The band would perform with various line-ups under their new name The Dignity of Labour starting in 1985. Taylor moved to California in mid 1989 and TDOL became a project under his direction, occasionally performing live with supporting musicians but generally existing in the studio amidst a cache of electronics.
In 1992, TDOL released the album Tired Hands, a collection of vocal ballads and instrumentals written over the previous five years. The album was originally released on cassette in limited quantities, but was re-released on CD in 1994 with four additional tracks. The release garnered some regional success, including an enticing offer by talent scouts Barefield and Vierra, and inclusion of the track La Belle Le Anna on a syndicated compilation disc. Taylor knew his future lay in electronic pop music.
By 1994, Taylor had moved to Denver, Colorado, where he began work on the second TDOL album, Belief. The basic tracks were recorded in Taylor's studio then mixed and mastered at Colorado Sound Studios. Belief was released in December 1997 through international distributor Joe's Grille and was available from various record stores in Colorado. The album was also sent to several labels that cater to electronic musicians. Despite favorable reviews praising TDOL for its accurate depiction of 80's-style electronic synthpop, TDOL decided not to actively promote the release through club gigs or radio airplay. Nevertheless, the tracks Shores of Eternity and Echoes caught the attention of a major record label in Europe.
Fast-forward to August 2002. Taylor submitted a post to a musician's mailing list, asking if anyone would be interested in producing/engineering the next TDOL album. He received several offers, including one from Colin Mansfield, a veteran jack-of-all-trades from St. Paul, Minnnesota. After a few weeks of e-mails and song-swapping, they decided it would be a great idea to work together. Given that Colin had a lot of experience in ambient music, Taylor was excited to see how these songs would come together. In March 2003 he spent a week in St. Paul with Colin and engineer Bob Cain at Ambient Sound, recording the first handful of demos for the new album. Response from those close to Taylor encouraged him to submit the tracks to several independent electronic-based labels in the US and Europe. Among those who responded with contract offers was synthpop label kingpin, A Different Drum, who offered him a one-single/one album deal. In June 2004, ADD released the debut single XRV to critical acclaim.
Taylor recently completed his third album. This self-titled effort explores further the mix of incisive lyrics and techno beats. Here, TDOL ventures into foreign territory, voicing the third person in some instances, disguising the song's identity through allusions to science and technology, while pushing the emotional envelope. The album was released in September 2005.
The Shape of Things to Come
The Dignity of Labour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One can dive to the bottom, never come up for air
Or filling valleys with mountains and meandering streams
Which carry a flood of incredible dreams
To cities covered in sun from building to street
Where the vagabonds dance to a tectonic beat
Or find a passionate storm within a desert soul
The climate is changing from pole to pole
There's a time approaching, nothing of its kind
To elevate your body, resurrect your mind
Carve your own path, strike a blow to a different drum
But don't deny the shape, the shape of things to come
Imagine a world where the visions run free
And the colors unite into a resident sea
Where no one's an island, nor lost in a crowd
The message is pure and coming out loud
In the depths of all time, the calendar still
No need for a cure, solution or pill
For an outbreak of love where the dying rejoice
In the grip of disease, is this not a choice?
There's a time approaching, nothing of its kind
To elevate your body, resurrect your mind
Doesn't matter why you are, where you come from
But don't deny the shape, the shape of things to come
The lyrics of The Dignity of Labour's song "The Shape of Things to Come" paint a vivid picture of a utopian world where pleasure and care are abundant. The first stanza creates an image of an ocean of pleasure and care where one can dive to the bottom and never come up for air, or filling valleys with mountains and meandering streams which carry incredible dreams. The cities are covered in sun, where the vagabonds dance to a tectonic beat, and we find a passionate storm within a desert soul. The climate is changing from pole to pole, indicating that the world is evolving, and the times are changing.
The second stanza talks about a time approaching that is nothing of its kind, which elevates our body and resurrects our mind. The message gives us the freedom to carve our path, strike a blow to a different drum, but the shape of things to come should not be denied. In this utopian world, the visions run free, colors unite into a resident sea, and no one's an island or lost in a crowd. The message is pure, and the depths of all time, the calendar still. There is an outbreak of love where the dying rejoice, even in the grip of disease. In this world, it does not matter where you come from, but the shape of things to come should not be denied.
Line by Line Meaning
Picture an ocean of pleasure and care
Imagine a world that is peaceful and joyous
One can dive to the bottom, never come up for air
It is so beautiful that one can be lost in it forever
Or filling valleys with mountains and meandering streams
The world is full of beautiful landscapes and natural wonders
Which carry a flood of incredible dreams
These landscapes inspire and evoke powerful dreams and feelings
To cities covered in sun from building to street
Cities are full of life and vibrancy, with the sun shining on everything
Where the vagabonds dance to a tectonic beat
Even those who are usually marginalized can find joy and express themselves freely
Or find a passionate storm within a desert soul
Even in the desolate parts of the world, there is still hope and passion
The climate is changing from pole to pole
The world is constantly evolving and changing, often for the better
There's a time approaching, nothing of its kind
A time is coming that has never been seen before
To elevate your body, resurrect your mind
This time will bring a renewed sense of physical and mental wellbeing
Carve your own path, strike a blow to a different drum
Be unique and follow your own path, even if it's not the norm
But don't deny the shape, the shape of things to come
Despite being unique, remember that there is still a greater vision of the future that everyone should strive for
Imagine a world where the visions run free
In this world, there is no limit to imagination or creativity
And the colors unite into a resident sea
Everyone is united, regardless of their differences
Where no one's an island, nor lost in a crowd
Everyone is recognized and valued as an individual, while also being part of a greater whole
The message is pure and coming out loud
A message of love and hope is being broadcasted to everyone
In the depths of all time, the calendar still
The past still exists and has influenced the present, but the future is not predetermined
No need for a cure, solution or pill
In this world, there is no need for external solutions because the problems have been solved internally
For an outbreak of love where the dying rejoice
Even in times of sadness and mortality, there is love and celebration of life
In the grip of disease, is this not a choice?
Even in the face of adversity, one can choose to respond with love and positivity
Doesn't matter why you are, where you come from
In this world, everyone is accepted and valued, regardless of their background or history
But don't deny the shape, the shape of things to come
Despite differences, there is still a greater vision that everyone should work towards
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.