Both members worked a lot in other projects in the years before. Conny played the violin for more than ten years and performed in many orchestras. She also sang in some classical choruses and as a soloist, and is familiar with baroque and romantic compositions like G.F. Handel, E. Grieg or Pergolesi.
Olaf was in his childhood a member of the "Stadtsingechor Halle", the oldest chorus of the world. Later, he played in many musical projects and bands, and also composed for TV. He studied musicology and philosophy.
In 1994 the second album, "Porta VIII" (Hyperium), was released. It has a concept based on the fairy tale "Ariadne et Barbe Bleue" by Maurice Maeterlinck, but "Porta VIII" is a continuation of the original fairy tale. This album too was selling more than 10 000 copies worldwide and climbed the Mexican charts.
Since 1997 there was a new line-up. Conny left sToa to follow her classical career, and the new singer was Antje Buchheiser. Buchheiser had been playing violin for more than eleven years, and had been singing in the classical chorus "Hallenser Madrigalisten". She performed a lot in classical music, in, among others, Germany, Japan and Cuba.
Another new member since 1996 was Christiane Fischer. She plays cello and is singing the second voice at live concerts. sToa signed to the German publisher Alster Musikverlag. In 1997 the band left their old label Hyperium for various reasons.
sToa performed sporadically at special places or events. They played for example at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in a one hundred years old and eighty metres high monument in front of more than 1 000 people, at the “Zeche Carl” in Essen, in the Netherlands and several times in Mexico (inter alia with the Goethe-Institut).
In 2001 they finished their album "Zal". It was released worldwide, but first in Mexico at "Samadhi Musik". sToa signed to the German label "Alice in ...", where they released "Zal" for the rest of the world and re-released "Urthona" and "Porta VIII". The singer on "Zal" was Antje Buchheiser.
In 2008 sToa returned with international line-up. The new album "Silmand" was released on September 26th. "Silmand" means soul month. With it the month September is titled in an almost forgotten German dialect. The female voices on the album belong to sToa's new main-singer Mandy Bernhardt and the Australian multi-instrumentalist Louisa John-Krol. Furthermore, the Dutchman Pieter Nooten (Ex-Clan of Xymox) could be engaged as well as the Leipzig-based Ralf Jehnert (Love is Colder than Death). One of the songs on "Silmand" was already used as film score ("Tacitum"). The title of the song "Hanuz Nist" comes from the Persian lyrics written by Hassan Dehlawi at the 14th century.
My Last Way
sToa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In which place will i be?
And i ask myself: Who will miss me?
Which last word will i say?
Love, Hate, Revenge, Why?
Forgive me, Remember me, No! wait?
It's not hurting, I feel calm, Keep this this moment, Oh -that pain
Was it worth it?
Why that late? Why that late!
In the song "My Last Way" by sToa, the lyrics convey a deep sense of contemplation towards the end of life. The opening lines set the premise that the singer is reflecting on their own mortality and wonder where they will be when they finally pass away. This questioning is followed by even more introspection as the singer ponders deeply on how their passing will be perceived by others. Will anyone miss them? What will be their last words?
The following lines of the song introduce a range of emotions that the singer might experience towards the end of life. Love, hate, revenge, and why are all possibilities that they are considering. These emotions highlight the complexity of human relationships and how they may persist even as one approaches the end of life. The lyrics also address the importance of forgiveness and remembrance, and the singer contemplates their own desires around these themes.
Towards the end of the song, the singer seems to become more reconciled with the idea of passing away. They comment on the calm that they feel, and they acknowledge the pain that comes with this final moment. They also question the timing of their passing, wondering if it was worth it or if it could have happened sooner or later. Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
If one day I go my last way
When my life comes to an end and I pass away
In which place will i be?
Where will I end up after I die?
And i ask myself: Who will miss me?
I wonder who will feel my absence when I am gone
Which last word will i say?
What will be the final words that leave my mouth before Idepart?
Love, Hate, Revenge, Why?
I am contemplating what emotions or motivations drove me in life
Forgive me, Remember me, No! wait?
I contemplate whether I will be remembered fondly or if there are things I need to ask for forgiveness for
It's not hurting, I feel calm, Keep this this moment, Oh -that pain
I reflect on a moment of pain and how it has made me feel, with a mix of acceptance and lingering discomfort
Why that early? I've been waiting!
I question the timing and inevitability of death, and whether I am ready for it despite my expectation of its inevitability
Was it worth it?
I reflect on whether it was all worth it in the end, considering all the highs and lows, joys and struggles of life
Why that late? Why that late!
An extension of my questioning the timing and inevitability of death, with a sense of exasperation and a desperate hope for more time
Contributed by Aubrey T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.