Digital Synapse: a lyric archive

Between 1999 and 2001 I was in a band called Digital Synapse, in which I sang, screamed and played guitar, and called myself Lukas because I thought it was cool. I thought I'd archive their malark here.

Here's a description written by a teenage me for some website or other:

"Digital Synapse: A History/Biography

Digital Synapse formed in about April 1999. The original members were:

Lukas: Vocals/Guitar
Anna: Bass/Vocals
Trav: Drums

They practiced in Anna's garage for a few months until her Dad decided to object. They then practiced at 11th Session at Brunts until December 1999, when Anna left. Prior to this they had done their first gig at the Portland Arms in Sutton supporting Abiotic (after blagging their way onto the bill at the last minute). Luke decided to recruit a guitarist, Rob. They looked for a new bassist, until Anna rang up asking for her old job back. Luke agreed, and the band spent two unsuccessful months practicing in Rob's garage with this line up. Anna was sacked, and in came Tim. With Tim in place, they set about writing new songs. Progress was good until Lukas was struck down with an illness with a really long Latin name which caused a brain abscess. Two months later they were able to continue. 

They are currently gigging whenever possible.
The current line up is:

Lukas: Vocals
Trav: Drums
Rob: Guitar
Tim: Bass

Digital Synapse are probably best described as a metal band from Mansfield. This is true to a large extent. Three of them are from Mansfield, and they play heavy music. But what do they sound like? Well, their influences include Deftones, Pantera, Fear Factory, Slipknot, Nirvana, Therapy?, Incubus, Tool and numerous other things. Think big chunky riffs, strange funky basslines, kick ass drumming and singy/shouty vocals and you're somewhere near."

Oh teenage me.

And then there's this, which may still be online somewhere:

"Digital Synapse are a band from Nottinghamshire in England. They play music.
Think Fugazi, Nirvana and Godflesh fighting Slipknot in a bath filled with purple sludge whilst Therapy?, Napalm Death and The Smashing Pumpkins throw pies at Oasis and you'll have a vague idea. You'll also need to see a shrink shortly afterwards.

These are them:

Lukas: Vocals/Plank with strings on
Lukas was once Emperor of Scandinavia until a clerical error caused his abdication. The Enchanting Wizard of Rhythm then ordered him to form Digital Synapse, giving him a rake, two frogs and an equilatoral chainsaw with which to perform the task.

Trav: Drummage
Trav stole his drumkit from Robert de Niro, replacing it with a cabbage. Bob has yet to notice. Trav lives with an Iranian princess in a house in Terahn, which they share with seven goats and a gerbil. Trav is a gringo.

Rob: Guitarz
Rob spends his Tuesdays moonlighting in a Jazz-Funk combo in which he plays the tuba. He can often be seen working on his invention-: a cyborg lesbian scuba-diver. Rob hopes to have is on the market by 2004.

Tim: Bass fishing simulator
Tim spends his evenings enjoying ham with friends. He finds ham refreshing, but does not encourage others to enjoy ham. "Once you try ham it can be very difficult not to become dependant. I only enjoy ham socially, and always ensure it is kept away from pork." Tim was an ice cube before he learnt to play bass."

And a potted gig history, although we played a lot more than this I apparently decided to write down a 'highlights' of sorts

"Digital Synapse

Gig History

4/12/1999

@ Portland Arms, Sutton-In-Ashfield. (the place has since been demolished!). We saw the first band and thought they we're terrible, so we asked Ellis, then guitarist in headliners Abiotic (it was their last official gig) if we could play. We we're still a 3 piece at the time (Lukas, Trav and Anna). We played 3 songs:
Skyward, by Therapy?
Falling, by Lukas and
Drowning By Numbers, by Placebo.


19/8/2000

@ Brown Cow, Mansfield. We were asked to fill in for Scared of Furniture, as their bassist had just left. We were supporting Worm and "The Scruffs", a band with no real name. We played most of our new songs. It was our first gig with Tim and Rob.


6/10/2000

@ Brown Cow, Mansfield. We were supposed to be supporting Knuckledust. Knuckledust cancelled the week before, having just lined up a lucrative UK tour that, oddly enough, didn't include Mansfield. Despite our anger, we got Worksop's Fixate to fill in (Section 8 and Tinsletown Rebellion were both playing the Battle of the Bands that night). Lukas also did a 6 song set as Calista, with Trav and Tim joining him for a couple of tracks (being members of Calista also). Then one of our PA cabs stopped working. A minor nightmare.


29/10/2000

@ Town Mill, Mansfield. This venue is not designed for gigs. My friend Dave asked us to play, so we did, supporting his band Element, and the rather funky Deity.


24/11/2000

@ Brown Cow, Mansfield. The gig that gave us some real exposure. Joshua's Tuma always pull in a big crowd, and Felony 7 dragged a few up from Sutton. Our first proper mosh!

16/3/2001

@ Brown Cow, Mansfield. Organised at the last minute, all procedes went to charity (it being Red Nose Day). Felony7 and Miscast (minus their broken foot striken drummer) played too. Downstair for once, it's the first gig we've ever had stopped! One of our friends collided with Rob's guitar, causing minor hospitalisation and the end of our set."

I know right.

If you think that's bad, I'm about to show you the lyrics. None of this ever made it to a recording. There is a video somewhere out there of us playing, but I doubt it's online.

Here goes:


Hammertime

v:
The grass is green but the sky is black
Why are you so happy when I've run over your cat

Your shiny trousers are like M.C. Hammer's
You wander 'round town in a drunken manner

Every night you get totally stoned
You're not looking while your girlfriend gets boned

Caught in the act with a Swedish porn star
Hammer's your god in a fruit and nut bar

chorus:
HAMMER IS GOD
_______

Unwanted

v1:
I scrape the heartache from my face
Reminds me of the hurt inside
You can't make up your fucking mind
You hurt my ego, kill my pride

chorus:
I feel unwanted
I feel rejected
Too much confusion
To be respected
You tore my heart out
But I can't leave you
I'd give you anything
Because I need you
                  so much

v2:
You sit and cry and leave me nothing
But jealousy and misery
I try to understand your pain
You won't allow me empathy

chorus

_______

Nerveshock

v1:

I see you 

Can't feel you

Only feel my hate

Drink numbs me 

Becomes me

Destroys my fate

chorus:

I found a reason

For all the hate

Your need for treason

Opened the floodgate

Now we are dying

No one is trying

Nobody gives a fuck

We've suffered

NERVESHOCK

v2:

My migraine

Is your pain

You cause my death

In your mind 

Now you find

It's your last breath

chorus

end bit:

NERVESHOCK

(lots)

_______

Only Human

Got you flowing through my veins

Got you running through my nerves

This time I know there's no escape

I got to get away from her

Got you flowing through my veins

Got you running through my nerves

Now I, I cannot take the pain

I'm gonna get what you deserve

Feels like

I'm falling apart 

Fells like

I'm falling apart

Can't take

This pressure anymore

I'm only human after all

_______

Jack

They work you to exhaustion

So you don't wonder where your mind's gone

They keep you complacent, now watch the news

Same old bullshit, same old views

GREED

GREED

GREED

GREED

They protect their interests, stare at your TV

Ignorance is bliss, but not for me

'It's not too hard to think!', My final word

A desperate cry, never to be heard

GREED

GREED

GREED

GREED 

_______

(Factory Second)

I'm getting used to rejection

Feel it ebbing away

See you faking your sorrow

I try to hide my dismay

Only Living in hope for

Your pathological lies

Interestingly reclusive friends say

That I'm just wasting my time

Dragging back the embers

Feeding off your scars

All my scars are concealed

Inside my sick twisted skull

I'm hoping one day it finds me

Before I begin my cull

Open wound in my mouth

Cauterised

Watching you all watch me

Keeping myself to myself

Taking in all the context

Leaving all this shit up to me

So I approach you

You're seething with undefined hatred

You have no charm

You have no time

To escape from this

I destroy you

No fists, only words

You're nothing

Less than that

You're a waste of space

Nothing to say but bullshit

_______

Just Good Friends (Goat Fucker)

v1:

Can't help but feel this way

I think it's here to stay

Your pretention

Causing tension

Arrogance too much to mention

v2:

Your ignorance grows by the hour

Fucked up dreams of fame and power

Hate infection

No direction

Complacency means no protection

singy bit:

We're all too selfish

We all want the same thing

Someone to depend on

A rope to hang a friend on

_______

Passive Resistance

There's no need

For aggression

You feel the need to argue

I stand ground

Better than you

Still waiting for the reaction

You're all talk

Through their eyes

You're nothing 

Through my eyes

Don't touch me

Bad idea

I no longer need to argue

Protection

From people like you

Ignorance may lead to your pain

I'm stronger

Through their eyes

You're weakness 

Is your faith in force

Waiting for the reaction

Waiting for the alarm

To stop

To die

I'm stronger

Through their eyes

You're weakness 

Is your faith in force

Antagonise me

It gets you nowhere

Do you feel better for it?

Eye for an eye

But there's no justice

You have no reason for this

I'm stronger

Through their eyes

You're weakness 

Is your faith in force

Finally you realise

There's no more words
_______

Pang

V1:
Take it back
Feel the burn
Exhale your waste
Now it's my turn
You melt into the background

Vent your stress into the wall
See the dragons watch it all
Don't want to leave these sounds

(it's)

C:
One
Leaf
In
Side
I've been waiting all this time
Next
Time
You'll
See
I'll get my own back

v2:
Seem to fall
Off desert line
Faster into fire
Spirals are keeping me awake

Like to see a newer light
Turn the wrong into the right
Seeping into your pores

_______

Crunchy Frog

Crunchy crunchy crunchy frog

_______

So that was that. Sorry.

We split up sometime in 2001, by which time I'd already formed another band.