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, BBQβs, 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. βThe 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: βAt 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 βJumpsβ) 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 βit 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.β He adds βIn 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. β
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 Earthβ 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
The Darkness
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something kissed my lips
Something
Something brushed my fingertips
The north binds battle
In the car park
And the darkness
Is the darkness
Somewhere
The night is on the run
With a bottle of ouzo
And a rusty gun
The north wind
Is like a Spanish Guitar
Soaked in petrol
Burning on the bar
Let the dead raise their heads
And the dying leave their beds
She didnβt believe what her mama said
And she clambered out the window in the darkness
And behind you in the night
A million dogs come out to fight β¦
Itβs the empire that be rising rising
Rising through the night β¦
Something
Something give me strength
Iβm burning
Burning on the brink
The north wind
Is like cinnamon and wine
And the darkness
Is the darkness
The Cat Empire's song The Darkness is a haunting and energetic expression of the night time. The song explores the feeling of something brushing against one's skin, the sense of being on the brink of something powerful, and the juxtaposition of light and dark. The opening lyrics describe an experience of being kissed and brushed by something mysterious and thrilling. The "north binds battle" in the car park feels like a metallic taste in one's mouth, the gritty energy of aggression and night time all rolled together. The chorus emphasizes the power and intensity of the darkness, which is personified as a force that can envelop and torment.
The night time is also associated with freedom and rebellion. The second verse describes the night as "on the run," with a bottle of ouzo and a rusty gun. The north wind, like a Spanish guitar soaked in petrol, evokes a feeling of excitement and danger. The image of a million dogs coming out to fight behind you is both thrilling and terrifying. The song suggests that the night is a time for those who are daring and unafraid, who are willing to push boundaries and take risks.
Line by Line Meaning
Something
There is an uncertain presence that is felt
Something kissed my lips
The presence appears to be close and intimate
Something brushed my fingertips
The presence is fleeting and barely tangible
The north binds battle
There is a conflict brewing in the north
In the car park
The conflict is happening in a public and common area
And the darkness
The conflict happens under the cover of darkness
Is the darkness
The darkness plays a role in the conflict
Somewhere
There is a place where things are happening
The night is on the run
The darkness is being chased away
With a bottle of ouzo
Alcohol is involved in the action
And a rusty gun
Violence is involved in the action
The north wind
The wind is still present and involved in the events
Is like a Spanish Guitar
The wind has a strong and passionate quality
Soaked in petrol
The passion is being fueled and intensified by external factors
Burning on the bar
The passion and violence is playing out in a public place
Let the dead raise their heads
The living are invoking the spirits of the dead
And the dying leave their beds
The ill are rising up to take part in the conflict
She didnβt believe what her mama said
A woman is going against traditional wisdom
And she clambered out the window in the darkness
She is taking a risk and breaking societal norms
And behind you in the night
There are unseen dangers lurking behind everyone
A million dogs come out to fight β¦
The conflict is intense and involves many combatants
Itβs the empire that be rising rising
A powerful force is asserting itself
Rising through the night β¦
This force is particularly active during the night
Something give me strength
The presence is now a source of power
Iβm burning
The singer is overwhelmed with passion
Burning on the brink
This passion is pushing them to their limits
The north wind
The wind still plays a role in the events
Is like cinnamon and wine
The wind is now comforting and warm
And the darkness
The darkness still lingers
Is the darkness
The darkness remains a part of the situation
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nicole Stiles
Never gets old...ππΆπ€π»π¦πΊ
Helen
Love this song.
TheScheiss
<3 Amazing rythm.
flyingseadragon
Oh I will miss you so much live !!! Thank you for my traveling life I had with you!
merhcmoudleonardlebg
How is it possible that this video only has 12.000 views??? (I think that around 80 of them are from me! ;))
flyingseadragon
Ive heard it at least a million times. <3
F.M.A
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