The Cat Empire began as a trio with McGill, Riebl, and Monro in late 1999, and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne. The band soon expanded in 2001, adding Angus, Hull-Brown, and Khadiwala.
THE Cat Empire's message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual. But they have never done it so powerfully as they do on their new album, Cinema. The album serves up a set which captures the inexorable force - and sheer joy - of their live performances, delivered in a format perfect for lounge-rooms, backyards, BBQ’s, cafes, road trips and parties all over the world.
Cinema, the band's fourth studio album, is a dazzling statement of a band at a peak of its powers, music designed to move the body and the mind. Right from the opening track, Waiting, this is music that leaps from the speakers.
All the elements that people love about The Cat Empire are there but the result is brighter, bolder. And yes, more cinematic. What grabs the ear immediately is that this is not a band playing with genres. In the past, The Cat Empire dived in to any musical style which took their fancy, from reggae to salsa, Latin to hip-hop. Cinema reveals a band that has developed an emphatic voice that is all their own.
``That's a sound that has emerged out of nearly 10 years of playing on stage together,'' says singer and percussionist Felix Riebl. ”The result is an album that's much more integrated than anything we've done before, with a Cat Empire sound that runs consistently through it. The lyrics are perhaps darker, but they are accompanied by music that is uplifting which gives it a strange but powerful feeling.''
Riebl adds: “At times the album is thoughtful, at times it makes you just forget and dance. But it is an album that has more sonic depth than we've ever had before, experimental in parts but with really direct choruses. It's going to be a great album to play live, especially on big stages and at festivals.''
Of course, the stage is never far from the thoughts of this band. In an age when so much of selling music seems to be about celebrity and fashion, The Cat Empire have risen to be one of Australia and indeed the worlds favourite live acts through sheer musicality and the power of their interaction on stage. The band - Riebl, Vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, keys player Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, drummer Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala (aka ‘Jumps’) on decks - played their 700th show in Amsterdam last year, and will hit the 800 mark in 2010. While it is not well known in Australia, The Cat Empire are one of the country's most successful musical exports, doubling their audience numbers at every return stop.
They have headlined some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Summersonic (Japan), Rock am Ring (Germany) and V Fest (UK), playing Bonnaroo (US) as well as to an audience of 300,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. They have also played on some of world's highest rating entertainment shows, including Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. This year their worldwide tour in support of the international release of Cinema will see them return to Canada, US, Europe, Japan and the UK, where they will play to a full house at London's Brixton Academy.
The knowledge that they would be playing songs from the new album on so many big stages focused the song writing sessions for Cinema. The album was recorded close to home at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram, and he encouraged them to make an album that was their most collaborative song writing effort yet.
``That was a deliberate decision from all of us,'' says the lion of the live show - Vocalist and Trumpeter Harry Angus. ``With six people in the band sometimes there will be a song on an album that not everyone wants to play live. This album certainly gets around that problem. And I think that after so many years playing together the guys are much more confident about contributing to the writing. Steve encouraged us to do that. That's been great for us.''
Of working with The Cat Empire, Schram says “it was the perfect studio scenario; amazing players open to trying anything and willing to take a back seat when required. Egos were left at the door.” He adds “In terms of musicianship, it's no secret that they don't come much better than The Cat Empire. Yet Cinema shows that simplicity and one well placed note packs more of a punch and serves the song far more than musical chops alone. We set out to explore in depth the mood and character of each song while maintaining a focus on performance rather than studio trickery. “
After taking their longest break from studio recording after the release of 2007's So Many Nights, the band reconvened feeling refreshed. ``In 2008 we took a break from touring for 8 months. Then in 2009 we released our (live album) Live on Earth” Riebl says. ``When we came back to the band, and then into the studio we all rediscovered what we loved about The Cat Empire in the first place; that it is a band that can do the unexpected, that we have great energy and make music that is always a lot of fun to play on stage. The feeling right now is just like when we were starting out. We're all very excited about that.''
Cinema will be released ...
JUNE 25, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 29, CANADA
JULY 6, USA
AUGUST 2010, EUROPE & JAPAN
See www.thecatempire.com for tours and information
Bataclan
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De l'amour pour toi, de l'amour pour toi
J′avais, j′avais, j'avais toujours
De l′amour pour toi, de l'amour pour toi
Don′t talk to me of sorrow
Don't talk to me of shame
Or call it by another name
Can black out what′s been done
Torn away when the evening comes
Torn away when it comes
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan va lutter, and tomorrow
And every night we scream this song
Bataclan va lutter
Don't talk to me of horror
Don't talk to me of rage
Or call it by another name
And isn′t there a song
That′s deeper than us all
Torn away when the evening comes
Torn away when it comes
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan va lutter, and tomorrow
And every night we scream this song
Bataclan va lutter
So let the place roar, viva
And let the place roar, viva
And let the bass fall, viva
And let the place roar, viva
In our nights of exile
And in the falling rain
We can never be the same
Tonight we'll beat the drums
Louder than our pain
And call their names when the evening comes
And call their names when it comes
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan va lutter, and tomorrow
And every night we scream this song
Bataclan va lutter
So let the place roar, viva
And let the place roar, viva
And let the bass fall, viva
And let the place roar, viva
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan va lutter, and tomorrow
And every night we scream this song
The Cat Empire's song "Bataclan" is a tribute to the victims of the 2015 terrorist attack at the Bataclan theater in Paris, where 89 people were killed during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. The lyrics express the singer's enduring love for a person, juxtaposed with the horror and rage of the attack. The refrain "Bataclan va lutter" ("Bataclan will fight") is a call to action and a message of hope for the future.
The opening lines of the song ("I always had, I always had love for you") suggest a sense of continuity and constancy, even in the face of tragedy. The lines "Don't talk to me of sorrow / Don't talk to me of shame / Or call it by another name / Nothing but the sun / Can black out what's been done" acknowledge the pain and shame of the attack, but also suggest that love and hope can transcend it. The use of the phrase "torn away when the evening comes" creates a haunting image, suggesting that the tragedy remains present even as time passes.
The chorus ("Bataclan will fight") is a rallying cry, urging listeners to face the darkness head on and continue to strive for a better world. The repetition of "let the place roar" and "viva" creates a sense of energy and vitality, as if the music itself is a form of resistance.
Overall, "Bataclan" is a powerful and moving tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack, and a reminder that love and hope can endure even in the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
J'avais, j'avais, j'avais toujours
De l'amour pour toi, de l'amour pour toi
I always had love for you.
Don't talk to me of sorrow
Don't talk to me of shame
Or call it by another name
Nothing but the sun
Can black out what's been done
Torn away when the evening comes
Torn away when it comes
Do not speak of sadness or guilt, as these words do not give justice to what happened. Only something as powerful as the sun can erase the past, but time still moves forward.
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan va lutter, and tomorrow
And every night we scream this song
Bataclan va lutter
Bataclan fights back, not only tonight but every day to come. This song represents their willpower to fight against what happened.
Don't talk to me of horror
Don't talk to me of rage
Or call it by another name
And isn't there a song
That's deeper than us all
Torn away when the evening comes
Torn away when it comes
Words like horror and rage are not enough to describe the emotions felt after the tragedy. Even so, there must be a song deeper than all our feelings put together.
So let the place roar, viva
And let the place roar, viva
And let the bass fall, viva
And let the place roar, viva
Let the place come alive as we sing and dance. The beat of the music becomes louder like a heartbeat of those who have passed away.
In our nights of exile
And in the falling rain
We can never be the same
Tonight we'll beat the drums
Louder than our pain
And call their names when the evening comes
And call their names when it comes
We are forever changed by what happened that night. However, we will use music as a tool to heal our pain and remember those who were lost.
Writer(s): Felix Riebl
Contributed by Emma S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miguel Belo
These guys are so underrated somehow... They deserve much more than just 15k views
TheUkeskywalker
I was at the Bataclan to see this band, what a big show ! Much love and respect
JV
Such a powerful song
Alexandra Ilinca
awesome <3 saw you in Romania ,perfect show ! your music is food for soul.
Daryn Goodwin
all these cat empire songs on my feed is heaven
Jack Devaney
You guys are absolutely increadible! Saw you in germany last year. Also, if any of you like Folky stuff have a listen to what I've got on my channel.. You might like it, who knows! :) Much love and respect!
Tommy Gun
Your comment is from years ago so maybe the music you're talking about here is still on your channel , or maybe not...
Anyways, I'll probably pop by to give it a look and a hear...
Jack Devaney
@Tommy Gun much appreciated 🙏
Gabriel Flipo
Probablement un des plus sobres and beaux hommages, avec celui des Invalides, rendus aux victimes du 13 Novembre 2015. Probably one of the most sober and beautiful homage, with the Invalides homage, returned to the victims of November 13, 2015.
fabiola yenifer molina vargas
💘