With the release of the seminal Telemetry of a Fallen Angel (existing in a few incarnations prior to Dancing Ferret Discs' version in 1997), The Crüxshadows enjoyed their first defining moment courtesy of the infinitely catchy dance floor anthem "Marilyn My Bitterness." With additional strong releases including The Mystery of the Whisper (1999), Until the Voices Fade (1999) and Paradox Addendum (2000) backed by lengthy tours, The Crüxshadows were able to build a legion of diversified fans consisting of everything from jarheads to gamers to anime & role playing enthusiasts.
While the lineup has indeed changed over the years, one constant has remained the same; Rogue, the vocalist, leader and mastermind of The Crüxshadows has directed his troupe towards an unconventional and lofty goal. "I want to change the world with music, I want people to find hope within themselves. I want them to know that anything is possible if you believe and follow through. I think that music has the power to inspire and move people to do amazing things" he muses. He is not alone in his belief. Their fans seem to believe it too. The bands motto "live love be believe" is everywhere, and many of their supporters will tell you that the lyrics have changed their lives in some way. This isn't exactly typical for a band most often identified as gothic or dark-wave. The Crüxshadows are not concerned. "Goth isn't about being a stereotype" the front-man complains, "its about being who you want to be... about not running from yourself or your emotions." The charismatic singer/songwriter/producer understands an audience and tends to deliver his dramatic croon right in their laps. Nothing they do is exactly new, but how they do it is completely unique. The lyrics are deep and meaningful, the stage show is dynamic and entertaining, and the music is hooky and inspired by pop. But pop it is not. It is a hybrid music that exists in a place just left of everyday, and just right of never-ever.
The band has maintained a surprising consistency despite the personnel turnovers that have plagued it in recent years. Jessica Lackey, a singer/dancer who married Rogue in 2007, and keyboardist Jen Jawidzik, who was once Rogue and Jessica's roommate, have stuck with it for the better part of the last decade. "When we have to find someone new, I feel like sometimes they don't understand all the hard work that was necessary for us to get to that point" Jessica states flatly, "It is not difficult to under-appreciate everything the band has accomplished, so people move on because they have not invested the same energy into the project." While the shows and the music continues to get better, that magically 'permanent' combination of personalities has continued to elude them. The band has had a difficult time keeping guitar players and dancers in particular, but has seen turnover in almost every position. These days Crüxshadows has Rogue backed by a mostly female band of new wave latex clad gypsies, and boasts an original mix of violins, dancers, guitars, and electronics. Tight and well-practiced, the seven performers interact on stage with clockwork like precision. The audience is captivated. Some of them scream. Some of them sing along. A few others stare at the stage dumbfounded.
Although The Crüxshadows maintain a strong fan base in their native United States, their most perceptible success seems to be focused in Europe. It is not uncommon for the band to share stages with the likes of Ladytron, Prodigy, The Cure, or even Bjork. The 2002 Tears EP topped the Deutsche Alternative Charts for months, a practice that has continued with all subsequent releases soaring to the DAC's Top 10. "I don't think we're actually more popular there (In Europe)" says Rogue, "It just seems like there is more access to our fans. What we do has more acceptance by the powers that be. In America it feels like all of our victories are covered up or are unacknowledged by the media." 2002 also saw the release of their fifth full-length album Wishfire; a fan favorite that featured the Euro hit "Tears" and a number of other dark dance mainstays. Similarly the follow-up album Ethernaut (released in 2003) brought the band what has become one of its most notable tracks, the European club anthem entitled "Winterborn (This Sacrifice)."
Remixes and special versions of songs have kept there fans satiated when no new traditional album lay on the horizon. In 2004 Fortress In Flames was released featuring a cover by the popular American artist Chad Michael Ward. There The Crüxshadows' material was remixed by peers like the Dutch legends Clan of Xymox and German industrial giants In Strict Confidence. Each year has seen some new disc from the band, and they come in a variety of formats. The year 2005 witnessed the release of their first DVD Shadowbox. The DVD is highlighted by a 2004 performance before a rabid crowd of 15,000 at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig Germany, where the ‘call and response' raw energy the band delves out is served right back by an adoring audience.
In 2006 the band would seem to breakaway from their underground moniker. The addictive single "Sophia" impressively debuted on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts in September at position #1, replacing Beyoncé in the top spot while landing #7 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart. "We couldn't believe it, doors began to open. It was as if we couldn't be ignored anymore, after a decade and a half we seemed to be getting some respect. The local news in Florida even put us on the nightly news to get our take on the whole thing", the frontman recalls. The following year was pivotal for The Crüxshadows; in May the band successfully toured China performing at the Midi Open-Air Festival in Beijing, in the presence of many thousands of new fans. Later that year the band released the highly anticipated Dreamcypher album that contained yet another Billboard #1 Dance Single with the song "Birthday." This time the band climbed into the #2 spot on the Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart. With Dreamcypher, The Crüxshadows melded their fondness for 1980s Synth Pop/New Romantic sounds with modern Euro dance nuances into perfection. Dreamcypher joins the aforementioned shimmering "Sophia" and "Birthday" with the guitar fronted "Defender" and the majestic sounding "Eye of the Storm." The infectious disc would become The Crüxshadows' best selling album to date both in the United States and abroad.
The following year witnessed another single marching up the Billboard charts. "Immortal" continued the bands musical string of hits, despite the loss of violinist Rachel McDonnell. David Wood and JoHanna Moresco stepped in as an electric violining duo who not only safe-guarded the signature instrument of the band, but expanded it by way of rich layering and counterpoint melodies impossible in previous years. 2008 also saw the band's label Dancing Ferret Discs, withdraw from actively releasing new material. This left the band to deal with a large number of new and unforeseen issues, and delayed their plans to release a new full length album.
While The Crüxshadows spent most of 2009 touring in Europe, the band still managed to release yet another successful Billboard charting single in America. "Quicksilver" debuted just in time for their annual appearance at Atlanta's famed Dragon*Con Convention before an impressive capacity crowd of several thousand of their most loyal fans. "I think the new single, and really the most recent releases in general, are our most polished and well written work" says Rogue, "but there are still those in the scene, and in the business in general, that just think the whole thing is just dumb luck." The single was the first release from Wishfire Records, a new label founded by the band, and eventually reached #1 on The Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Charts and #2 on The Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Charts. Seemingly too pop for many critics and too underground for the industry, the band has apparently found the perfect balance for the people who matter the most to them; their fans.
The Crüxshadows have played by their own rules, and who is to say in a world of declining sales and illegal internet downloads that they haven't gotten the balance right. Time will tell. For now, The Crüxshadows continue to defy as well as define the odds, and their dark yet positive machine continues to roll.
Touch
The Crüxshadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who can it be?
A portrait of perfect
Femininity
Your teeth are sharp
And your nails are too
Master, Master
I won't mess with you
Oh master makes the velvet touch so smooth
Her skin makes my company (flutter and move)
I want her
I want her so much
Oh master, master give me the touch
Master, Master, Master
Your skin is so smooth
It pulls beneath my tongue
With its slight grooves
We want to make your heart
Beat quickly love
Fall into the pattern
Of the raptures run
Master, Master let me take this now
You're a little scared
Let me show you how
We'll lie like the angels in this heavenly...
And dance with fire in the patterns...
We stand behind this wall
With this black face
And black hammer
Protects the beating heart
And leave the blood to sour in her veins
Is the myth she offers warmer
Than the one we abandoned
When the door is opened for us?
The answer and the question
Are always one and the same.
Master, Master, Master
Desperate measures strike
I need to make you make me
Feel real life
Rich to the taste
So sweet the peace
Dancer, dancer
Sexuality
Master, Master come and save me now
Take my consciousness and extract my doubt
I want to, I want to, I want to so much
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, give me the touch
The touch
The lyrics to The Crüxshadows's song Touch seem to depict a submissive's desire for their dominant or "master". The title, "Touch", suggests a physical or intimate interaction, and the lyrics are full of references to skin, tongues, and sexuality. The singer addresses their master with reverence and fear, acknowledging their power and sharpness but still desiring them. They want to feel the "velvet touch" and have their doubts extracted by their master. The line "Is the myth she offers warmer than the one we abandoned" adds an interesting layer of questioning the value of their current dynamic versus past experiences.
The song appears to be exploring themes of power dynamics, submission, and desire. The use of the term "master" adds further implications to the relationship, suggesting a BDSM or Dom/sub dynamic. The language describing the master - "perfect femininity", "sharp teeth", and "smooth skin" - creates a clear image of their desired partner. The repetition of "Master, Master, Master" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's fixation on their master, and the chorus pleading for "the touch" creates a sense of urgency and desperation.
Overall, Touch is a song about a submissive yearning for their dominant partner, exploring themes of power dynamics and desire. The lyrics suggest a BDSM or Dom/sub relationship, with the singer addressing their partner as "master" and desiring their touch.
Line by Line Meaning
Master, Master, Master
The singer addresses their master multiple times, possibly out of respect or fear.
Who can it be?
The singer expresses uncertainty about their master's identity.
A portrait of perfect Femininity
The master is described as a flawlessly feminine figure, embodying grace and beauty.
Your teeth are sharp And your nails are too
The master's physical traits are described in a way that is both alluring and intimidating.
Master, Master I won't mess with you
The artist acknowledges their own fear or respect of the master and promises not to cross them.
Oh master makes the velvet touch so smooth
The singer finds the master's touch incredibly soft and pleasurable.
Her skin makes my company (flutter and move)
The singer's body reacts to the master's touch, causing them to feel nervous or excited.
I want her I want her so much
The artist expresses a strong desire for the master, both physically and emotionally.
Oh master, master give me the touch
The artist begs the master for more physical contact.
Your skin is so smooth, It pulls beneath my tongue, With its slight grooves
The artist describes the sensations they experience while touching the master's skin in detail.
We want to make your heart, Beat quickly love, Fall into the pattern, Of the raptures run
The singer and possibly others present express a desire to cause the master to feel intense emotions and physical sensations.
Master, Master let me take this now, You're a little scared, Let me show you how
The artist promises to take control of the situation and reassure the master, who may be feeling nervous or uneasy.
We'll lie like the angels in this heavenly, And dance with fire in the patterns...
The singer describes the ideal scenario in which they and the master engage in passionate physical activity.
We stand behind this wall, With this black face, And black hammer, Protects the beating heart, And leave the blood to sour in her veins
The singer describes a possibly violent or aggressive image involving a wall and a weapon, hinting at potential danger or harm.
Is the myth she offers warmer, Than the one we abandoned, When the door is opened for us? The answer and the question, Are always one and the same.
The singer questions whether the master's teachings or beliefs are better than what they previously knew, but acknowledges that the answer is ultimately unknown or ambiguous.
Master, Master Desperate measures strike, I need to make you make me, Feel real life
The artist admits to feeling desperate and needing the master's help in order to experience true emotions or sensations.
Rich to the taste, So sweet the peace, Dancer, dancer, Sexuality
The artist describes the sensations they crave and associate with the master, including richness, sweetness, and sensuality.
Master, Master come and save me now, Take my consciousness and extract my doubt
The singer pleads with the master to help them overcome their doubts or fears by taking control of their mind or emotions.
I want to, I want to, I want to so much, Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, give me the touch, The touch
The singer repeats their desire for the master's touch, begging for more physical contact.
Contributed by Miles F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.