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
The Lost Song
The Cat Empire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've been searching in the night and I've been searching in the rain
I tried to find them, but they disappeared
They walked away they dressed in black they left my side and all I say
Is that I wasted time when I looked for them
For now I know that things gone past are never to be found again
No never never again
I had nine lives, but lost all of them
I had a plan, but never finished it
And I've been searching for the thought and I've been searching in a haze
I try all days to remember it
But now the blueprint in my mind has gone, my mind forgot the color of direction
And my eyes they see the hands that could've built
That could've constructed the empire in my mind
The empire I'll never find
I had a plan, but that was where it ended, ended
The lyrics of The Cat Empire's The Lost Song is a reflection on the nature of past experiences and how they can never be relived or recreated. The opening line of the song, “I had nine lives but I lost all of them,” is reminiscent of a cat, which has led many to believe that the song is about the fleeting nature of life. The singer laments about the things that he has lost, both concrete things like his nine lives as well as intangible things like the blueprint for his plan. He searches for them in the night and the rain, but to no avail.
The second verse further expands on the theme of loss and regret. The singer tries to remember the plan that he once had, but it has faded away from his mind. He talks about the hands that could have constructed the empire in his mind, but unfortunately, that empire will never be found. The lyrics convey the feeling of nostalgia and the realization that things that have gone past are never to be found again. The singer acknowledges the futility of looking for the lost things and instead chooses to move forward and pursue new things.
Line by Line Meaning
I had nine lives but I lost all of them
I have made many mistakes in life and have reached a point where I am left with nothing.
And I've been searching in the night and I've been searching in the rain
I have been looking for a way out of this difficult situation, but it seems that I am lost and alone.
I tried to find them, but they disappeared
I have tried to fix my problems, but they have only gotten worse and now seem impossible to solve.
They walked away they dressed in black they left my side and all I say
My problems seemed to have a life of their own and have left me feeling abandoned and helpless.
Is that I wasted time when I looked for them
I realize now that my efforts to fix my problems were in vain and that I should have focused on other things instead.
For now I know that things gone past are never to be found again
I have come to understand that the past is gone and that dwelling on it will not bring me any closer to a solution.
No never never again
I will not make the same mistakes again and will work harder to avoid repeating my past failures.
I had a plan, but never finished it
I had dreams and aspirations for my life, but failed to follow through on them and let them slip away.
And I've been searching for the thought and I've been searching in a haze
I have been trying to come up with new goals and ideas for my future, but my mind feels clouded and confused.
I try all days to remember it
I spend each day trying to remember the things I once wanted for my life.
But now the blueprint in my mind has gone, my mind forgot the color of direction
I have lost the vision and direction I once had for my life, and am now struggling to regain it.
And my eyes they see the hands that could've built
I am filled with regret as I look back on the missed opportunities and chances I had to achieve my dreams.
That could've constructed the empire in my mind
I was once full of ideas and creativity, but have since lost touch with that part of myself.
The empire I'll never find
I fear that I will never be able to recapture the passion and drive I once had for my life.
I had a plan, but that was where it ended, ended
I had the initial spark of inspiration for my life, but lacked the follow-through and determination to make it a reality.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Felix Riebl
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@azamzhonmirzakhalilov7506
LYRICS
I had nine lives but I lost all of them
And I've been searching in the night
And I've been searching in the rain
I tried to find them, but they disappeared
They walked away they dressed in black they left my side and all I say
Is that I wasted time when I looked for them
For now I know that things gone past are never to be found again
No never never again
I had nine lives, but lost all of them
I had a plan, but never finished it
And I've been searching for the thought and I've been searching in a haze
I try all days to remember it
But now the blueprint in my mind has gone, my mind forgot the color of direction
And my eyes they see the hands that could've built
That could've constructed the empire in my mind
The empire I'll never find
I had a plan, but that was where it ended, ended
@user-pm1em3bo7x
I had nine lives but I lost all of them
And I've been searching in the night and I've been searching in the rain
I tried to find them, but they disappeared
They walked away they dressed in black they left my side and all I say
Is that I wasted time when I looked for them
For now I know that things gone past are never to be found again
No never never again
I had nine lives, but lost all of them
I had a plan, but never finished it
And I've been searching for the thought and I've been searching in a haze
I try all days to remember it
But now the blueprint in my mind has gone, my mind forgot the color of direction
And my eyes they see the hands that could've built
That could've constructed the empire in my mind
The empire I'll never find
I had a plan, but that was where it ended, ended
@siliuspatarius
"Каждый раз когда ты хочешь стать лучшим, не забывай, это рано или поздно произойдет" - огузок
@user-ph3le5wc3l
Аш реветь хота
@redfive5163
Грустно
@NYCdude95
Комент достоен миллионов лайка !!!
@groma3gimler26
Через год Огузок лайк
@matvey_lol3667
Войн без потерь не бывает, и иногда победа приносит столько потерь, что больше похоже на поражение. Война всегда непредсказуема — твой противник может стать твоим союзником, если у вас двоих появляются общие интересы. Больше всего от войны страдают невинные, которые оказались втянуты в сражение против своей воли. Война — это путь обмана. И порой обманутым оказываешься ты сам.
@youcubercorp
"Один известный шеф повар сказал, что жизнь это всего лишь кухня, на которой мы повара. Мы сами готовим себе счастье, сами добавляем ингредиенты. Универсального рецепта не существует, пробуйте, экспериментируйте."-Виктор Баринов.
@user-hv9oz8qk9d
Я на том моменте слезу пустил
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заслуженно получил звезду Мишлен
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читаешь его голосом .