motW had a consistent core membership which consisted of Jason Byron, Greg Massi, and Toby Driver. Throughout motW's career, they saw a sort of "revolving door" of members and session musicians as they were needed. In this regard, it may be more accurate to think of motW as a project rather than a typical band, akin to Chuck Schuldiner's influential death metal project/band, Death.
motW's music, lyrics, and atmosphere dealt predominantly with the subject of astral projection. The band tried to find music rather than compose it. This was attempted through practicing astral projection and lucid dreams, from which the band were purportedly able to "bring back" pre-existing music from the astral plane. This idea is similar to the common dogmatic notion that "all good things come from God", but with a new-age spin.
In late 2001, motW began working on a fourth studio album. During this time, the band lost longtime members, changed labels, and ultimately renamed themselves to Kayo Dot. This fourth motW album was released in 2003 as Kayo Dot's Choirs of the Eye.
Bath and Leaving Your Body Map were re-issued by Dark Symphonies in 2006 and the label has recently announced plans to re-release My Fruit PsychoBells...A Seed Combustible in September 2007.
On July 27, 2008, Toby Driver released a statement in his blog which confirms that a new studio album will be recorded starting February, 2009. The album, entitled Part the Second, was released in May 2009 on the band's website. The record was entirely fan-funded, and people who contributed to the funding of the record are listed on their website. A double-LP edition pressed at 45rpm was issued in November 2010 thanks to fan donations.
In 2012, the bands whole discography was re-released on CD through Blood Music, including The Secret Song single and the first CD release of Part the Second.
Bizarre Flowers / A Violent Mist
maudlin of the Well Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gives its own luminescence
Like some phantom lantern glare
There is nothing in this place but rainfall
Forlorn, dreary secret ghosts
That hide between the twilit trees
Doth gaze upon the spores that gleam
They only know the floral dream
By the shade of wither'd day
How the moonbeams dance and waver
Splendid through the pallid air
The poison mists doth flow and gather
Burst from ev'ry season'd flow'ret
Like mimosas of the night
Fleeth garden charms that sparkle
Like a shattered lantern's light
I breathe the vapours that surround
Like so many seedling faeries
Rose, and thistle
And berry red
That preside over the dead
Tell me what they've seen and said:
"Breathe no more
Thy ghost dost wait
To take thy place
At Garden's Gate
Poison, venom,
Toxic fume hast ensured
Thy witless doom!"
The lyrics of "Bizarre Flowers / A Violent Mist" by maudlin of the Well depict a surreal and dreamlike landscape, where the singer is surrounded by glowing flowers that emit their own light. The scene is eerie and unsettling, with hints of ghosts and secrets that hide between the trees. The singer seems to be inhaling the toxic fumes emanating from the flowers, which have brought them to the brink of death. The lyrics suggest a sense of both wonder and horror, as the singer contemplates the beauty of the floral dream before succumbing to its deadly effects.
In the first verse, the singer describes the luminescence of the flowers around them, comparing it to the glow of a phantom lantern. The imagery of blooming bulbs implies a sense of growth and fertility, but this is undercut by the forlorn and dreary atmosphere of the scene. The ghosts that hide between the trees add to the sense of unease, as if the singer is aware of some dark secret lurking just beyond their field of vision. The final line of the verse, "They only know the floral dream," suggests that the flowers exist for their own sake, and that their beauty and poison are intertwined.
The second verse continues with the themes of poison and death, as the images of withered days and poison mists conjure a sense of decay and corruption. The moonbeams, which might otherwise be associated with romance or inspiration, are here described as "splendid through the pallid air," emphasizing the sickly and otherworldly quality of the scene. The final two lines suggest that the garden and its charms are transient and fragile, like the flicker of a shattered lantern's light. The image of a shattered lantern could be interpreted as a metaphor for the fragility of life, or as a reminder that even beauty and creativity can be destroyed or rendered meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
Each bulb about me blooms
The flowers surrounding me are in full bloom
Gives its own luminescence
Each flower is providing its own light
Like some phantom lantern glare
The light from the flowers looks as if it's coming from a ghostly lantern
There is nothing in this place but rainfall
Apart from the flowers and the rain, there is nothing else here
Forlorn, dreary secret ghosts
In this lonely and sad place, there are some secrets that haunt it
That hide between the twilit trees
These secrets are hidden amongst the trees in the fading light of evening
Doth gaze upon the spores that gleam
The secrets are watching the shining spores
They only know the floral dream
These secrets have a connection to the flowers and only they understand the dreams of these flowers
By the shade of wither'd day
This is happening on a day that has lost its life and color
How the moonbeams dance and waver
The moonlight is flickering and moving around
Splendid through the pallid air
It looks beautiful in the white, colorless air
The poison mists doth flow and gather
The poisonous mists are collecting and spreading around
Burst from ev'ry season'd flow'ret
The poisonous mist is coming from every flower in the area
Like mimosas of the night
The flowers are releasing this poison like mimosa tree flowers do
Fleeth garden charms that sparkle
The charms of this garden are running away like valuable shiny things
Like a shattered lantern's light
Like a broken lantern, the light of the garden's charm has been dispersed into a million of pieces
I breathe the vapours that surround
The artist is inhaling the poisonous mists aorund them
Like so many seedling faeries
These vapours seem to be as numerous and alive as small, magical faeries
Rose, and thistle
There are roses and thistles around
And berry red
There are also vibrant red berries present
That preside over the dead
These plants are in charge of the lifeless and decaying things in their vicinity
Tell me what they've seen and said:
Asking the plants to reveal the things they've witnessed and communicated
"Breathe no more
An eerie, dark warning from the plants is delivered
Thy ghost dost wait
Your ghostly double is waiting for you
To take thy place
To step in for you
At Garden's Gate
At the entrance to this garden
Poison, venom,
The plant's language is now more direct
Toxic fume hast ensured
The toxic fumes have already caused the individual's demise
Thy witless doom!"
Your fate was sealed without your knowledge or consent
Writer(s): Toby Driver
Contributed by Elliot J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.