking or inhibiting someone else's progress or goals.
Fatherly deposits insert here
This is a cryptic phrase that could have many potential meanings - it could refer to literal deposits, emotional deposits, or even sexual deposits.
So many notes to the story
This could mean that there are many different elements or perspectives to a given situation, suggesting that things are not always as simple as they may seem.
Your concentration on misery
This is similar to an earlier line, emphasizing the idea that focusing on negative things only brings more misery.
The guiltless
This could refer to people who are innocent or uninvolved in a situation, or it could have a darker meaning related to people who are able to avoid consequences despite their actions.
Indulge the hour
This could mean enjoying the present moment or giving into temptation, but it could also suggest wasting time or indulging in something that may not be beneficial.
The perfumed
This phrase could have multiple meanings - it could refer to people who are arrogant or high-minded, or it could refer to people who are artificial or fake.
Drink those of power
This could mean someone seeking to gain influence or favor by aligning themselves with powerful people or groups.
Pulling the marks over
Like earlier, this line reinforces the idea of hiding or manipulating the truth.
Waiting
Also similar to earlier, this line sets up the tone of anticipation or impatience.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
1890 Media
The most underrated electronic album of the 90s!
Paris Merediz
Love this... just love it
temporoboto
ACE!
TheCorrectViews
Anyway that you can post this whole disk?