“High Speed Changer”
by Orange 9mm
from the album Driver Not Included
1995
Buy the album on Amazon

Oh sweet, I was hoping some Orange 9mm might crop up during this month.  I first heard these guys on a CMJ sampler when they were on their final album – Pretend I’m Human.  That album  is  great, but definitely on the more experimental side.  When I told a co-worked about this new band I had discovered, he quickly schooled me on their earlier albums.  Good call.

Orange 9mm falls into the same kind of post-hardcore, alternative metal category like Helmet or Quicksand, but more funky with the bass grooves and Chaka Malik’s half-sung, half-spoken delivery.

“High Speed Changer” from their second album just screams extreme sports to me.  I always pictured it as the soundtrack to a skate video, with guys catching massive air and doing those tricks that don’t even make sense on paper.    I mean even the lyrics describe taking flight:

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Do you wanna cling to nothing?

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Don’t you wanna take your chances?

There’s been times when I’ve been
So close and held out, fell down, lost count
When my own exhaust exceeds me
And my drive is in doubt

I’ve been a host to failure
When I start to forget
To remind myself the reasons
And I hold my breath for too long

[Inaudible] praises no one

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna cling to nothing?

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Don’t you wanna take your chances?

I’ve been told decisive isn’t helpful
But sometimes it cures
The slow into resourceful
With reaction as the lure

Simple doesn’t matter
Disguised as the complex
A fraction of disaster
And we try to forget for too long

[Inaudible]
[Inaudible] praises no one

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna cling to nothing?

Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Or do you wanna keep holdin’ on and on?
Do you wanna watch yourself fly?
Don’t you wanna take your chances?

I highly recommend checking out Orange 9mm, particularly if you’ve ever gotten pumped listening to Helmet or Quicksand.  Here’s a bonus song, “Failure” from the album Tragic.