I came across this message about (*part of*) the meaning behind the name OF THE I and I decided to share it. Although I'll probably get in to a lot of trouble for this, it still wont be the most sensitive thing I've leaked on the internet :-P
For more information about the name, try and get hold of a copy of the radio interview they did on the BBC a few months ago!
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"We were brainstorming with a bunch of different ideas, but this is the one that stuck, mainly because we thought it encompassed a lot of the different ideas that go into our music. Basically, the 'I' has two different aspects. One is the selfish "ego" which is the self-satisfying, desirous part of our existence, it's the animal instincts which drive us to seek our own benefit. This bit is pretty obvious, and some people think that it's all there is to human existence, but we think there's another side to it, the "I" which recognizes itself as part of something bigger, and understands that there is no real difference between "I" and anything else. Understanding the interaction between these two aspects of our being is basically figuring life out. On one hand, we can't be separated from our own experience. It's unique, and nobody else can understand what it's like to be the subject of someone else's unique stream of experience. On the other hand, we do have moments of total empathy, compassion, understanding, etc. in which we get a "big-picture" view of ourselves and others in the world, and in these moments, we are closer to everyone in the world. The more we are able to experience away from our selfish desires, the better we can come to understand ourselves and the world, and music has always been a great vehicle of understanding what can't be said in words alone. 'Of The I' just reflects that everything we do is filtered through the self, but that a deeper understanding of the self can loosen the grip of some of these filters. So everything is "Of The I" in one way or the other."
See, this is why I love them so much! That is one damn close explanation of something I believe in dearly!
But it's also the 'I' that should understand that supressing the 'ego' totally is not the ultimate goal and will not lead to true happiness and understanding. It's also about figuring out what selfish things of the 'ego' are favorable to the ones around you. Those are the things the 'I' should also stimulate to explore. Because at the end of the day, this is what music is all about. It's a selfish undertaking, which leads to enrichment on a much larger scale.
You are indeed in trouble number1. And you shall be dealt with appropriately. When you least expect it.
That said, I'm glad our ideas connect with some of those who listen to us, and that people don't just put on our music at parties while they get drunk (although that's ok too).
Nice insight about the act of creating music vs. the effect of releasing it, Cereon. I have always thought that directing our instinctive creative/destructive tendencies towards goals which can enrich the experience of others is the ultimate goal of piloting these personal flesh-puppets, lifetime after lifetime.
Erudition, if you give me your e-mail I can yousendit you the BBC interview. Just remember that the files are property of the BBC, so accredit them if you post them anywhere, we wouldn't want to get you into trouble.
We're going to have the interview back up once we've re-launched our website, but this - as all things - is taking longer than we expected.
Also, if you guys want to have a discussion about the themes and concepts you find in our music, feel free to post here or on the progbase forum, and we'll see what we can learn from each other.
Of the I
So what's in a name?!