Ænema
Encyclopedia
"Ænema" is a Grammy Award-winning song by rock
band Tool
, released as the third single from their second album Ænima
. Adam Jones
made a video for the song using stop-motion animation
that appears on Salival
. The song reached number twenty-five on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart in August 1997.
The song makes extensive use of hemiola
, a musical technique in which the emphasis in a triple meter is changed to give the illusion that both a duple and a triple meter occur in the song. For example, during the first verse, the beat appears to be in 12/8 timing, while toward the middle of the song when the lyrics from the first verse are repeated, the beat can be perceived as being in 6/8 timing. The double bass drums are in a shuffle pattern and are also alternated with a floor tom
in the middle of the song making them seem twice the speed.
' sketch "Arizona Bay
" routine (from Hicks' comedy segment album of the same name) by stating the line "learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay." Hicks appears in the liner notes/sleeve as a doctor, and a lenticular
image below the case tray illustrates a large portion of California
disappearing leaving only the Pacific Ocean
, as is mentioned in the song. California falling into the sea is a prediction made by Edgar Cayce
, also known as "The Sleeping Prophet," about the end of days in which California and New York are to sink into the ocean among a plethora of other devastating weather changes.
It also refers to the Church of Scientology
with the line "Fuck L. Ron Hubbard
and fuck all his clones"; this is because the band members of Tool are opposed to Scientology
.
with art design by Cam de Leon
and features stop-motion
animation. The video revolves around a humanoid figure with alien-like features. Throughout the video the character ventures through an aquatic world and is seen to have a hose-like organ (resembling an umbilical cord) protruding from its abdomen which squirts out water that fills the room the figure is standing in. Towards the end of the video the figure is seen being tossed inside a water filled box by a character wearing business attire.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, released as the third single from their second album Ænima
Ænima
Ænima is the second studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on September 17, 1996 in vinyl format and on October 1, 1996 in Compact Disc format. The album was recorded and cut at Ocean Way, Hollywood, California and The Hook, North Hollywood, California from 1995 to 1996...
. Adam Jones
Adam Jones (musician)
Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
made a video for the song using stop-motion animation
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
that appears on Salival
Salival
Salival is a limited edition box set in CD/VHS and CD/DVD formats released in 2000 by American rock band Tool. It includes a 56-page book of photos and stills from their music videos. As the box set has now been out of print for some time, it can only be found secondhand, usually at a price...
. The song reached number twenty-five on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart in August 1997.
The song makes extensive use of hemiola
Hemiola
In modern musical parlance, a hemiola is a metrical pattern in which two bars in simple triple time are articulated as if they were three bars in simple duple time...
, a musical technique in which the emphasis in a triple meter is changed to give the illusion that both a duple and a triple meter occur in the song. For example, during the first verse, the beat appears to be in 12/8 timing, while toward the middle of the song when the lyrics from the first verse are repeated, the beat can be perceived as being in 6/8 timing. The double bass drums are in a shuffle pattern and are also alternated with a floor tom
Floor tom
A floor tom is a double-headed tom-tom drum which usually stands on the floor on three legs. However, they can also be attached to a cymbal stand with a drum clamp....
in the middle of the song making them seem twice the speed.
Lyrical references
Keenan incorporates into the lyrics part of comedian Bill HicksBill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
' sketch "Arizona Bay
Arizona Bay
Arizona Bay is an album by comedian Bill Hicks, posthumously released in 1997. It was released alongside Rant in E-Minor, marking three years since his death. The album's title refers to the hope that Los Angeles will one day fall into the ocean due to a major earthquake...
" routine (from Hicks' comedy segment album of the same name) by stating the line "learn to swim, see you down in Arizona Bay." Hicks appears in the liner notes/sleeve as a doctor, and a lenticular
Lenticular printing
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles...
image below the case tray illustrates a large portion of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
disappearing leaving only the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, as is mentioned in the song. California falling into the sea is a prediction made by Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
, also known as "The Sleeping Prophet," about the end of days in which California and New York are to sink into the ocean among a plethora of other devastating weather changes.
It also refers to the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
with the line "Fuck L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
and fuck all his clones"; this is because the band members of Tool are opposed to Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
.
Video
The video for "Ænema" was directed by guitarist Adam JonesAdam Jones (musician)
Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
with art design by Cam de Leon
Cam de Leon
Cam de Leon is an American artist who specialises in surreal darkly fantastic imagery. He created some of the band Tool's early artwork, as well as working as a digital illustrator, doing concept and visual development and character design for the feature animation industry...
and features stop-motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation. The video revolves around a humanoid figure with alien-like features. Throughout the video the character ventures through an aquatic world and is seen to have a hose-like organ (resembling an umbilical cord) protruding from its abdomen which squirts out water that fills the room the figure is standing in. Towards the end of the video the figure is seen being tossed inside a water filled box by a character wearing business attire.