Young Galaxy formed in Vancouver, Canada, as duo including Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless. Through that summer of 2005 and the spring of 2006 they recorded with appearances and contributions of friends at Jace Lasek’s Breakglass Studio. Their sound has been described as similar to the bands Slowdive, Galaxie 500 and Luna as well as Pink Floyd and Spiritualized. The band has toured in Canada, The United States and Europe, opening for Arcade Fire, The Album Leaf, The Frames, Peter, Bjorn and John, Stars and Death Cab For Cutie. They later moved to Montreal, where they recorded their self-titled debut. The album was released on April 24, 2007.
They recorded their second album Invisible Republic in Montreal at Hotel2Tango studio with Radwan Moumneh engineering (A Silver Mt. Zion, Pas Chic Chic) and at Breakglass Studios with Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes engineering. Invisible Republic was released independently on August 25, 2009 through Fontana North. It was mixed by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol) in Glasgow, Scotland. It was subsequently released in July 2010 in the U.S.A. by Paper Bag Records, and received a long list nomination for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.
The band followed up in fall 2010 with YG No Art EP, an EP comprising unreleased tracks and remixes from the Invisible Republic sessions.
Their third album, Shapeshifting, was recorded in Montreal, Canada, and was produced by Dan Lissvik of the band Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. The band communicated with Lissvik via Skype over the nine months he spent mixing the recorded vocals.
The album, released in February 2011 on Paper Bag Records, has been described as a massive change in creative direction, eschewing their former shoegaze, dream-pop style for a more electronic pop sound. Stephen Ramsay describes the change in song composition method, "instead of picking up a guitar and finding the most brilliant melody we could, we tried to erase the shape of the songs."
Discography:
Swing Your Heartache (2006, EP)
Young Galaxy (2007)
Invisible Republic (2009)
YG No Art EP (2010)
Shapeshifting (2011)
Ultramarine (2013)
Phantoms
Young Galaxy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We escape
Making beds of hostile landscapes
The wood crack of moment to moment
Stings our faces
But tears away at four structures
We're moving together
Moving together
Up the steepest of wave walls
We climb
Against the back of the sunlit mountainside
The ghosts and the gun guide our way
Through riffraff of light
Looking in on our own true nature
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
We're less and less human
More and more phantom
Broad-winged and boundless
Shadowed and soundless
Fervent and faithless
Towering trace-less
Deconstructing our nature
We're moving together
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
Moving together, moving together
The lyrics of Young Galaxy's "Phantoms" speak to a sense of liberation and transformation. The opening lines describe a "glass-towered world" that the singers are escaping from. They make "beds of hostile landscapes," suggesting a willingness to embrace the unfamiliar and difficult in their pursuit of freedom. The second verse takes us up "the steepest of wave walls" and against a "sunlit mountainside." The images of waves and mountains suggest natural and elemental obstacles, but the singers are undeterred. They are guided by "ghosts and guns" through the "riffraff of light," which could be perceived as metaphorical obstacles to their journey. The final verse seems to suggest that this journey has transformed them. They are "less and less human," more "phantom." They are "broad-winged and boundless," "shadowed and soundless," and "towering trace-less." These descriptions suggest a sense of freedom and possibility that is almost magical. They are "deconstructing" their nature and moving together as a collective towards a new way of existing.
Overall, "Phantoms" feels like an anthem for those seeking a life beyond the constraints of the ordinary world. The imagery of waves, mountains, and light suggest that this journey is not easy, but the singers are undeterred. They are willing to shed their old selves and embrace a new, more magical existence. The unity suggested by the repetition of "moving together" towards this new life makes it seem like a collective journey, rather than an individual one.
Line by Line Meaning
With a crash of the glass-towered world
We are breaking free of the constraints of modern society.
We escape
We are leaving behind the mundane and becoming something more.
Making beds of hostile landscapes
We are adapting to new environments that were once unwelcoming.
The wood crack of moment to moment
The sounds of nature remind us of the power of the present moment.
Stings our faces
The harsh realities of the world can be painful but necessary.
But tears away at four structures
The journey is breaking down the structures that once held us back.
Up the steepest of wave walls
We are facing our greatest challenges head-on.
We climb
We are making progress towards a greater purpose.
Against the back of the sunlit mountainside
We are moving towards the light and leaving darkness behind us.
The ghosts and the gun guide our way
We are haunted by our past and driven by our desire for change.
Through riffraff of light
We are navigating through the noise and distractions of the world.
Looking in on our own true nature
We are reflecting on who we are becoming and our place in the world.
We're less and less human
We are shedding our old selves and becoming something greater.
More and more phantom
We are becoming elusive, mysterious, and powerful.
Broad-winged and boundless
We are limitless in our potential and capabilities.
Shadowed and soundless
We move quietly and unnoticed, using our strength to achieve our goals.
Fervent and faithless
We are driven by passion but not limited by beliefs or dogmas.
Towering trace-less
We leave no mark or trail behind us as we move forward.
Deconstructing our nature
As we change and evolve, we must also unlearn old habits and ways of thinking.
We're moving together
We are united and driven by a common goal.
We're moving together
We are working together, supporting each other through our journey.
Moving together, moving together
We are constantly moving and growing as a collective.
Moving together
We are unstoppable, moving towards our destiny.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Catherine Anne McCandless, Stephen Ramsay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arminiouz
“With a crash of the glass-towered world
We escape
Making beds of hostile landscapes
The wood crack of moment to moment
Stings our faces
But tears away at four structures
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
Up the steepest of wave walls
We climb
Against the back of the sunlit mountainside
The ghosts and the gun guide our way
Through riffraff of light
Looking in on our own true nature
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
We're less and less human
More and more phantom
Broad-winged and boundless
Shadowed and soundless
Fervent and faithless
Towering trace-less
Deconstructing our nature
We're moving together
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
Moving together, moving together” - YG
@steliospolychronakis8740
This is what you can do with a coulpe of sheets, a good director and a great song.
@jeramybailey2381
I don't know why I find this so haunting.
@astian93
I think I like it!!... I never heard that band before.. they are really good. :D
@calvinosborne3866
i love this song the concept of the vid everything is awesome !!! :)
@liquidstone14
we're moving together.
@TheLiquidstateofLife
Love it! i'm delighted.
@MutableEntity
I fucking love this band! I wish i could go see them in Toronto this weekend. Anyone who gives damn should go watch the video for "Blown Minded", and make sure to read the description. Amazing video and song. Peace and Love.
@arminiouz
“With a crash of the glass-towered world
We escape
Making beds of hostile landscapes
The wood crack of moment to moment
Stings our faces
But tears away at four structures
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
Up the steepest of wave walls
We climb
Against the back of the sunlit mountainside
The ghosts and the gun guide our way
Through riffraff of light
Looking in on our own true nature
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
We're less and less human
More and more phantom
Broad-winged and boundless
Shadowed and soundless
Fervent and faithless
Towering trace-less
Deconstructing our nature
We're moving together
We're moving together
Moving together, moving together
Moving together
Moving together, moving together” - YG
@PriscilaMayfair
What a voice!!!
@ancientrosewater
#catalyst of change to one another, chemicals that harmonize together