A History of Now is an album by British band, Asian Dub Foundation, released 2 Jan 2011.
Group members are Steve Chandra Savale (aka Chandrasonic), Sanjay Gulabbhai Tailor (aka Sun-J), John Pandit (aka Pandit G), Ghetto Priest, Rocky Singh, Dr Das, Aktar Ahmed (aka Aktarv8r).
Asian Dub Foundation album provisionally entitled "A New London Eye" eventually came out as "The History of Now". The cover contains many fantasy iPhone "Apps" intended to parody the contemporary age. Contemporary means what is happening right now.
During the present/modern age there are so many scientific, political and humanitarian achievements. The ongoing technological advances have marked the 20th century. That includes spaceflight, nuclear technology, laser, hologram, augmented reality and semiconductor technology and the development of molecular biology, genetic engineering, and the development of particle physics and the Standard Model of quantum field theory.
“A History of Now” is Asian Dub Foundation's critical commentary about our over-dependence on technology. The information overload from our connection to the digital world is confusing us with too much information, “too many ideas buzzing round inside my brain.” We are overwhelmed with visual stimulation, “phasing between blinding lights and the deafening sound.” The blurring of the line between technology and reality is taking away important aspects of human experience. The song line "My TV internet or me” mean that the society tempts us to become part of the net and connect our lives to a large internet database. We then lose the “Eye to Eye,” one-on-one connection that makes us who we are. Without direct contact with our environment and other lives, we are missing out on important aspects of what makes us human. Living a digital life ignores much of our sensory possibilities, potentially leaving us feeling empty and incomplete.
“A History of Now” is a cry of rebellion. We need to live in the present, experiencing and participating in the “history of now.” The artists want to return to the essence of being alive and getting “back to the desert.” The desert may be the perfect metaphor for a life focused on the present, concerned only with the essential needs of survival. We need to appreciate the basics of our lives, “get back to my soul,” and try to get in touch with our own individuality. We should strive to disconnect our lives from the server, and refuse to be a “relay on an expanding circuit board.” This artistic effort has important ideas to consider, and serves us a valuable warning.
During the present/modern age there are so many scientific, political and humanitarian achievements. The ongoing technological advances have marked the 20th century. That includes spaceflight, nuclear technology, laser, hologram, augmented reality and semiconductor technology and the development of molecular biology, genetic engineering, and the development of particle physics and the Standard Model of quantum field theory.
“A History of Now” is Asian Dub Foundation's critical commentary about our over-dependence on technology. The information overload from our connection to the digital world is confusing us with too much information, “too many ideas buzzing round inside my brain.” We are overwhelmed with visual stimulation, “phasing between blinding lights and the deafening sound.” The blurring of the line between technology and reality is taking away important aspects of human experience. The song line "My TV internet or me” mean that the society tempts us to become part of the net and connect our lives to a large internet database. We then lose the “Eye to Eye,” one-on-one connection that makes us who we are. Without direct contact with our environment and other lives, we are missing out on important aspects of what makes us human. Living a digital life ignores much of our sensory possibilities, potentially leaving us feeling empty and incomplete.
“A History of Now” is a cry of rebellion. We need to live in the present, experiencing and participating in the “history of now.” The artists want to return to the essence of being alive and getting “back to the desert.” The desert may be the perfect metaphor for a life focused on the present, concerned only with the essential needs of survival. We need to appreciate the basics of our lives, “get back to my soul,” and try to get in touch with our own individuality. We should strive to disconnect our lives from the server, and refuse to be a “relay on an expanding circuit board.” This artistic effort has important ideas to consider, and serves us a valuable warning.
LYRICS HISTORY OF NOW – ASIAN DUB FUNDATION
I give up I live up I fill up*
Gotta keep my mind in motion
Gotta keep motion in my mind
Cut it out Leave it out take it out
All the things that make confusion
And diversions in these times
Breathing out Hold it out hold it down
buttoning down frustration out of neutral into drive
ray of hope keep afloat take a note
Need another survival strategy just to keep myself alive
Too many ideas buzzin round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feelin like there's
Nothing left that I can really explain l
Live in the history Live in the history Of now
In a maze In a haze In a rage
Can't tell the difference between
My TV internet or me
Who is that Who is this Who said that
America's next top strictly dancing ghost celebrity
And I'm always phasing between blinding lights and the deafening sound
And I can't even make out the words
Or make them match up with the mouths
Too many ideas buzzing round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feeling like there's nothing left that
I can really explain
Live in the history
Live in the history Of now
Eye to Eye
Gotta get back to the desert
Gotta get right back to my soul
Burning sky
Where every drop of rain Is a blessing to behold
Cos I can't be be a relay
On an expanding circuit board
My mind won't fit on a server somewhere I could never afford
You can't download the sun
You can't download the sea
You can't download the sun
You'll never download me
Too many ideas buzzin round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feelin like there's
Nothing left that I can really explain l
Live in the history
Live in the history of Now
I give up I live up I fill up*
Gotta keep my mind in motion
Gotta keep motion in my mind
Cut it out Leave it out take it out
All the things that make confusion
And diversions in these times
Breathing out Hold it out hold it down
buttoning down frustration out of neutral into drive
ray of hope keep afloat take a note
Need another survival strategy just to keep myself alive
Too many ideas buzzin round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feelin like there's
Nothing left that I can really explain l
Live in the history Live in the history Of now
In a maze In a haze In a rage
Can't tell the difference between
My TV internet or me
Who is that Who is this Who said that
America's next top strictly dancing ghost celebrity
And I'm always phasing between blinding lights and the deafening sound
And I can't even make out the words
Or make them match up with the mouths
Too many ideas buzzing round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feeling like there's nothing left that
I can really explain
Live in the history
Live in the history Of now
Eye to Eye
Gotta get back to the desert
Gotta get right back to my soul
Burning sky
Where every drop of rain Is a blessing to behold
Cos I can't be be a relay
On an expanding circuit board
My mind won't fit on a server somewhere I could never afford
You can't download the sun
You can't download the sea
You can't download the sun
You'll never download me
Too many ideas buzzin round inside my brain
Live in the history of now
And I'm feelin like there's
Nothing left that I can really explain l
Live in the history
Live in the history of Now
