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While You Were Otherwise Engaged

by Null Device

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1.
In this wonder, in this joy The stakes rise higher And nothing can be certain Except my desire As the day slides down And the shadows loom sharp My fears trace the edge Of the silence in the dark Here in the calm, in the quiet and the frost We flow deep, past the dark and the lost Rise and fall, where still and soft We flow through, while the shadows cross Here in the calm, without a sound We flow deep, we are hidden and found Rise and fall, as the night comes down We flow here, when the shadows surround In this wonder, in this joy The stakes rise higher As I watch the shadows falling We balance on a wire Now the wind blows wild And the skyline bends We sway at the edge Where the night descends Here in the calm, the winds sigh hushed We flow deep, past the fire and the dust Rise and fall, and search where we must We flow through, while the shadows rush Here in the calm, without a sound We flow deep, we are hidden and found Rise and fall, as the night comes down We flow here, when the shadows surround In this shadow, in this flame The skies burn with rust As I watch the sunlight peel back Day fades to dusk And the stakes rise higher Where the night will spread And I stray no more On the path ahead Here in the calm, in the quiet and the frost We flow deep, past the dark and the lost Rise and fall, where still and soft We flow through, while the shadows cross Here in the calm, without a sound We flow deep, we are hidden and found Rise and fall, as the night comes down We flow here, when the shadows surround Here in the calm, the winds sigh hushed We flow deep, past the fire and the dust Rise and fall, and search where we must We flow through, while the shadows rush Here in the calm, without a sound We flow deep, we are hidden and found Rise and fall, as the night comes down We flow here, when the shadows surround
2.
Freefall 04:21
Tonight my timing’s right in tune Move in waves like light from the moon See lanterns out to mark my way No more illusions pull me astray Tonight my timing’s right in tune From this course Nothing can pull me away No stars light the city No suns shine the day I lost you once But we remain bound And my freefall follows the sound Precise, the journey’s never been The pristine arc, it isn’t my friend Still watchmen wave me right on through Tonight no one will keep me from you Precise, the journey’s never been Passion is setting the stage The cell holding me, it isn’t a cage Crossfire from the lost and drawn Shows me how to stave off the dawn Passion is setting the stage I’ll cross one more night and then I know I’ll never fly again
3.
Faraway 04:27
Staring at the surface From the shallows to the deep The stars float on a mirror Of the dark and restless sea Where the night dissolves in mist And follows on the tide There’s a penance to be paid As the shifting waves collide I gaze into the distance Where these pictures rise and stir And move out in the ebb and flow On waves that hone and blur And I long to breathe the air As pure as the night To watch the lighthouse fade To a faraway sight Where I cannot hold To the vanishing shore The night is laid bare Like never before Listening to the cadence In the song of sullen waves Calling out in idle verse The echoes grow and fade Currents rushing past my ears And motions flooded black Now I look across the way Only night stares back While ships search far and wide On waves that heave and sigh They won’t notice from these depths This silent lullaby And I long to hear the sound As pure as the night To watch the lighthouse fade To a faraway sight Where I cannot hold To the vanishing shore The night is laid bare Like never before As I look across the way Only night stares back And I long to feel the cold As pure as the night To watch the lighthouse fade To a faraway sight Where I can’t return To the vanishing shore The night is laid bare Like never before
4.
Maker 04:43
Hold your head high That’s what they told me We’ve got everything to get you by And that’s what they sold me When I’m where I want to be The promised fate is never found Flip the switch inside my head And my thoughts tumble to the ground My cares are free My affairs are blind Each sound’s a conflagration Burning roads out of mind My words are free My cares are mine Each sound is revealed as Inspiration in mind Live for your dreams That’s what they said to me We’ve got everything that you will need And that’s how they paid me Standing in the lions’ den Feel the strain in every beat Burn with passion to endure Or I tumble to defeat My cares are free My affairs are blind Each sound’s a conflagration Burning roads out of mind My words are free My cares are mine Each sound is revealed as Inspiration in mind With chin held high That’s how they sold me And everyone right by your side That’s what they told me When I race wild horses Hearing all their thunderous sound I face a deafening reply As I tumble to ground
5.
The Desire 04:26
The promoter compliments our set But he’s gritting his teeth And I know that we’re the only act that He didn’t see ‘Cause we played to 9 members of the opening bands And a lonely bartender With too much time on his hands Then the bartender says “I’ll buy you a round. You guys have got a really great sound!” We don’t do it for the money We don’t do it for the fame But the desire to be heard Still remains We don’t do it for the money We don’t do it for the fame But the desire to be heard Is still the same It’s a Tuesday night And we’re sharing the stage With some hip young acts that are Half my age I meet a music journalist From my hometown, she says “I didn’t know you guys were still around.” Then a 22-year old Shakes my hand says “You inspired me to start My own band” Saturday night And I’m sitting at home Hunched over a keyboard Plugged into headphones I’ve been working on this track Since 7AM My family wonders if they’ll ever see me again Then I adjust a fader And then I press play Now this track says exactly What we want it to say… We don’t do it for the money… We don’t do it for the fame…
6.
3 AM 04:30
I remember 3 am People in a daze Spilling out into the streets I remember 3 am The feel of this city As it passed beneath my feet I remember 3 am The moon was shining faintly Through a dark, dark haze of clouds I remember 3 am Liberated out from All the push of the crowds I feel the pull from your eyes Each step shows that we’re alive I watch the shadows with you near Maybe we should stop right here Should we be left alone? Is this wise, out on our own? Still we dare to speak aloud Should we go rejoin the crowd? I remember 3 am Ears are ringing Eyes are burning Thoroughly awake I remember 3 am Lonely cars passing In the light, late night rain I remember 3 am Streetlights shining orange Over concrete building walls I remember 3 am Sounds of taxis Sounds of rain and lovelorn calls I feel the pull from your eyes Each step shows that we’re alive I watch the shadows with you near Maybe we should stop right here We found ourselves alone Is it wise, who could have known? We slide as one in the night Here together until first light I remember 3 am Fingers touching Hands are clasping As we move along I remember 3 am The rush of the moment And the thrill of the song I remember 3 am Footsteps come together It’s just like we belong I remember 3 am Chances taken slowly Play like rightest wrongs I remember 3 am You and I together In a city we didn’t know I remember 3 am My arm around your shoulder In the city’s ebb and flow I remember 3 am Walking home with you Made a lovely memory I remember 3 am I wouldn’t trade that night For anything Anything
7.
Press your finger on my pulse Follow in the rhythm Where flesh and bone and breath become Beacons burning crimson If you reach you will find In the air as we are driven And every star a flare to rise Throughout our kingdom Anywhere we’ve been, make no delay All that is done, with this we are made And we will hold, wherever we are All that is ours, never so far As you reach out for me We hold fire to the wind We’ll cross through lost frontiers Touch as flames rush in Where the path twists into shadows It’s just a trick of light Illusions by our side Will not distract tonight Anywhere we’ve been, time to make haste All that is done, with this we are made And we will hold, showing so clear All that is ours, always held near Now we’re turning hand in hand And we push as clock hands press We hold to every vow In each trial and test As the moments toll like echoes Of our step and of our pace They’ll call us all throughout the night As we follow to this place Anywhere we’ve been, time to make way All that is done, with this we are made And we will hold, here in our sight All that is ours, we reach tonight
8.
As I walk this line, winding back again Trace along the edge, circle back where I have been Moving in between, through the clouded light Blurring in the gray, I can’t see in black and white Devotion that won’t matter, truth that cannot speak Going through the motions as my stride grows weak Follow step by step, meant to fall in line But I start to falter as I redefine All along this line, strung up in between Let the threads unravel, pull them at the seams Chasing at the edge, now it’s time to know It’s pulsing in my blood, it’s pushing hard as stone Time has worn us down, but it also makes us sharp Pieces come together where they break apart In this broken moment, ringing out tonight Pull me past the edge, and see in black and white Out along this line, it buckles and it bends Nothing to hold back, there’s no more consequence Building to this moment, now the time is right With everything to lose but nothing more denied As I walk along, hear the stirring at the edge Catches in my ear, somewhere past the ledge Calling out from stillness, as the switch points lock And I tumble down with the countdown on the clock
9.
Sandur 04:55
10.
Concentric 05:41
Circles and circles I see concentric circles Leading and calling Circles in the wind Backwards and forwards I move backwards and forwards Leading and fading Moving in the night Circles and circles I see concentric circles Pulling and falling Circles in the wind Coast to coast And ship to shore These circles on my lips Coast to coast And night to day These circles on my lips Motion and ballast I see oceans and conflicts Flowing and falling Daybreak in the sky Motion and headway I see billboards and sidewalks Growing and clawing Catch the fire inside

about

Null Device comes blazing back with an album of pure synthpop, drawing on influences from the past four decades of electronic music.

credits

released September 9, 2016

Null Device is: Eric Oehler, Eric Goedken, Jill Sheridan, and Kendra Kreutz

All songs 2016
published by Null Device Media Industries

Produced by Null Device
Engineered and Mastered by Eric Oehler at Submersible Studios, Madison, www.submersiblestudios.com
Assistant Engineer: Lenore Schmoldt

www.nulldevice.com
nulldevice.bandcamp.com
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soundcloud.com/nulldevice

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Null Device Madison

Null Device makes electronic pop music. Never ones to stand still, Null Device is constantly experimenting and evolving their sound. They’ve drawn on a wide variety of influences, passionately fusing everything from bhangra to post-punk to pop to ambient rock into their music. Null Device is always pushing the boundaries of synthpop. ... more

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