1) American industrial… Read Full Bio ↴Vast or VAST is the name of more than one artist:
1) American industrial rock band
2) trance, alias of Bernie Eller
3) Drum n Bass
1) VAST stands for Visual Audio Sensory Theater, and is the brainchild of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and musician Jon Crosby.
VAST's sound is identifiable as ambient electro-rock with considerable industrial and acoustic influences, usually made with Crosby's traditional acoustic guitar, electronic instruments and processing, drum-driven tracks, and heavy bass. In recent years, however, VAST's sound has been more identifiable with acoustic rock in releases such as April and Me and You.
The musical outfit began in rather minimalist fashion when Jon was only sixteen, with the other members of the outfit being a drum machine and a bass player.
Their real rise to fame began when a local radio station granted consistent air-time to their demo tape, after which Crosby sent demo tapes to New York City recording companies, eventually signing with Elektra Records. Thomas Froggatt, Steve Clark, and Rowan Robertson made up the hastily-assembled band along with Crosby. After touring America and releasing their first album named simply Visual Audio Sensory Theater (1998), they began work on a second album, entitled Music for People (2000). Before it was finished, Robertson left in pursuit of a solo career. After auditioning, Justin Cotta was chosen to replace him. The new quartet began another US tour. In 2001, Cotta and Clark decided to leave the band to form their own.
VAST's next album, Nude, was preceded by the online release of the unmastered demo tracks, which were grouped into separate downloads known as Turquoise and Crimson . Some of the feedback from the fans regarding the demo tracks was taken into account when choosing the tracks for Nude, which was released on February 24, 2004. Two months after the release, the band began the new tour with a new lineup. Towards the end of 2004 when it became clear working with other labels was a bad idea, Crosby started his own label, 2Blossoms Records & Media, and began selling a double CD of the Turquoise and Crimson download albums from the VAST website, mastered and with new artwork, simply entitled Turquoise & Crimson. Strong online sales indicated that a retail release would be well received, and Turquoise and Crimson was officially released May 30th, 2006.
Crosby's model of selling cheap downloads of demo tracks before the completion of the recording process was repeated with the next album, April, which was available in an 'online version' before the album was finished. The final version included five new tracks and alternate (finished) versions of the tracks carried over from the online version. The release version of April is now available as a download from the VAST site, and they plan to release a limited collectors edition CD over the summer of 2007 before the retail release date is scheduled.
http://www.realvast.com
Channel Zero
Vast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing's new
What did you expect, another point of view?
Or someone more beautiful then you? Enjoy this emptiness
You give your soul and nothing less You're a naked person with no address So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last
Channel three's
Not for me
Oh my sleeping country tis of thee
You sell things that
That should be free
Technology has a better…
But I prevail
Is like what's in common they call hell
So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Casualties of channel zero
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last (2x)
Yeah, yeah...
The lyrics of Vast's song "Channel Zero" criticize the hypnotic power of the television and the media, which not only manipulates us but also makes us complacent with our emptiness. The first verse refers to channel two as an empty form of entertainment that offers no alternative way of thinking and encourages us to be superficial. The singer points out that viewers give their souls but ultimately gain nothing of value. They are lost souls without a place to call home. However, the viewers can't let go of the television because it provides an enticing escape from their everyday existence. The second verse refers to channel three, which is even harder to escape from because it preys on the viewer's national pride and patriotism. The singer notes that the country that once preached freedom and democracy now promotes consumerism and technological dependency. The true hell is the pervasive homogeneity of culture and the lack of individuality and critical thinking.
Overall, "Channel Zero" argues that television and media waste our time and lull us into a false sense of satisfaction that ultimately leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled. In this way, we become the "casualties" of channel zero, a reference to the numberless individuals who become complacent and willing to sacrifice their intellect for the sake of an easy escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Channel two
The television is tuned to channel two
Nothing's new
There is nothing original or insightful on the television
What did you expect, another point of view?
The singer is asking if the listener expected to see something different on the television
Or someone more beautiful then you? Enjoy this emptiness
The artist implies that the listener is seeking beauty on the television, but it will bring them emptiness instead
You give your soul and nothing less
The artist accuses the listener of giving their entire being to the television
You're a naked person with no address
The singer describes the listener as vulnerable and lost without direction or purpose
So why can't you turn it off?
The singer questions the listener's inability to stop watching television
Because it turns you on
The artist suggests that the listener is addicted to television
Why can't you look away?
The artist wants to know why the listener can't stop watching television
The box is here to stay
The television is a permanent fixture in modern society
Casualties of channel zero
People who watch too much television are being harmed
Quiet desperation
The artist describes the sadness and hopelessness that comes with watching too much television
Channel three's not for me
The singer does not like channel three
Oh my sleeping country tis of thee
The singer is addressing America, implying that it is apathetic and lazy
You sell things that should be free
The television sells things that the singer believes should be freely available
Technology has a better...
Technology offers better options than television
But I prevail
The artist will not be defeated by the television, despite its popularity
Is like what's in common they call hell
The singer believes that television is like hell, a shared experience that is unpleasant
Didn't last
The casualties of channel zero did not survive the negative effects of watching too much television
Yeah, yeah...
An expression of agreement or understanding
Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
soft blade
Channel two
Nothing's new
What did you expect, another point of view?
Or someone more beautiful then you? Enjoy this emptiness
You give your soul and nothing less You're a naked person with no address So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Casualties of channel zero
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last
Channel three's
Not for me
Oh my sleeping country tis of thee
You sell things that
That should be free
Technology has a better…
But I prevail
Is like what's in common they call hell
So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Casualties of channel zero
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last (2x)
Yeah, yeah...
Valerie Katz
flawless, every single song on every single album!!! ❤
Zelda
@amigosaurio yes :s i hope they will be more famous one day, they are so awesome, VAST it's one of the best bands that i know!!
Vi Magnetica
Shortly after, they released a compilation of Jon Crosby's older demo material called A Complete Demonstration. It was a rare numbered CD or instant download. Then a prerelease of April came out and was hardly announced so the true fans would get a taste of April before it actually was finished. The true version of April came out several months later and contained some different songs and was higher production quality. New VAST is on the way soon. Go to their site for more details.
Vi Magnetica
They were signed to Elektra Records for their first 2 albums VAST and Music For People. That was their more mainstream era in 1997 even though they didn't have much airplay. Then they signed to Carson Daly's label at the time and recorded Nude. After getting dropped, they tried to get rights to Nude to release Nude 2. They ended up creating 2Blossoms and recorded Turquoise EP and Crimson EP. They eventually made it into a double disc set called Turquoise And Crimson.....
soft blade
Channel two
Nothing's new
What did you expect, another point of view?
Or someone more beautiful then you? Enjoy this emptiness
You give your soul and nothing less You're a naked person with no address So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Casualties of channel zero
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last
Channel three's
Not for me
Oh my sleeping country tis of thee
You sell things that
That should be free
Technology has a better…
But I prevail
Is like what's in common they call hell
So why can't you turn it off?
Because it turns you on
Why can't you look away?
The box is here to stay
Casualties of channel zero
Quiet desperation
Casualties of channel zero
Didn't last (2x)
Yeah, yeah...
Andris Lauva
I will buy all hes albums.
Vi Magnetica
Oh and we can't forget the latest release, Me And You. Also if you can find them, there are 3 demos floating around online called "Neon Muzzle", "Tycoon", and "The Queen Is My Slave". I have them because I found them in the forums on 2Blossoms site which no longer exists. I would share them, but let's see if you can find it first :)
Hikaru K.
Kind of a shame that after 13 years, this has never been made available again.
Luis Landa
Old songs you say?? omg!! How is it possible that i just got to know this band??? Are´nt they comertial enought?
Ivan Joaquin Garcia Moreno
now im a new fan thanks