Bechtolt was born in Astoria, Oregon and began playing music as a teenager, dropping out of high school to play drums in his brother's touring punk band. He started working with electronics in the late 1990s and began releasing solo records under the name YACHT in 2003. Nearly all of his recordings have been distributed by both Marriage Records and States Rights Records.
Claire Evans came of age playing in bands in the underground noise scene of Los Angeles, and was part of the Portland-based The World Court. She has presented her PowerPoint performances at MoMA PS1, The Kitchenand the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and has collaborated with Bechtolt on literally hundreds of projects since they met in 2004.
In 2003, Bechtolt was commissioned to create a full length audio/visual electronic pop opera by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). He performed with his group The Badger King with bandmate Marianna Ritchie (a Wolf Colonel and Dear Nora alumnus who went on to record alone as Manta, and then Mantar).
In 2006, Bechtolt collaborated with Khaela Maricich as half of the pop group The Blow to release Paper Television. Bechtolt toured extensively with The Blow, providing beats and backup vocals until quitting the band in 2007 in order to focus on his work in YACHT.
In January 2006, Bechtolt was commissioned for two performances for the New York based art and technology platform Rhizome, as part of their "Crap-tops vs Laptops" show. In February 2006, he performed at the Museum of Modern Art's P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center and produced an hour-long internet radio program with Clear Cut Press; a Northwest-based publisher of new literary work.
In 2007, for the release party for YACHT's album I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real, Bechtolt performed a concert on an actual yacht on the Willamette River in Portland.
The 2009 release, See Mystery Lights, was the first to feature Claire Evans as a group member.
YACHT live performances include dancing as well as elaborate PowerPoint presentations. Bechtolt documents his professional and sometimes personal life via video, text, and images on his blog.
In 2010, YACHT expanded to include The Straight Gaze; a backing band of 2 additional members. Bobby Birdman plays bass guitar and sings backing vocals while Jeffrey Jerusalem plays drums. In this incarnation Bechtolt and Evans both play instruments.
Bechtolt is a co-founder of the Portland-based popular blogging web community Urban Honking as well as the producer, editor, cameraman and a writer of The Ultimate Blogger.
Both Bechtolt and Evans are vegans.
Sites: YouTube, SoundCloud, Discogs, Wikipedia, Twitter and www.teamYACHT.com
One Step
YACHT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are fine
Two steps over the line, still feels okay in your mind
You're still fine
Three steps over the line, three steps isn't a crime
Not a crime
You're beginning to consider a return to the line
Five steps over the line,
One more step and you can put it behind
Get in line, get in line, get in line, get in line
Get in line, get in line, get in line, get in line
Six steps over the line, why are we talking about lines?
All you see is forms and colors and designs
Seven steps over the line,
Seems like all those steps, they have been in your mind
Eight steps over the line, you're so far gone
Now feeling close to sublime
Nine steps over the line,
Whoa, that last step felt like a c-c-c-crime
Ten steps over the line, ten steps over the line
Ten steps
And you're mine, and you're mine,
And you're mine, and you're mine,
And you're mine, and you're mine, and you're mine,
And you're mine, and you're mine, and you're mine
The song "One Step" by YACHT is a commentary on the idea of crossing lines, and how it can become progressively easier and harder to return to them once they are crossed. The lyrics describe a process of initially crossing the line once and feeling fine, to crossing it multiple times and feeling further removed from the line, until finally crossing it so many times that it becomes almost impossible to return. The repetition of the phrase "get in line" throughout the song serves to emphasize the importance of staying within boundaries and not becoming too consumed by the idea of pushing limits.
The use of the line as a metaphor in the song can be interpreted in a number of ways, including as a reference to social norms or personal boundaries. The repeated questioning of why the line is even being discussed can be seen as a commentary on society's tendency to strictly enforce rules and regulations without considering their larger implications. The final lines of the song, where the subject of the song becomes the possession of the person speaking, can be interpreted as a warning against the dangers of losing control and not being able to return to a sense of self.
Overall, "One Step" is a catchy and thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to think about the consequences of crossing lines and the importance of setting boundaries for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
One step over the line, you're not much over the line
When you take just one step beyond the accepted boundary, it's not a big deal and you are still within the acceptable limits.
Two steps over the line, still feels okay in your mind
Even when you take a couple of steps beyond the boundary, you still feel comfortable and justified in your actions.
Three steps over the line, three steps isn't a crime
Taking three steps beyond the boundary may not be illegal or a punishable offense, but it is still beyond the socially accepted norm.
Four steps over the line, You're beginning to consider a return to the line
Once you've taken four steps beyond the boundary, you realize the need to retreat and return to the acceptable limit.
Five steps over the line, One more step and you can put it behind
With just one more step beyond the boundary, you can stop worrying about it and consider it a done deal.
Six steps over the line, why are we talking about lines?
When you take six steps beyond the boundary, the concept of boundary itself loses meaning and you start questioning its relevance.
Seven steps over the line, Seems like all those steps, they have been in your mind
Having taken seven steps beyond the boundary, you realize that most of it was just in your mind and there was no real need for it.
Eight steps over the line, you're so far gone Now feeling close to sublime
After taking eight steps beyond the boundary, you feel so far away from the norm that you start experiencing a sense of euphoria and detachment from reality.
Nine steps over the line, Whoa, that last step felt like a c-c-c-crime
Having taken nine steps beyond the boundary, the last one feels like a criminal offense and you start feeling guilty about it.
Ten steps over the line, ten steps over the line Ten steps
Having taken ten steps beyond the boundary, you have completely crossed over and there is no going back.
And you're mine, and you're mine, And you're mine, and you're mine, And you're mine, and you're mine, and you're mine, And you're mine, and you're mine, and you're mine
You have now completely taken ownership of your actions and the consequences that come with it.
Get in line, get in line, get in line, get in line Get in line, get in line, get in line, get in line
The constant repetition of 'get in line' highlights the importance of adhering to the commonly accepted boundaries and not taking things too far.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: CLAIRE LOUISE EVANS, JONATHAN WARREN BECHTOLT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Javier Grau
The only thing I regret in this life is discovering this band in 2019
Crimsonphilic
This song crosses the line. :P
VerisonMember
"Yacht" is supposed to be in capital letters.
TheNickZman
best song ever, people who dont like yacht are crazy, its like common sense to like them, smae with bobby birdmanz
VerisonMember
Sheetz brought me here.
Nellie Ruiz
*YACHT :)
jogunavi89
but the line is too borring
シュレッダーを見る会
Catchy tune but the words are disappointing.
PANOS5656
ANT1