VNV Nation's inspiration was originally the clash of the modern and classical European cultures, where mythology and technology live in an uneasy fusion, but this has since broadened to encompass a world view. The music ranges from electronic dance music to ballads and classically inspired music. Inspirations are taken from a wide range of styles including contemporary underground club culture, industrial, trance and classical music. The lyrics draw on philosophy, religion, literature, art, politics and different forms of symbolism, although VNV Nation does not advocate any ideology. It is a metaphor for expression. The letters VNV stand for "Victory Not Vengeance". The meaning behind this stylised motto is that one should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.
VNV Nation's first releases were in 1990 with two self produced vinyl releases, "Body Pulse" and "Strength of Youth" (which are now long deleted with Ronan Harris himself not having a copy). After working on some VNV Nation tracks and supporting Nitzer Ebb on tour whilst living in Toronto, Canada, Ronan returned to London and released some tracks on sampler CDs. This caught the interest of German label Discordia and in July 1995, "Advance and Follow" was released. At around about the same time, Mark Jackson joined the band.
In January 1998, VNV Nation signed with the German label, Off Beat Records, releasing their second album "Praise the Fallen" in June 1998 and the EP "Solitary EP" in September 1998. With VNV Nation increasing in popularity, they began their first headline tour in Germany in September 1998.
In 1999, the Off Beat label collapsed, leading to VNV Nation (along with other artists such as Covenant, Suicide Commando and Velvet Acid Christ) collaborating with Stefan Herwig (a former A&R manager with Off Beat) to create Dependent Records. In late 1999, the album "Empires" was released, staying at number 1 in the German Alternative Chart (DAC) for seven weeks, and winning the award for DAC Album of the Year.
From "Empires" two singles were released "Darkangel", which tops the DAC for 5 weeks in mid 1999 and "Standing", which stays at no.1 in the DAC for 8 weeks in early 2000 (the maximum a single can remain in the DAC) winning a German Alternative Music Award for most successful single of 2000 and sharing the place for most successful single in the DAC's history with the Chemical Brothers. A limited edition of the "Standing" single was also released entitled "Standing / Burning Empires" which contained alternate versions and remixes by VNV Nation of tracks from "Empires". This remains one of the most sought after VNV rarities, fetching large sums on auction sites, although it has recently been released on iTunes to allow casual listeners to purchase it.
In March 2001, "Advance and Follow v2" was released as a limited edition, which was a remastered and partially re-recorded version of the original 1995 album "Advance and Follow". The band were never particularly happy with the first album due to it being recorded in less than a week, so the release was seen by the band as a way to put that right.
In October 2001, VNV Nation embarked on their "Futureperfect" tour of Europe and North America, promoting the album "Futureperfect" which was released in January 2002. It reached number 25 in the full German Album Charts, with the single "Beloved" reaching number 60 in the full German Singles Chart. Following the release of "Beloved", VNV Nation part ways with Dependant and create their own label "Anachron Records".
In June 2003, the Honour 2003 EP is released, promoting the "Pastperfect" live DVD, which following many delays and problems was finally released in May 2004. Following this the rest of 2004 and beginning of 2005 was spent producing the album "Matter and Form", which was released in April 2005. Preceeding the album release, one of the tracks "Chrome" was sold in March 2005 as a download on the VNV Nation website, as well as iTunes.
In April 2007, the album "Judgement" was released, and an extensive world tour in support of the album followed. In January 2009, VNV Nation published their plans for 2009 on their website, indicating that the long delayed "Reformation" EP would be available, but now as a full "CD Pack". Also due for release in 2009 is the new album entitled "Of Faith, Power and Glory".
In November 2017 Mark Jackson left the band to "pursue other paths in life".
To read more about Ronan Harris and his motivations behind the band and 2009's "Of Faith, Power and Glory," please visit http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/interview-ronan-harris-of-vnv
Frika
VNV Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Await unequaled thought and virtuosity
Desire lies in wait, a precious cup, a stone or some such
Absent moments, ones which raised the heart to stand so great
Cannot choose not to deny, blame falls easy silently
Darkness preferable, comfort found again
In solitude, a door into an empty room, a door to familiar desolation
Inside there is gentleness
Calm preceding tears
Cry again, cry again
Moment of toil
Call the Gods to answer me
Hear me say, "Hear my pain"
Call the Gods to answer me
Frika come! Frika come!
Promise and enlightenment abounded
Felled like trees the pillars that held me high
Running blind, running blind
On stony ground I stumble and vow return
Inside there is gentleness
Calm preceding tears
Cry again, cry again
Moment of toil
Call the Gods to answer me
Hear me say, "Hear my pain"
Call the Gods to answer me
Frika come! Frika come!
Inside there is anger now
Calm precedes the rage
Cry again, cry again
Moment of toil
Call the Gods to answer me
Hear me say, "Hear my pain"
All the Gods to answer me
Frika come! Frika come!
The song "Frika" by VNV Nation is a melancholy and introspective piece that explores the emotions of desire, solitude, loss, and the search for a greater purpose or meaning in life. The opening lines "Over time desire shall fall and lie and fade / Await unequaled thought and virtuosity" suggest that the singer is resigned to the fact that their desires will eventually wither away, but they still hold hope for something greater to come. The imagery of a "precious cup, a stone or some such" waiting to be discovered suggests that the singer is searching for a symbol or a meaning that will bring them fulfillment.
The second verse explores the darker aspects of this introspection, with the singer contemplating the ease of choosing darkness over light and finding comfort in solitude despite the feeling of emptiness. The lines "The spoils of past years lost for reason lost for some notions of new days" suggest that the singer may have lost sight of their goals or purpose, leading to a sense of despair and longing for something more. The chorus, with the repeated plea of "Call the Gods to answer me / Hear me say, 'Hear my pain' / Frika come! Frika come!" emphasizes the idea of searching for something greater than oneself, whether it be a deity or a symbol of hope.
The final verse adds a layer of anger to the mix, with the singer's emotions boiling over into rage. The lines "Inside there is anger now / Calm precedes the rage / Cry again, cry again / Moment of toil" portray a sense of inner turmoil and an intense desire to be heard and understood. Overall, "Frika" is a complex and emotional exploration of desire, loss, and the search for meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Over time desire shall fall and lie and fade
As time goes by, one's desires will diminish and eventually disappear.
Await unequaled thought and virtuosity
Hope for unparalleled ideas and skill.
Desire lies in wait, a precious cup, a stone or some such
A person's wishes are like hidden treasures, valued and precious.
Absent moments, ones which raised the heart to stand so great
Memories of happy times, that lifted the spirits up high and made one feel invincible.
Cannot choose not to deny, blame falls easy silently
It's hard to avoid denial, and it's easy to place blame quietly on others.
Darkness preferable, comfort found again
Sometimes it's easier to find solace in the darkness, and rediscover a sense of comfort.
In solitude, a door into an empty room, a door to familiar desolation
Being alone can feel like entering an empty space and elicit a sense of familiarity with loneliness and emptiness.
The spoils of past years lost for reason lost for some notions of new days
The wealth or achievements of past years can disappear due to losing sight of the original reasons to strive for them and the desire to embrace new opportunities.
Inside there is gentleness
Calm preceding tears
Cry again, cry again
Moment of toil
Internally, there is a sense of tranquility that comes before facing difficult times that can bring tears and cause some struggles.
Call the Gods to answer me
Hear me say, "Hear my pain"
Call the Gods to answer me
Frika come! Frika come!
Asking the divine powers to listen, and pleading for the help of the goddess Frika.
Promise and enlightenment abounded
Felled like trees the pillars that held me high
Running blind, running blind
On stony ground I stumble and vow return
The promises and wisdom that once dominated have fallen, and the source of support has vanished leading to feeling lost, hopeless and yearning to find the way back.
Inside there is anger now
Calm precedes the rage
Cry again, cry again
Moment of toil
Now, there is a sense of anger that slowly builds up into a raging storm, still leading to some tears, and struggles.
Call the Gods to answer me
Hear me say, "Hear my pain"
All the Gods to answer me
Frika come! Frika come!
Asking all divine powers to hear the pain, and repeating the plea for Frika's help.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yve Hexen
Uuuh!!! I <3 this song!!! When they say: Inside there is gentleness, calm preceding tears: cry again, cry again. Moment of toil! Call the Gods to answer me, hear me say: hear my pain, call the Gods to answer me, Frika come! Frika come!
Sarafina616
Love this song! every time I get goosebumps!
DeathSquadLegionaire
When you actually listen to the lyrics and make sense of them... It's a frighteningly accurate description of the "philosophical block", the loss of moral direction which usually comes with psychological turmoil.
Santiago Quelal Pasquel
nunca había escuchado este disco de vnv nation, uno de los primeros, pero no está nada mal.
cloudbloom
Amazing how a facebook "like" from the guy who made this song led me here. Can't believe how long ago it was when Ronan made this. Fantastic as always.
Joey Wall
You have a great user icon.
djmusicjac
Awesome german electro-dark, wonderful sound, i love dark industrial electro very much, the dark, deep bass is awesome
Will Stone
Great Mother Frika also know as Gaia, Inanna, Ishtar, Queen of Heaven and Earth, may also been known as Venus, Aphrodite, and a whole host of other names. <3
A D R I F T
Frika is the Goddess of Peace.
bairdrew
i cant quite remember, but i think frika is another name from one of the ancient norse gods, either frey or freya? i might be wrong though. and this song is excellent :)