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
Second Skin
VNV Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So far pleasure undenied
Just the bloodless touch of skin
Close your eyes and turn
The storm, the fray persists
Columns form in endless rain
No loss of courage or the will
There is no love that can endure
Envelop or protect you
Forward go to open seas
The quest it is your master
No time for you to heal yourself
I wish there'd been another way
In time I hope you'll see me as
The one who held you above the waves
Your hope becomes your second skin
To envelop and protect you
The joys were never undeserved
The greatness hid no doubt
So much that you denied yourself
And so much that you never knew
Long realized, the only choice
The empty streets in rain
The lyrics to VNV Nation's "Second Skin" are poetic and deeply introspective. The first two lines convey a longing for meaningful communication and intimacy, yet also express satisfaction in the absence of "undenied pleasure." The next two lines suggest a desire for physical contact and a willingness to give oneself over to sensory experience, perhaps suggesting a vulnerability or longing for escape. The subsequent verses extend the theme of struggle, with the mention of a "fray persists," indicating a continued fight, while offering reassurance through the idea of a personal quest and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
The sound of words I longed for said
I am longing to hear the right words that I have been waiting for so long.
So far pleasure undenied
Up until now, I have experienced pure joy and satisfaction with no doubts.
Just the bloodless touch of skin
All I desire is just the physical touch of skin without any emotional attachment.
Close your eyes and turn
You have to forget everything and turn a blind eye to what is happening around you.
The storm, the fray persists
The conflict and chaos continue to persist.
Columns form in endless rain
Groups of people are forming and growing under the endless rain of difficulties.
No loss of courage or the will
Despite facing endless challenges, nobody is losing their courage or willpower.
No dignity in staying
It's futile to stay and suffer, it's time to move on with dignity.
There is no love that can endure
Love can never last forever or completely protect you against harm.
Envelop or protect you
No matter how much you want love to protect you, it doesn't have the power to do so completely.
Forward go to open seas
It's time to move forward to uncharted territories and seek new experiences.
The quest it is your master
Your quest for adventure and new experiences is the driving force of your life.
No time for you to heal yourself
You don't have time to heal your wounds and your pain due to your constant search for new things.
I wish there'd been another way
I wish there had been a better way to handle the situation.
In time I hope you'll see me as
Eventually, I hope that you will recognize my intentions and what I tried to do for you.
The one who held you above the waves
I was the one who tried to rescue and protect you from danger.
Your hope becomes your second skin
Your hope and dreams become a part of you, inseparable from your personality and identity.
To envelop and protect you
Your hope and dreams are there to provide a sense of security and protection in an uncertain world.
The joys were never undeserved
You always worked hard and deserved the joy that came with achieving your goals.
The greatness hid no doubt
There was no doubt in how great you were and the amazing things you were able to accomplish.
So much that you denied yourself
You have denied yourself so many wonderful experiences and opportunities along the way.
And so much that you never knew
There are so many amazing things, adventures, and experiences that you have yet to discover in this world.
Long realized, the only choice
It took me a long time to figure out that the only choice is to move forward and try something new.
The empty streets in rain
As you move forward, you may feel isolated and lost in empty streets, but the rain will wash away your doubts and fears.
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.