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
La Sirène
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Alors c'est comme ça
Toi toujours différente
Toi et moi rien
Alors c'est comme ça
Moi le refrain vain, ooh
Toi la page qui reste blanche
Mes mots hésitants
Toi Ithaque qui me manque
Mes poèmes d'antan
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
Et moi je t'inscris
T'es dans le documentaire
Celui de ma vie
Et moi je t'inscris
Je capte tout tes mouvements
Et tu me réduis
C'est toi qui parle à maman
Quand je suis au lit
C'est toi qui chante pour papa
Ces petits délits
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i ya Sirène
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i ya Sirène
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i ya Sirène
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i ya Sirène
My friends said 'You stay away'
I said 'I'm going anyway'
My friends said 'You stay away'
I said 'I'm going anyway'
My friends said 'You stay away'
I said 'I'm going anyway'
My friends said 'You stay away'
I said 'I'm going anyway'
The Cat Empire's song La Sirène is about a relationship that is complicated and hard to let go of. The repeated question, "Why you never let go?" expresses the frustration the singer feels as they are unable to move on from this person. The verse, "Toi toujours différente / Toi et moi rien" which translates to "You, always different / You and me nothing" suggests that the person they are singing about is always changing and difficult to understand. The lines, "Et moi je t'inscris / T'es dans le documentaire / Celui de ma vie" which means "And I write you down / You're in the documentary / The one of my life" reflects the idea that this person is a permanent fixture in the singer's life, even if they are not physically present. The chorus, "J'entends la sirène / Et c'est la mer à l'envers" or "I hear the siren / And it's the sea upside down" could be interpreted as the conflicting emotions that this person brings out in the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Why you never let go?
Asking why the subject is holding on so tightly
Alors c'est comme ça
Expressing resignation to the situation
Toi toujours différente
Addressing a person who is always changing
Toi et moi rien
Acknowledging the lack of a real connection between the two of them
Toi le cœur qui m'échappe
Describing someone who is emotionally distant
Moi le refrain vain, ooh
Comparing oneself to an empty melody
Toi la page qui reste blanche
Addressing someone who is unresponsive
Mes mots hésitants
Feeling unsure of what to say
Toi Ithaque qui me manque
Longing for someone who is gone
Mes poèmes d'antan
Referencing previous creative works
J'entends la sirène
Hearing something alluring
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
Feeling disoriented by the attraction
Et moi je t'inscris
Writing someone into one's life story
T'es dans le documentaire
Describing the other person as being part of one's life
Celui de ma vie
Describing one's own story
Je capte tout tes mouvements
Watching the other person closely
Et tu me réduis
Feeling small and insignificant compared to the other person
C'est toi qui parle à maman
Alluding to a close relationship with the other person's family
Quand je suis au lit
Referencing an intimate moment
C'est toi qui chante pour papa
Alluding to a close relationship with the other person's family
Ces petits délits
Referencing minor mischiefs
Ai i ya i yay ya
Vocables without a clear meaning
Ai i ya i ya Sirène
Describing the irresistible allure of someone
My friends said 'You stay away'
Other people warning the subject to be cautious
I said 'I'm going anyway'
The subject choosing to pursue the attraction regardless
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Eloise Mignon, Felix Riebl, Oliver Mcgill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sacha8972
Something like that! It's a personal translation!
Some of the verses don't make that much sense in french either, it's really poetic !
Why you never let go ? (x3)
So this is it
You, always different
You and me nothing
So this is it
You, the choir slipping away from me
Me, the vain refrain
You, the page that stays blank
My hesitant words
You, Itahque which I'm missing
My poems of the past
Why you never let go? (x3)
I'm hearing the siren
And it's the sea upside down (x4)
And I inscribe you
You are in the documentary
The one of my life
I capture all your moves
And you weaken me
It's you talking to mom
When I'm in bed
It's you singing to dad
Those small offences
Why you never let go ? (x7)
I'm hearing the siren
And it's the sea upside down (x4)
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i yay ya
Ai i ya i ya Sirène …
My friends said ‘You stay away’
I said ‘I’m going anyway’ …
@meelod
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Alors c'est comme ça
Toi toujours différente
Toi et moi rien
Alors c'est comme ça
Toi le cœur qui m'échappe
Moi le refrain vain, ooh
Toi la page qui reste blanche
Mes mots hésitants
Toi Ithaque qui me manque
Mes poèmes d'antan
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
Why you never let go?
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
J'entends la sirène
Et c'est la mer à l'envers
Et moi je t'inscris
T'es dans le documentaire
Celui de ma vie
Et moi je t'inscris
Je capte tout tes mouvements
Et tu me réduis
C'est toi qui parle à maman
Quand je suis au lit
C'est toi qui chante pour papa
Ces petits délits
Why you…
@robertinhosuarez
my wife and i used this song for entrance on our wedding. unforgettable moment.
@ursachepetru3107
Hi. Can I talk to you in private in this regard? I was thinking how can you dance on this song and how it would look like as a first dance at a wedding. Thanks in advance.
@robertinhosuarez
@@ursachepetru3107 sorry i've just saw your question. well we used this song for entrance in hall. not for the first dance. in Croatia we have wedding ritual when all people waiting for the maid and groom, the band or dj is playing particular song. my wife and i love this song and we used it for that big entrance, we are CE fans, and this song was so perfect for that. if you wanna dance to this song, you just need to let your body move to this. 😄
@ursachepetru3107
@@robertinhosuarez Understood, thank you a lot. And thanks also for the cultural exchange.
We are CE fans as well and we love most of their songs. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic ruined our plans and the future is uncertain. Now we have a lot of time to prepare something we like.
@robertinhosuarez
@@ursachepetru3107 sorry to hear that. we caught the last train before whole world collapsed with pandemic. wish you all the best! Romania?
@ursachepetru3107
@@robertinhosuarez It's fine; every cloud has a silver lining. Glad to hear you caught the last train - your "early" decision to get married has been rewarded. :)
Yes, I am from Romania.
@marianachehlarova2548
Both the song and the 360 experience - out of this world....magical!
@joergbock1976
Awesome video and great upbeat song! The 360° give the song a new dynamic, I might look like a complete fool but I just love dancing with you guys through my living room 😋
@flyingseadragon
I am sooooo in love with this song!!!! Such a good vibe!!!! Well done Eloise Mignon and The Cat Empire! The highest energy, loving, happy song so far from you!
@luigibianchinic9125
WOOOW ¡! Bellissimo il video!!!!