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.
Scrupus
sToa Lyrics
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(denn von welchen Lastern könnte ich unabhängig sein)
Qui pravis semper deservivi moribus
Der ich stehts dem Schlechten hörig war)
The lyrics of Scrupus by sToa are in Latin, translated as "For which faults am I not liable? I, who have always served bad morals." The song speaks to the idea that nobody is perfect and everyone has faults or vices that they are subject to. It suggests that despite our flaws, we can still strive to be better and to overcome our weaknesses.
The lyrics also highlight the idea of being a product of one's environment and upbringing. The use of the word "deservivi" suggests that the singer has been brought up in a culture or society that condones immoral behaviour. Despite this, the singer is aware of their own shortcomings and is questioning their actions and behaviour.
The overall message of the song is to acknowledge our own imperfections and to strive for self-improvement. It suggests that we should not be complacent in our faults, but rather work to overcome them and strive towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Nam quibus non sim vitiis obnoxius
For which vices am I not subject to
Qui pravis semper deservivi moribus
Having always followed corrupt ways
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