Joy Electric - A Discography
Created | Updated May 28, 2013
Before you read this, if you have never heard of Joy Electric, check out the entry dedicated to Joy Electric - the Band.
Melody - the Debut Album from 1994
Melody is an excellent debut album. It is 18 tracks of pure synth pop goodness, dedicated to Joy Electric mainman Ronnie Martin's wife. The tracks:
'Drum Machine Joy' - the classic JoyE song, it has been remixed twice by Ronnie, and covered once by the punk band MxPx.
'Electric Joy Toy Company' - One of the first songs done by Joy Electric, this is the source of the phrase beloved of many JoyE fans: 'Joy Toy Kids'.
'Candy Cane Carriage' - A lyrically beautiful song that has been redone twice, once on Old Wives' Tales, and once on Unelectric.
'Analogue Grand Diary' - Features a nifty little bagpipe-esque sound in the intro.
'Every Boy And Girl Falls In Love' - A semi-dancey song whose lyrics engrain themselves into your brain. It is possible to put this song on loop for extended periods of time, though doing so may not be healthy.
'The Girl From Rosewood Lane' - Another classic song, it is re-featured on Five Stars for Failure and Unelectric. It is a sad, solemn, beautiful song about lost love.
'Sweet Sweet Charity' - This was originally a song from Ronnie's previous band, Dance House Children. It appeared on the Rainbow Riders album.
'The Melody Book' - Another love song - keep in mind that the album was dedicated to Martin's wife.
'Life Guardian Twenty' - A song about his first date with his wife, according to Ronnie. One would have never guessed, really...
'In Love In Midsummer' - The first Joy Electric instrumental! The song sounds like it's running backwards, but it just sounds funny if you actually do play the track backwards.
'Never Be A Star' - The first of the three guitar songs on Melody. A nice one at that...
'Old At This Young' - The second guitar song, this one is more melancholy.
'Of Stories And Love' - No, not another guitar song - that comes later. It is instead a song about, well, stories and love. Go figure.
'Happiness and Life' - A song about happiness and life.
'Lily Pad The Forest Our Home' - This is a song reminiscent of Ronnie's Dance House Children days. A good one, too.
'Bee Hoping' - The first song Martin wrote for Joy Electric after quitting Dance House Children, and an old favorite.
'The Dark Ages' - The third guitar song, a song that pleads for attention.
'Buttercup Fairy Jamboree' - The whimsical song that tries to be a hidden track, with a 30-second silence at the beginning.
Five Stars For Failure - the 1995 EP
A sad (some say depressing) record, it was a reaction against the widely-held opinion that Melody was a happy album (when in fact it was filled with sad love songs). Think of it as a sarcastic 'Can you tell this is sad?' statement.
'Keep Him In Your Thoughts' - A good first song, with classic JoyE lyrics.
'Drum Machine Joy' (The House In The Woods Mix) - A tasty remix.
'The Girl From Rosewood Lane' (Original Mix) - Not a remix, just a reappearance.
'Courage (Someday I'll Be Heard)' - A more obviously sad love song, about being hopelessly attached to someone.
'Sorcery' (Stadium House Mix) - This song was originally on a Tooth And Nail (Joy Electric's original label) compilation album @rt(c)ore Volume 1.
'Drum Machine Joy' (The Woods Are Haunted Mix) - A yummy remix.
'Five Stars For Failure' - A thoroughly depressing song. Don't listen to it while you are trying to sleep, that rim shot will scare the bejeezies out of you.
We Are The Music Makers - 1996's First Release
Even people who own this album may need to reference this, since the liner is printed with burgundy text on a black background... it hurts the eyes to read. The artwork was not meant to be this dark; originally Martin wanted the text to be yellow on black. He had a friend designing the liner, and he convinced Ronnie to make it burgundy on black instead. It turned out a lot darker than either of them meant it to. The music matches the liner... dark. It is Medieval-themed, and therefore is fantasy-oriented and dark.
'Burgundy Years' - A general song of loneliness and despair over the lack of interest in '... the words (and, indeed, lives) of misfits'. Perhaps a late response to the general reaction to Melody.
'Old Castle Madrigal' - A song praising God's glory, and declaring a belief in his present and future triumph over evil.
'The Harvestry of Ghosts' - A lonely song bemoaning ever-elusive love.
'Hansel' - A song about commitment and friendship, dedicated to 'John Jones and the others who grew up and left'.
'Christiandom On White Horses' - In a song comparing the church of Christ to an army, this becomes a sort of battle cry for Christians' struggle against what they see as the evil of this world.
'Pilgrimage' - A song proclaiming Ronnie's belief in God's invitation to all.
'The 100th Knighthood' - A song imagining the return of Christ and the triumph of the Saints.
'May All Saints' - A song sympathizing with the temporary struggle of the Saints while they lived in a world they believed to be under the dominion of Satan.
'The Road To Monarchy' - A song bemoaning the difficult road to God. 'Are we to die with no glimpse of you?', the song asks.
'I Beam, You Beam' - This song urges us to become lights to the world, socially, environmentally and spiritually.
Old Wives' Tales - EP, November 1996's Release
This EP is still fantasy-based, like WATMM, but is more light-hearted. This is JoyE's 'lollipops and candy canes' album, and ever since this release that is what JoyE has been known for: lollipops and candy canes. In fact, if you ordered The White Songbook from a certain place, you were sent a Joy Electric lollipop.
'The Cobbler' - The ultimate in fairy tale songs, some think this song may be Martin's vision of Heaven ('And he told me/ This wasn't a dream'), but most think this is just a happy fairy tale.
'And It Feels Like Old Times' - A sweetly reminiscent song, about the olden days.
'Burgundy Years' (remix) - Remix of the We Are The Music Makers classic.
'Marigoldeness' - A fantasy love story, and a very pretty song.
'Old Wives' Tales' - The title song of the album, it is a great song about believing in magic.
'The Golden Age' - About living with someone in golden happiness.
'Candy Cane Carriage (Lost In The Forest)' - A remix of the Melody favorite.
'I Beam, You Beam' (remix) - A remix of the We Are The Music Makers song.
Robot Rock - Brought to you in 1997
Robot Rock is a great album, considered by some to be an 'essential' album in the Joy Electric collection.
Martin has said that he wishes he could have spent more time on the album. He thinks it was too 'rushed and unpolished' (as he says in the Art and Craft liner), but it is still a much-beloved album among many fans. It seems to have been the first album for many people, and it is a good introduction to Joy Electric for a first-timer. Classics like 'Monosynth' are paired with great songs like 'Berry Patch' and 'Joy Electric Land', and rocking songs like '(We Are) Taking Over' and 'The Robot Beat (We're Back)' to make a great overall album.
'Sugar Rush' - A hyperactive, bouncy, buzzing-at-the-speed-of-light song, it zooms along and before you know it, you are singing along.
'Monosynth' - A 'tongue in cheek' song about the uncommon usage of a monophonic synthesizer. The video for this song featured Martin and Jeff Cloud painted white, playing on a giant mock monosynth. If you watch closely, you can see Jeff spinning like he's attached to a fan.
'I'm Your Boy' - A song about Martin's devotion to his God.
'Joy Electric Land' - A story about love between a boy and a girl, and about sharing hope and faith in God. This song includes Ronnie's nod to The Smiths' song 'Sheila Take A Bow' with the line 'I'm a boy and you're a girl'.
'Storybook Love' - A song that describes a, well, storybook love.
'The Robot Beat (We're Back)' - This is Martin venting some frustration about people who disregard him and his music.
'Forever Is A Place' - Another love song, asking for the lover to stay forever.
'The Berry Patch' - A song about the ideal love that remains young at heart, even when the lovers grow older.
'Strawberry Heart' - About the love that grows old, even though Martin doesn't want it to.
'(We Are) Taking Over' - A more obviously frustrated song. The bulk of the song consists of Ronnie singing the words 'taking over'.
The Land Of The Misfits - EP, Released in 1998
This was not one of Ronnie's favourites, because three of the five songs are remixes, and because of the slightly too obvious drum and bass overtones. It is worth your money, however, if only for the remix of 'The Cobbler' and the new song 'The North Sea'.
'Monosynth' - Not remixed, just making another appearance.
'The Cobbler' (remix) - Remixed, sped up, and made more 'pop'.
'I'm Your Boy' (remix) - Remixed in 'Drum and Bass' style.
'Sugar Rush' (remix) - Slowed down when remixed.
'The North Sea' - A stunning song, this is another that you can put on loop for long periods of time. There is no 'beat' in the song, just haunting synth sounds and beautiful vocals. Absolutely an awesome song.
Children Of The Lord - Maxi Single, Giving us Pop since March 1999
This was not an album, and it was not an EP, it was a 'Maxi Single'. It contained two songs from the upcoming full-length album, CHRISTIANsongs, and two remixes.
'Children Of The Lord' - A song from CHRISTIANsongs.
'I'm OK, You're OK' - A 'Joy Electrified' version of a song by the punk band MxPx. Ronnie did this in response to their version of 'Drum Machine Joy'.
'Make My Life A Prayer' - The inclusion of this song is rather important, because it sets the entire tone for the upcoming CHRISTIANsongs. The author of this song was Keith Green, Christian music's most prominent musician before his death in 1982. Keith Green was known more as an uncompromising minister than simply another musician, and his lyrics were cutting, controversial (to the apathetic), and honest (which could be said of CHRISTIANsongs altogether). Thus, the inclusion of this cover was a foreshadowing of the character of the upcoming CHRISTIANsongs.
'Children Of The Lord' (Cloud 2 Ground remix) - The already very poppy song made into an even more poppy song by Jeremy Dawson.
CHRISTIANsongs - Preaching its Gospel since April 1999
Easily the most misunderstood album [Joy Electric has] ever released.... There was a trend for a lot of [Christian] bands to sort of hide their faith in their so-called "art", which was a concept I didn't quite agree with, but was very prevalent. I just wanted to make an album that was very blatant about my faith, while at the same time being as artistically original as possible. Did it succeed at that? Maybe on a few tracks, but most [listeners were] offended by the message.... Nevertheless, there are differing opinions about this album... and probably always will be.
- Ronnie Martin, in the Art And Craft Of Popular Music liner notes. He states it well.
'The Voice Of The Young' - An anthem for the young Christians who are belittled by their elders.
'Children Of The Lord' - A poppy song, fast-paced, catchy, and incredibly Christian. The video for this displays Ronnie's performing skill for those who have never seen him perform live.
'Disco For A Ride' - A song to those who 'hide their faith'.
'Lift Up Your Hearts' - The basic message of this song is 'Don't listen to a band/genre just because it is "cool" if you don't agree with the message'. One of the few JoyE songs at 200 BPM1, it is incredibly fast.
'I Sing Electric' - Strongly reminiscent of 'Monosynth', it is Martin singing about being ignored because of his style of music, though he pledges that he will continue to 'sing electric' for his God.
'Make My Life A Prayer' - Originally by Keith Green, an excellent song.
'Singing In Gee' - A fairy tale song, or is it?
'True Harmony' - This is an awesome song, one of the most 'Christian' on the album.
'The Magic Of' - A beautiful fairy tale song. All of the songs on this album have Bible verses below their lyrics in the liner, except this song.
'Synthesized I Want You Synthesized' - About how Ronnie sees his God as the Creator.
'Birds Will Sing Forever' - A 'Joy Electric swan song', about Christmas, set in a small mountain village.
Unelectric - 2000's Piano Masterpiece
Ironically enough, this album was not really 'unelectric'. Although the main instrument was piano, Martin also made use of drum machines and string synths. Basically, Ronnie still used synths and drum machines for everything. Instead of his old analog beasts, though, he used newer digital synths that emulate acoustic instruments, which is the type of synth that just about everyone else in the world uses.
Martin said that he liked doing this for two reasons: firstly because the focus would be on the lyrics, not the music, and secondly because each song started life as a piano number. This allows listeners to hear each song in its original form, before its transformation into a synthesized song. According to Ronnie, each song he writes is a sad, melancholy song at the start, even the bouncy songs. When he creates the song on the synthesizers, the mood often changes, which explains the bouncy songs and the slow songs.
'Monosynth' - A song about a monophonic synthesizer, done on a polyphonic synthesizer... does anything else need to be said?
'True Harmony' - Slowed down from 200 BPM so we can focus on the lyrics.
'Disco For A Ride' - This is a song heard in its 'true form'.
'These Should Be The Good Times' - This song was first released on Unelectric, so the lyrics really fit the music.
'The Girl From Rosewood Lane' - This song is all the more melancholy on piano.
'The North Sea' - Most Joy Electric fans agree that 'unelectrifying' this song spoiled it, but the lyrics still save the song.
'Sugar Rush' - This song, originally hyperactive, sounds odd slowed down and missing its buzzing sounds.
'The Cobbler' - This is another one that is heard in its original melancholy sound.
'Candy Cane Carriage' - All the more melancholy on piano. 'Candy Cane Carriage' really does sound nice like this, because this song has always been about the lyrics.
'Losing Touch With Everyone' - This song was also first heard on Unelectric, and it is a tragic song about losing touch with those you used to be close to.
Legacy Volume One: The White Songbook - First Enjoyed August 2001
This album was a year and a half in the making, and you can tell by the sound. The first song alone has approximately 30-40 tracks, or 'layers of sound', and there are even more on other songs. A heavy album, with heavy lyrics, it is not for the weak of heart, but you can get a lot of listening time out of it. It clocks in at just over an hour, and you can listen to it repeatedly and hear something new in it each time. You keep hearing new sounds and new meanings to the lyrics.
Chapter 1. The White Songbook - A long, beautiful instrumental. There are spoken words at the end, and it sets the mood for the following songs.
a). 'Shepherds Of The Northern Pasture' - This song brings you out of the stunned trance that the first song put you into so that you can listen to Ronnie displaying his vocal prowess.
b). 'And Without Help We Perish' - 'It's really a story about the idea of being alone in your own pursuits and endeavours, without ever truly finding someone who believes in you' - Ronnie Martin, in an interview.
c). 'The Boy Who Never Forgot' - Perhaps Martin's answer to 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side' by The Smiths. Ronnie has described the latter as '... the best pop song ever'.
d). 'Unicornucopia' - A stunningly beautiful song, that's all that needs to be said.
Chapter 2: 'Hunter Green And Other Histories' - The beginning of the second chapter, this is a short instrumental that tries to be a transition, but there is really no transition between these songs.
e). 'The New Pirate Traditional' - Ouch! This song stings! It is a hard, bitter song aimed at the music industry that avoids him like the plague.
f). 'We Are Rock' - A song that gives hope after the previous song.
g). 'The Good Will Not Be Cloned Or Why Should The Christians Get All The Bad Music' - A long title for one of the shorter songs on the album. A good song that fits well in this chapter of the album. This song was accidentally 'leaked' about a year before the album actually came out.
Chapter 3: 'As Children We Are Growing Younger' - The beginning of the third chapter of The White Songbook, another short little instrumental.
h). 'Sing Once For Me' - A song dedicated to Melissa and Beth, his wife and daughter, this is a sweet song.
i). 'The Heritage Bough' - The first Joy Electric song to use a vocoder as more than a background or introductory noisemaker.
Chapter 4: 'A Frog In The Pond' - A really short instrumental to introduce a really short chapter.
j). 'The Songbook Tells All' - Features the favorite Joy Electric quote: 'Heavy metal shirts aren't funny/ Come here boy I'll show you funny.' The meaning of this line is debatable, but the general consensus is that the song is about 'posers' who pretend they are cool because of what they wear/do/listen to.
Starcadia - EP, April 2002's Offering
A short, sweet little EP, it clocks in at 13 and a half minutes. This EP was put out by Ronnie's label, Plastiq Musiq, with permission from BEC Recordings, Joy Electric's current label. It was a limited release, and it sold out quickly.
'The Matterhorn' - An almost too-short song, but good nonetheless.
'Starcadia' - A great instrumental, it is almost four minutes long.
'Dance To Moroder' - A dancey little ditty about musician and visual artist Giorgio Moroder, who made electronic dance music, and wrote disco music for many different people, including Donna Summer.
'Circa 1978' - A second instrumental, only two minutes but very good.
'The Carousel Of Progress' - Hard to decipher the lyrics, but you can understand enough to get the point: 'How is progress made when it stops before its time?' This song goes with 'The Matterhorn', although they explore different subjects.
The Art And Craft Of Popular Music - Box Set June 2002
The much-anticipated box set was originally to include live tracks from the August 28, 2001, CD release concert for The White Songbook. It was also rumoured to have the previously unreleased song 'This Time' on it. These tracks were absent from the final box set, but no one was particularly disappointed, the tracks that are there more than make up for it.
Disc One
'The Matterhorn' - This song was put on here as a way for people who missed Starcadia to hear it.
'Dance To Moroder' - As was this song. You see, after Starcadia sold out, Martin mentioned that if he had known it was going to sell out so quickly, he would have made more.
'Such A Beautiful Thought' - A haunting song about '...being in a relationship so long that you forget why you are with the person anymore' according to Martin.
'Ringing Bells' - A song about time and how it moves.
'Mistletoe And Molasses' - A Christmas song, about the magic of Christmastime
'Apples Of Gold' - A seemingly fairy-tale-ish song, and a fan favourite.
'We'll Last So Long' - Originally a song from Rainbow Riders, Ronnie redid an old favourite.
'Farmhouse Fables' - A song about stories and the magic they hold.
'Weep In The Sunshine' - An old song that had somehow never got put on to an album before.
'Come In, Brother' - This was previously on a Plastiq Musiq compilation, and for this it was redone and made a little lighter-sounding.
'Every Nook And Cranny' - Another farmhouse story.
'Blueberry Boats (And Pink Elephants)' - Despite the title, this is not a song about fairies and candy canes. It is instead about the evils of alcohol abuse.
'We Are Rock' (The Faint Remix) - The Faint's remix of the White Songbook favourite.
'We Are Rock' (The Norway Remix) - Norway, a band on Plastiq Musiq, remixed it too.
'We Are Rock' (The Echoing Green Remix) - The Echoing Green, a common guest on the Plastiq Musiq New Musiq compilations, also gave it a whirl.
Disc Two
'Drum Machine Joy'
'Candycane Carriage'
'Analogue Grand Diary'
'Sweet Sweet Charity'
'Keep Him In Your Thoughts'
'Five Stars For Failure'
'Burgundy Years'
'Hansel'
'I Beam, You Beam'
'The Cobbler'
'Sugar Rush'
'Monosynth'
'The Robot Beat'
'The North Sea'
'Disco For A Ride'
'Singing In Gee'
'Children Of The Lord'
'I Sing Electric'
'These Should Be The Good Times'
New Album Song Titles
All we know about Joy Electric's next album2 is that it is going to be released in February 2003.
'JE Picturephone (Reflect You, I Connect You)'
'(I Am) Made From The Wires (Of My Synthesizer)' - This song has been played in concert, much to the delight of fans. It is an excellent song, fast-paced and 'rocking'.
'The Joy Electric Confectionery'
'Such As It Was'
'St Glockenspiel Science Faire'
'Playing By Metronome'
Other Songs - The Hidden Treasures
'Come In, Brother' - Originally on Plastiq Musiq's New Musiq Volume One.
'Electric Car' - Available on Tooth And Nail's Moms Like Us Too.
'Ice Parade At Dawn' - Available on Audiomata 3.0, it is a great instrumental.
'Lollipop Parade (On Christmas Morn)' - From a Christmas compliation.3
'Mrs Santa Claus' - Available on BEC's Happy Christmas Volume 3.
'Parlor Inventor' - Available on Plastiq Musiq's New Musiq Volume Two'.
'Sorcery' - Available on Tooth And Nail's @rt(C)ore Volume One.
'This Time' - This song was originally going to be on CHRISTIANsongs, but for some reason or another just didn't make it. It was instead made available as a download on the official Joy Electric website.
'Transylvania' - Available on Tooth And Nail's @rt(C)ore Volume Two.
'Winter Wonderland' - Available on BEC's Happy Christmas Volume 2.
