Spahn Ranch is the name of two bands:
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.

Wires
Spahn Ranch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

His neck taught the wire
And new knew the ending
Ribbons rake this fleshy break
Swung legs from the pile

I trip the light
I trip the wire

Trigger pools burning fuel
Nail through the eye
It has kept you willing
And built you
Learning to kill

Trigger pools of burning fuel
Seventh memory rhyme
Father kept you willing
And built you
Learning to kill

I trip the light
I trip the wire

Overall Meaning

The song "Wires" by Spahn Ranch is a dark and eerie song that conveys a sense of violence and torture. The first verse describes someone strung up by their neck on a wire while the singer watched as it happened, knowing the outcome. The imagery of "ribbons rake this fleshy break" paints a vivid picture of the violent aftermath. The second verse talks about triggers and burning fuel, which could mean a literal fire or an emotional dissonance causing an outbreak. The use of the term "seventh memory rhyme" adds to the ethereal aspect of the lyrics, hinting at something beyond the grasp of understanding. The closer speaks about willingly learning to kill, which suggests a deeper commentary on the nature of violence, and how someone can become so desensitized to it that they learn to do it without remorse. Overall, the lyrics to "Wires" are open to interpretation and speak to the darker aspects of life.

Line by Line Meaning

His neck taught the wire
His neck tightened around the wire, causing constriction and pain

And new knew the ending
And he knew what the outcome would be

Ribbons rake this fleshy break
Ribbons represent something sharp or cutting, which is tearing apart his flesh

Swung legs from the pile
The person is hanging from a pile and their legs are dangling

I trip the light
I am experiencing a hallucination or altered state of consciousness

I trip the wire
I am in danger or at risk of being harmed or killed

Trigger pools burning fuel
An event has occurred that has ignited intense emotions or actions

Nail through the eye
A sharp object has been driven into the person's eye

It has kept you willing
A past experience or trauma has conditioned the person to be more willing or susceptible to certain behaviors or actions

And built you
This conditioning has contributed to the person's character or identity

Learning to kill
The person has learned or been trained to take someone's life